1Corinthians 10:1-15 IMMATURITY The apostle Paul was an example of a disciplined believer who was aware of all that was going on around him, and yet kept the goal of the Gospel work before him. He was not going to allow the pressures of life and society to hinder him in his work for the Lord. But he was fully conscious of the need for self-discipline to avoid disqualifying himself from the results he sought in fulfilling the commission he was given. In contrast, Israel was used in chapter 10 as an example of those who are undisciplined. The Corinthian believers were like the Israelites: self-confident and over-confident; immature and thinking they had arrived. The great blessings we have received do not assure us of success in the Christian life. Overconfidence is a sign of weakness and can leave us without the strength we need on the journey through a spiritually dangerous world. We may have enjoyed spiritual victories in the past, spiritual provisions through the Word of God, fellowship with God's people, and answers to prayers, yet still fall under the most unsuspecting test.
Israel left Egypt, experiencing miracles from God as they crossed the Red Sea and traveled through the wilderness. But when it came to testing times, they looked back to Egypt and leveled their complaints against Moses and God. In their spiritual weakness, they started well but ended badly, and all died in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb. Immaturity becomes evident when we want to copy the religious practices of those who want to appeal to the world. Some religious practitioners even ignore the biblical warnings against immoral practices and accept as normal the sensual sins of society. The Corinthian believers were doing that very thing. Complaints and grumbling shift our focus of attention to what we don't have, rather than what we do have - the multiplied blessings of God. That attitude is a sign of spiritual immaturity and lack of discipline in one's life.
Israel was placing their attention on Egyptian food rather than on the fact that they were no longer slaves but free people and an actual nation God recognized. They were now a nation of free people going to their own land, where God had promised He would lead and protect them if they would love and serve Him in fellowship with Him. It is possible for us to yield to the pressures of society and let memories of the past turn us aside from the spiritual privileges of the present, we can claim by disciplining ourselves and learning what God wants from us and how He wants us to live. Unfulfilled desires can stumble us and keep us from what God intended for us. Our whole lifetime can be wasted seeking things that give only temporary satisfaction and leave us with nothing in the end. We will be wise to learn from Israel's example.
Temptations in an immoral culture will always be around us. They are before every Christian in one form or another. Others have been tempted, resisted, and overcome the temptation by disciplining themselves - and so can we. God enables us to resist the temptations that attract us. He knows and lets us know, by His Spirit in us, which people, situations, and potential troubles to avoid. We have the power to choose what is right and refuse what is wrong. Prayer is our link to the throne of grace, where we find mercy and grace when we need divine help. Our ability to make spiritual choices in godly friends gives us their aid and fellowship when we are tempted. When a situation arises where we know temptations are there, our best course of action is to run from it, as Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife. Paul wrote to Timothy to flee the evil desires of youth and to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with other believers who know and love the Lord. It takes courage to physically leave that which causes temptation. To remove oneself from anything that produces evil thoughts, leading to evil desires and then to evil actions, is the only course to take when temptation arises.
We may wonder why God allows temptation in the first place. The ability to make choices separates human beings from the rest of creation, and the ability to choose between right and wrong gives us personhood. Eve would not have taken the forbidden fruit and given it to Adam when the devil tempted her if she had no freedom of choice. Freedom to love and serve God in spite of the pressure to serve self and sin is essential to our fellowship with God - and with other people who love the Lord. God provides a way to escape temptation. It is there for us to take. If we think we can stay in the place of temptation and enjoy it, we will fall. The wise person will understand the need to flee, and that person will not only escape the temptation, but the sin that follows it.
"It's only a little thing, and it brings such pleasure, The memories later will be something to treasure. Surely there's nothing in that innocent-seeming act That would cause me to fall. I can handle that."
Such conversations with others or even inward thoughts, Are quite common before, by temptation, one is firmly caught And led into some action and sin that chases the soul, But the consequences are desires that are soon out of control.
Lessons from the past about what others went through Are given to us so we won't fall under temptation too. We dare not think we are immune to the power of sin. They thought they were, but look what happened to them.
As we mature in Christ, we had better learn the danger And the power of temptation from a friend or a stranger That we must turn from as soon as we are able to see The consequences that will follow if we don't quickly flee.
Immaturity thinks that against temptation it can stand. That whatever comes to attract, it is easily dismissed out of hand. Such an attitude opens the way to a dangerous fall When the voice of temptation to the flesh gives its siren call.
The only way to deal with the advances of temptation Is to, as fast as possible, flee to the God of our salvation, Who knows how much we can take and provides a way, For us to escape temptation, no matter what others do or say.
"Father, I know there are different temptations as I get older than there were in younger years. Please give Thy servant wisdom to flee the temptation of possessions, sloth and laziness, self-satisfaction and complaints. May I realize when I see others who are younger
being tempted, that I am not immune from myriad temptations either. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."