Abiding in Christ - The Evidences of Abiding in Christ

Temple Baptist Church - 1-18-2026

John 15:1-16

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Last week, I preached on “Abiding In Christ.”  Once saved, always saved; therefore, as we reside in Christ, we must abide in Christ.  I believe that we have a church full of saved people.  I have confidence in your profession of faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour. 

 

B.  Notice with me that I said both Lord and Saviour.  That is biblical salvation.  He is not only to be our Saviour, but He is also to be our Lord. 

 

Acts 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

Romans 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

 

Lord – supreme in authority, Master, Controller, Sir!

 

C. I am also aware that we are human, fleshly, and sinful at best.  I often struggle along with you.  The Apostle Paul struggled (Romans chapter 7); King David, a man after God’s own heart, often struggled (2 Samuel chapter 11).  I am not condoning sin in any fashion, just stating the face that we are sinners, but saved by the amazing grace of God!

 

D.  With that said, many do not abide in Christ because they are not His to begin with.  Religion is in every country on earth, along with on every street corner of America.  Many do not abide in Christ because they were never born of the Vine in the first place.  You cannot abide in or bear fruit for the Vine unless you are attached and the sap flows.

 

E.  Those who are saved do not abide in Christ because they choose to live a life of sinful disobedience, which causes the branch to:

 

1.  Dry up and fall off.  This is not normal unless there is a problem with either the branch or the Vine itself.  It is not a Vine problem!  Refusing the sap of God’s Word and the wooing of the precious Holy Spirit will cause the branch to fall off and die.

 

2.  Be broken off during the storms of life.  If the branch is not strong and vibrant with life, it may well be found lying on the ground after a storm.  It is not a Vine problem!

 

3.  Or become disobedient to God and must be pruned by the Husbandman.  It is not a Vine problem!

 

4.  There is nothing wrong with the Vine or the sap that flows from the Root.

 

F.  It is the will of the Husbandman that each branch be healthy, prosper, and bear fruit.  God feeds and prunes the branches to bring forth maximum growth and fruit.

 

G.  I want to look at some of the evidence found in these verses of a healthy branch that abides in the Vine.  There should be evidence in our lives showing our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as we walk in obedience to Him.  Healthy branches bear both the characteristics and fruit of the Vine.

 

1.  Abiding Produces Fruit Bearing – Verses 2-8.  I believe that all of God’s children bear fruit, though the amounts may vary.  How can you be in Christ and never show any evidence of the imparting of a new nature?  Every child born bears some resemblance to father, mother, or both.  I said before: “No fruit, no sap, no branch!”

 

Matthew 13:8  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

 

Matthew 13:23  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

 

a.  Verse 2 – “beareth fruit” at first.  The newborn believer.  A babe in Christ bears resemblance to the Father.

 

b.  Verse 2b – “more fruit” as proper spiritual growth occurs.  As the babes in Christ begin to grow from “the milk of the word” to “strong meat,” they begin to crawl, walk, and run.

 

c.  Verse 5 – “much fruit” in maturity.  Older, mature believers bear fruit in many areas of life and serve as mentors and leaders to those who follow.

 

2.  Abiding Produces Answered Prayer – Verse 7.

 

a.  Answered prayer is evidence of a relationship.  I could ask my earthly father and get an answer.  It was not always what I either wanted or expected because I sometimes asked for the wrong things.

 

Luke 11:11  If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

 

b.  Answered Prayer is a reward of relationship.  Receiving what we asked for is a result of desiring God’s will and asking within its realm.

 

1 John 5:14-15  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

 

3.  Abiding Produces Consistency – Verse 9.

 

a. Stabilization.  Some will never stabilize because they lack spiritual growth, discernment, and faithfulness.  We love them but never expect anything from them!

 

Hebrews 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

 

b.  Dependability.  They are the same, year after year.  They love the Lord, and that love is manifested in their lives for others to see.

 

Colossians 1:2  To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

4.  Abiding Produces Obedience To Christ – Verse 10.

 

a.  Obedience Unforced - Romans 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

 

b.  Obedience Of Love - 1 John 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

 

5.  Abiding Produces Christian Joy – Verse 11.

 

a.  Christian Joy Is Contentment - Psalms 32:11  Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

 

b.  Christian Joy Is Contagious - Proverbs 15:13  A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.  Everyone loves to be around a joyful Christian!)

