Accusing God: The Bible Says that God Won't Give Me More Than I Can Handle. . .
There are two ways of making this statement. You can make this statement in faith, with confidence in the promise of God or you can say this as an accusation. From the depths of your despair, you can blame God for being overwhelmed by your situation. Before you point an accusing finger at God for breaking a promise, you must first be sure that you fully understand that promise.
Let us read what the verse says. The actual verse is as follows:
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
When you read a passage in the Bible, you must know 2 foundational elements about it:
1. Who is doing the speaking
and
2. Who is being spoken to.
This verse is found in the first of Paul's letters written to the Church at Corinth. Paul was an Apostle of Jesus as stated in verse 1 of this letter:
1 Corinthians 1:1
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
As an Apostle and as a writer of Scripture, Paul's writings are covered as being fully inspired by the Spirit of God and therefore do not contain errors:
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
As I stated before this 1 Corinthians, is a letter to the church at Corinth, but who specifically was the intended audience? Paul tells us who he is writing to in the second passage of the letter:
1 Corinthians 1:2
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
This letter was written "to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus." So everything we read in this letter, unless it specifically says that it is addressed to someone else, must be taken as being addressed to the believers whom are sanctified in Christ Jesus. What does that mean, to be "sanctified in Christ Jesus"? Let us use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Paul writes in the letter to the Romans:
Romans 15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Sanctification is by the Holy Ghost. . .and again:
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Paul writes in this very letter, that we are washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. . .
This is not a new doctrine only believed by Paul. Is is verified by another witness, Jesus said the same thing:
John 3:1-6
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: (2) The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (4) Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Again this doctrine was witnessed by John the Baptist who preceded Jesus, making the way straight for Him:
Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
We are born once of the flesh and before we come to God we must turn away from the sinful life we lead by repentance and then washing that flesh in the water's of the baptism of repentance. We must first turn away from our sins and be cleansed of them. As Jesus said, being now through this process culminating in being reborn of the Spirit of God. Peter was asked what must a man do, when they first come to God, and he replied:
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: . . . .
If Jesus says that you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, then that means that you did not, and do not have power before being filled with the Holy Ghost! Paul wrote this verse concerning temptation:
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
To those who were cleansed, set apart, sanctified in Jesus name by baptism and therefore have the power that Jesus promised by filled with the Spirit of God. They are the only ones to whom this passage applies. If you are not baptized in Jesus name and if you are not baptized with His Spirit as evidenced by speaking in an unknown language, then this promise does not apply to you and you can not stand, with just cause and point your finger at God saying that He has let you down. He has given all of mankind a way to have power and if you have not done these things, then you have not availed yourself of this power that God has offered to you and that is not God's fault. . .
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