1Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)
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
That's the version I memorized it in a few years ago (decades, years, who's counting?) and I quoted it to my 9 year old daughter yesterday when she began rattling off the reasons and justifications for the wrong thing she had just chosen to do. My vivacious Kira is all about explaining the reasons in grand dramatic fashion. Sometimes it's hard to stay focused on the discipline I'm trying to enforce because I'm fighting a smile or laughter at her joyful exuberance. Other times I grind my teeth and growl out "Children do not exasperate your parents! 'cause I'm about to exasperate your butt!" I know it's not a literal rendering of any of Paul's admonitions about family life, more of a mish mash kind of spur of the moment paraphrase.
It brings up conversations about sin and why we choose to do the things we choose to do...
And that's exactly where clarification is needed in the pulpits of the Church today regarding what sin is and what we do about it. Not a condemning, shaming rail against mistakes in daily life with a forced altar call of false repentance at the end, but a thoughtful exposition regarding what is man's part, what is God's part.
I'm reading a mini-book titled "Paths to Power" written by A.W. Tozer and each little chapter he works to concisely delineate these things and correct our thinking to come into line with God so that we might receive both the blessings of obedience and the power bestowed for righteous living.
Be blessed friends.
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