 

6.  Abiding Produces Spiritual Blessing – Verses 15-16.

 

a.  The Blessing Of Being A Friend Of God - James 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

 

b.  The Blessing Of Being Filled With God – vs. 16 “your fruit should remain” - Galatians 5:22-24  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

 

7.  Love For One Another – Verse 17. 

 

1 John 3:14  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

 

a.  We All Are Attached  To The Same Vine.  The same spiritual DNA.

 

b.  We All Are Drawing Sap From The Same Root.  The same Holy Spirit.

 

Conclusion:  Fruit bearing takes both “birthing” and “abiding!”

Communion – The Cup of Blessing

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-14-2026

1 Corinthians 10:16-22

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Let us keep these verses for tonight in their context.  Chapter 10 discusses several things we need to be aware of.

 

1.  The Great Privilege that we have.  Verses 1-4.  Deliverance, Protection, and Provision.

 

2.  The Great Responsibility that we have.  Verses 5-11.  Examples and Ensamples.

 

3.  The Great Failure of Israel and the potential that we have to do so.  Verses 5-11.

 

4.  The Great Help of God that is available in temptation.  Verses 12-15

 

B.  Verses 16-22 speak of the blessings and curses of either our abiding or failure to abide in communion with Christ while abstaining from the world.

 

C.  There are two “Cups” mentioned in these verses.  A Cup to be taken and a Cup to be avoided.  Let us look at both of them.

 

1.  Verses 16-17.  A Cup to be Taken.  “The Cup of Blessing which we bless.” Notice two blessings named in verse 16.

 

1 Corinthians 10:16-17  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?  (17)  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

a.  The Cup that God blesses is found in the Lord’s Supper.  God loves His children and blesses them through remembrance.  Let me begin by saying that the Apostle Paul is not teaching the heresies of Transubstantiation or Consubstantiation.  Since many are unfamiliar with these two terms, I will provide the definitions from Merriam-Webster.

 

Transubstantiation: the miraculous change, according to Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox dogma, by which the Eucharistic elements, at their consecration, become the body and blood of Christ while retaining only the appearances of bread and wine; an act or instance of transubstantiating or being transubstantiated

 

Consubstantiation:  the actual substantial presence and combination of the body and blood of Christ with the eucharistic bread and wine according to a teaching associated with Martin Luther.

 

b.  Grace is never given through what man does.  Grace is God's gift to us, what we do not deserve.  That the unleavened bread we use in partaking of the Lord’s Table is just bread!  It does not turn into the literal body of Christ and has no grace attached to it.  “This do in remembrance of me” tells us that the bread is only a type of Christ’s body being broken for us at Calvary.  

 

c.  The Elements of the Cup of Blessing: unleavened bread and grape juice in remembrance of what Christ did for us.

 

d.  The Blessing of God.  God blesses our fellowship and communion with Him.  As Christ is always here with us and for us, God blesses the believer that is always there with Him and for Him.

 

e.  The Blessing by the Believer.  “Which we bless.”  We can find no greater joy than to walk in fellowship and communion with the Lord! 

 

John 15:13-14  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  (14)  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

 

f.  Verse 17 declares that when we are one with Christ in fellowship and communion, then we are one in fellowship and communion within the body of Christ!

 

2.  Verses 18-22.   Esp. Verse 21.  “The Cup of Devils.”  “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.”  A Cup to be avoided. 

 

a.  The Christian life is not merely a system of beliefs—it is a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation brings us into fellowship with God, and that fellowship must:

 

1)  Be guarded.  Three enemies – Sin, Self, and Satan – are constantly chipping away at our communion with our Lord.  We are not ignorant of the sinfulness of our flesh, the deceitfulness of our hearts, and the devices of our enemy.

 

1a)  Sin, because of the attraction and corruption of this present evil world. 

 

Galatians 1:4  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

 

1b)  Self, because of the wickedness and deceitfulness of our hearts. 

 

Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

 

Romans 7:17-18  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  (18)  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

 

Philippians 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

 

1c)  Satan, because of his hatred for God and, therefore, all that God has made.  Especially mankind.

 

1 Peter 5:8-9  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  (9)  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

 

2)  Be cherished.  Greater love hath no man than this!  God loved us enough to sacrifice His Son for us.  The Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, has assured us that He will never leave nor forsake us. 

 

1a)  The Path of God. 

 

Psalms 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.  (Life, fulness of joy, pleasures for evermore.)

 

1b)  The Presence of God. 

 

Psalms 73:28  But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

 

1c)  The Place of God. 

 

Psalms 27:4-5  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.  (5)  For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

 

3)  Be practiced daily.  Herein lies the Key.  Communion and Conversation go hand in hand.  Communion with God is directly tied to our Conversation in this world.  Conversation does not mean to be vocal, though what we say is a part of our conversation.

 

1a)  Conversation – to life; behaviour.

 

1b)  We must put off the Old Man in order to put on the New Man.  Ephesians 4:21-24  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:  (22)  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  (23)  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  (24)  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

 

1c)  Moment by Moment, Day by Day, Week by Week, Month by Month, Year by Year.

 

Psalms 118:24  This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

 

b.  So many of God’s people have been allured by the world.  I want to reiterate that there is no benign state of neutrality with God!  We are either for Him and with Him, or we are against Him. 

 

c.  Let us commune with Christ so that we can commune with the body of Christ.  Satan is the “Divider and Chief” of this sinful world.

What It Means to Be Saved

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-11-2026

Psalms 40:1-3

 

Introduction: 

A.  Psalm 40 is Davidic.  In this Psalm, we find David calling out to the Lord for deliverance and God delivering him.  A beautiful type of our salvation today.  We call out to the Lord for deliverance, and God saves us.

 

B.  The words “salvation,” “saved,” and “save” are found in both the Old and New Testaments. 

 

1.  “Salvation” is found 119 times in the Old Testament and 45 times in the New Testament.  The words “save” or “saved” are found 347 times in the Old Testament and 122 times in the New Testament. 

 

2.  These words give a wonderful insight into what it means to be saved.  When we mention being saved to the lost, there is much confusion in their minds as to what the word “saved” means biblically. 

 

3.  In the Old and New Testaments, these words are used to describe what someone else does for a person.  Normally, in the Old Testament, the word gives the meaning of deliverance and safety, brought about by others. 

 

4.  When either Israel or an individual encountered a problem, they cried unto the Lord, and He delivered them to a place of safety.  David often found himself in such a case and cried into the Lord for deliverance many times.  He always found God to be faithful!

 

5.  These words are used in the same way in the New Testament also.  Salvation and safety are of the Lord!  It is something that God does for us and to us.

 

6.  In the New Testament, the normal use of the word speaks of redemption and security.  God does deliver us in our circumstances on occasion and place us in a place of safety, but I want to use these verses to illustrate just what happens to the child of God when they are redeemed.

 

C.  Those of us who are saved will find within these verses the marvelous wonders of our salvation.  I fear that we often forget just what God did for us when He redeemed us.  It is no wonder that the Holy Ghost called it “so great a salvation” in the second chapter of the Book of Hebrews.

 

Hebrews 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

 

D.  Tonight, I just want to look at these verses and spend a little time thanking God for His wonderful goodness to this preacher.  Today, while the world is going mad, I am saved—secured—and satisfied with my Saviour!

 

E.  In these verses, we find the dilemma of the Sinner.  The sinner must realize where he is before he can be saved.  If you never get lost, you will never get saved.  So many people believe that they are alright and have always been alright with God.

 

a.  The Unsaved Are In A Low Place – If you are unsaved tonight, you are in a low place.  This wicked world will eat you alive.  Your wicked flesh will eat you alive.  Satan will have his will in your life.

 

b.  The Unsaved Are In A Horrible Place – King David said, “There is but a step between me and death!”  What a horrible place to be in if you are unsaved.  I am in the same place, but that last step will begin my eternity with the Lord.

 

c.  The Unsaved Are In A Miry Place – If you are unsaved this morning, you cannot pull yourself out of where you are.  You may become a millionaire, but you will still be lost.  You may become famous, but you will still be lost.  You may even be what we call a good person, but you will still be lost.

 

1.  The Call Of The Hopeless – Verse 1.

 

a.  There Was A Recognition Of Need – The psalmist saw where he was: a horrible pit.  There are two reasons why people do not get saved.  Some simply do not want the Lord Jesus Christ and love their sin.  Others never realize that they are lost and have need of salvation.  Their religion makes them feel good about themselves.

 

b.  There Was A Realization Of Hopelessness – The psalmist recognized his inability: miry clay.  If you are lost this morning, you will never get saved as long as you think that you have the slimmest hope of making it by yourself.

 

c.  There Was A Resolve To Cry Out – The psalmist turned to the only One who could help: the Lord.  If you are lost this morning, your only help and hope is Jesus Christ.

 

2.  The Deliverance Of The Saviour – Verses 1-2.

 

a.  He Inclined His Ear – The Lord awaits with anticipation for the cry of the lost.  He is not willing that any should perish.  His ears are open and waiting for the repentant sinner to call.

 

b.  He Heard The Cry – The Lord hears their faintest cry.  He hears both the cry of their lips and the cry of their hearts.  He has never turned away anyone who has come to Him by faith, and He never will.  You whisper a sinner’s prayer, and He hears.

 

c.  He Brought Him Out – There is not one sinner, no matter what he has done and no matter where he is, that the Lord cannot immediately and completely save.  He is able to bring them out of whatever situation they are in.

 

3.  The Position Of The Saint – vs. 2-3

 

a.  He Set His Feet Upon A Rock – What a standing!  A Rock so secure that no power in heaven or on earth can move it.  Jesus Christ is the Rock of our salvation, and we are so secure that nothing past, present, or future can move us or remove us!

 

b.  He Established His Goings – We that are saved are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.  I will deal a little more with this in a few moments, but He establishes our goings, not we ourselves.  It is God and all of God!

 

e.  He Filled His Heart With Joy – The Lord brought a new life to each and every believer.  A “new song” that is different from the songs of the world.  A joy unspeakable and full of glory!

 

4.  The Change Of The Redeemed – Verse 4.

 

a.  It Is An Inward Change – We become new creatures.  An old preacher once said, “If you ain’t changed, you ain’t saved!”  I wholeheartedly agree.  Therefore, “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  It all begins with a heart change.

 

b.  It Is An Outward Change – The child of God begins to conform to the image of the Son of God.  To be Christian is to be like Christ.  “Christian” has become a generic term to represent anyone and everyone who has any religion where the name of Christ is mentioned.  God’s people act like God’s people.

 

c.  It Is An Observed Change – You confess with your mouth that the Lord Jesus is Lord, for sure, but your life will reflect the Lord Jesus, and the world will know that you are saved. They will not only observe your life change but also fear. The life of the saved “shows up” the lives of the lost in a right way and points them to Christ.

 

Conclusion:  Never, never forget where God brought you from to where you are today.  Blessed assurance is a vital part of the redeemed's heritage.  What a blessing to be saved, know it, and show it!

Abiding In Christ

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-11-2026

John 15:1-11

Introduction: 

A.  Jesus Christ is the True Vine, and God the Father is the husbandman—the one who tends the vineyard. When a person comes to Christ by faith, he or she is born of that vine and draws life and fruit from it.

 

B.  These verses have been interpreted to say that a man can be saved and then lost, but this is not what Christ is saying.  These verses speak of fellowship, not relationship.  Relationship is established through birth, salvation, but fellowship is established through kindred spirits.

 

Acts 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

 

C.  As saved, we have our life in Him, and our productivity comes through Him.

 

Colossians 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

 

Romans 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

 

D.  The problem with this interpretation is found in the vast number of “supposedly” saved who go back to the old way of life because they were never attached to the True Vine.  True Branches grow out of the True Vine and draw their life and nourishment from Him.  No sap; no fruit; no branch!

 

E.  If Christ is the True Vine, and He is, then it is only through Christ that we have life.  It is only through Christ that we produce spiritual fruit, therefore our goal and desire should be to abide in Him.

 

1.  What Abiding in Christ is not:  It is not surviving!  I heard people say that they were hanging on, holding out, or enduring to the end.  Lives full of discouragement and defeat.  Living lives of quiet desperation and disappointment.  I know that life is hard, but we are victorious, on the winning side! 

 

2.  Abiding in Christ is thriving in Christ.  Not just surviving but knowing the fullness of God’s blessings and peace of heart and mind.  Not just producing a grape here or there but producing clusters of succulent grapes.

 

3.  God wants us to prosper in Him!  Happy, holy, well-adjusted, satisfied, thrilled, and fruitful.  Being in Christ has many wonderful things that go along with it, such as protection and provision, but abiding in Christ is so much more.

 

F.  God gave us 3 great invitations in Matthew 11:28-30.

 

“(1) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (2) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: (3) and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

 

1.  The Invitation of Salvation.  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  We had the help of the drawing of the Holy Spirit.  We came to Christ and have never been sorry!

 

2.  The Invitation of Service.   “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.”  We have the help of the power of the Holy Spirit!  We gave our lives to God as well as our hearts.  Now we have the privilege of “Living for Jesus.”

 

3.  The Invitation of Sanctification. (Abiding in Christ) “And ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”   In days of so many falling to the wayside because of sinful lives.  Leaving the things of God as Demas did, having loved this present world.  We need to be abiding!  “Abide with me, fast grows the evening tide; the darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide!”

 

G.  That last invitation is to “Abide in me!”  Christ is simply saying, “Stay with me!”  Shall we not find Him as faithful in sanctification as we found Him in salvation?  It is only then, abiding in Christ, that we will find rest for our souls.

 

H.  Abiding in Christ is to:

 

1.  Set at His feet as Mary sat - Luke 10:42  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. 

 

Martha scolded Mary for sitting at the feet of Christ.  The world and worldly believers will do the same.

 

2.  Meditate upon His Word - Psalms 19:14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. 

 

What do we meditate on?  Acceptance with the world or acceptance with Christ?

 

3.  Listen to His voice - 1 Kings 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

 

What do we hear in our hearts?  The voice of the world calling us to be like them or the voice of the Lord calling us to be like Him?

 

4.  Walk in His steps - Job 23:11  My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

 

Matthew 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

The gate is the Door to heaven.  It is strait because it is Christ alone.

The Way is narrow because the Way is Christ alone. 

 

Conclusion:  Are we closer to God than we were a year ago, or are we closer to the world than we ever thought that we would be?

1.  Abiding in Christ implies the we are one with Christ - John 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  (Some never abide because they are not attached!  You must “get in” before you “get out!”)

2.  Abiding in Christ means that we are in constant communion with Christ at all times - 2 Corinthians 13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. (The connection between the branch must never be broken for to do so cuts off the flow of sap that gives both life and fruitfulness.)

3.  Abiding in Christ involves our total dependence upon Him - John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  (As the branch is nothing, the child of God is nothing without Christ.  It is the flow that sustains our spiritual lives.)

4.  Abiding in Christ involves total obedience to Him - John 15:9-10, 14-15  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love…Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.  (The branch does as the vine dictates.  It bears after the will of the vine.  As a branch must bear the right fruit, so the child of God must bear the right spiritual fruit.)

5.  Abiding with Christ is a continual fellowship -  John 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  (As long as the branch is attached to the vine, it is one with the vine.  As the vine prospers, so the branch prospers.  If we abide in Christ’s fellowship, we prosper.)

God’s Faithfulness in Temptation

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-7-2026

1 Corinthians 10:11-15

 

Introduction: 

 

1.  In verses 1-10, we saw: Great Privilege, Great Failure, and Great Warning.  To whom much is given, much is required.  The admonition to us, upon whom the end of the world has come, is to heed that warning. 

 

2.  We spent a couple of weeks looking at the Lord's chastening.  Tonight, we will look at the potential for failure and God’s protection from failing.

 

A.  Temptation is something that all of us face.  Verse 13 uses the word “common.”  Universal, common placed, familiar, or shared.  We often call these shared places at universities called “Student Centers” or “Commons;” in Basic Training and AIT, Day Rooms; in the military, Service Clubs; in Laurens, the Town Square.  When something unlawful is placed before our eyes, we face a “Common” battle.  James chapter 1 thoroughly explains the where, when, and how of temptation.

 

James 1:12-16  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.  (13)  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:  (14)  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  (15)  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.  (16)  Do not err, my beloved brethren.

 

B.  With that said, it is good to know that we are all in good company!  James uses the phrase “But every man.”  There is nothing we are tempted with that others have not faced in the past millennia. 

 

1.  Talking about “good company,” our Lord Jesus Christ was tempted!

 

Matthew 4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

 

Hebrews 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

 

2.  Interestingly, the Bible says that when we are tempted, there is a blessing (“Blessed is the man”) attached to it for those who do not give in, along with a sure reward, the Crown of Life (one of five crowns to be rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ).

 

3.  The Crown of Life is a reward promised by God to faithful believers, especially those who endure trials, suffering, and persecution for Christ.

 

James 1:12-16  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 

 

Revelation 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

 

C.  Though God has made us a precious promise in verse 13, we still, at times, fail God and give in to the flesh. 

 

1.  At this point, thank God for 1 John 1:9!  There is an old-worldly expression from Hollywood that says, “The Devil made me do it!” Satan cannot make us do anything!

 

2.  When we leave the will of God, we need to recognize that we made a conscious decision to do so, and that there is no one else to blame for the penalty we receive except ourselves. You cannot make me get out of the will of God! 

 

D.  So many Christians are now on the sidelines and out of God’s will while justifying where they are by blaming others and circumstances.  If you fail God, take the blame and confess the sin. We sin because:

 

1.  Because of the wickedness of our flesh - Romans 7:14-25  For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

 

2.  Because of the weakness of our flesh - Romans 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

 

Galatians 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

 

3.  The Deceitfulness of our Heart - Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

 

E.  God’s Grace is sufficient for us:

 

2 Corinthians 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Romans 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

 

1 Peter 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

 

F.  If God’s grace is sufficient, abounding, and manifold, then why do Christians fall into sin?

 

SIX REASONS FOUND IN THE CONTEXT TO SHOW WHY WE FALL

 

1.  By Not Hearing God’s Word – Verse 11.  “ensamples”  Patterns, warnings, and object lessons for believers.

 

          a.  Through lack of Bible reading and study.

 

          b.  Through willful absence from church and the pulpit.

 

          c.  Through failing to make personal application of Scripture.

 

2.  By Pride And Self Confidence – Verse 12.  “thinketh he standeth”  Confidence placed in experience, knowledge, position, or past faithfulness can lead to carelessness.  Israel assumed they were secure because of their privileges, yet many fell in the wilderness. The Corinthians assumed liberty meant immunity.

 

          a.  Failing to realize the wickedness and weakness of the flesh.

 

          b.  Failing to realize that you are no better than anyone else and can also fall.

 

          c.  Failing to remove yourself from the presence of temptation to sin.

 

3.  By Giving In To The Lusts Of The Flesh – vs. 13 “God is faithful…will not suffer”  God does not promise a temptation-free life, but He does promise measured trials. He will not allow us to be tempted above our ability to bear it.  The Lord controls the testing of His people.

 

          a.  Realizing that we are nothing and can do nothing without the Lord’s help.

 

          b.  Realizing that we are weak and have besetting sins.

 

          c.  Realizing that we can make no provision for the flesh and stay pure.

 

4.  By Not Taking God’s Way Of Escape – vs. 13  “way to escape…may be able”  This does not mean that God will remove every temptation, but that He will give the strength need to endure it without sin. The escape may be a verse of Scripture remembered, or the closing of a door, a conviction remembered, or the strength given to say no.

 

          a.  God is a faithful Friend.

 

          b.  God knows your needs and weaknesses and provides for them.

 

          c.  God will give you both the grace, direction, and strength you need to escape.

 

5.  By Not Fleeing Idolatry – vs. 14  “flee idolatry”  Paul addresses them as “my dearly beloved,” showing his pastoral care and affection for the Corinthians, along with the command to flee.

 

a.  Idolatry is more than bowing to images or idols. It is allowing anything to take the place of God in the heart—desires, pleasures, ambitions, or liberties.  Idolatry is whatever takes first place in your thinking or life.

 

          b.  Idolatry is a slap in the face to the Lord who owns us and loves us.

 

          c.  Idolatry leads to more idolatry:  sin begets sin.

 

6.  By Not Heeding God’s Warnings – 15  “wise men” vs. “foolish men”  Truth brings responsibility.  Great truth, great responsibility!

 

          a.  He has given us a plain picture of sin and failure.

 

          b.  He has given us a perfect and reliable Scripture.

 

          c.  He has given us a promise of wisdom and understanding.