2 Corinthians 1:20

2 Corinthians 1:20 - For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.

What has God promised you? All throughout His word we see promises that He gives to those who do His will. He promises life, health, prosperity and the list goes on. Like any good father wants the best for his children, God wants the best for you.

If you believe the Bible, then this verse is a confirmation to you that all God has said will come to pass. And what is our part in this? We must speak the ‘Amen’ through Christ to glorify God.

Amen means ‘so be it’ or in other words, “let it be done as you said it would.” That is why we end our prayers with it, and that is why we are to say it in response to the promises God gives us. We are saying ‘Amen’ to acknowledge our faith in the promise.

Another thing that we need to understand about the promises of God is how they come to us. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can receive what God has freely given. As He gave His life for us we must also give our lives to Him. He is the Way, the only way. Through Him and through faith in Him we are able to come before God.

Jesus took our old lives and all our sin and washed us so that we can stand before God. Now, as long as you keep Him as the focal point of your life you will receive all that He has promised to you. It starts with forgiveness and eternal life and gets better as you draw close to Him.

1 Corinthians 10:13

1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

First we need to realize that temptation is not sin. Just because you are tempted does not mean you are living in sin. Remember, even Jesus was tempted and we know He did not sin. Temptation only becomes sin when give into it.
I think that many of us have beat ourselves up because a thought has come into our mind, and we think it is sin. Then we end up sinning because we did not take that thought captive. Paul says we need to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.
Another problem that we all have to face when dealing with temptation is thinking that we are alone. I can guarantee that you are not. This verse confirms it. As it says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” Any and every temptation that you have faced or are currently facing has been faced by millions before you.

One of the devils goals is to divide us and split us away from each other. If he can trick you into thinking that you are alone in your temptation then he is halfway to his goal, and you will take care of the rest. So don’t think you are alone in your struggle. You are not.

“And God is Faithful.” He knows what you can handle and will not let you be tempted beyond that. So every time that you are tempted, know that God already knows that you can resist it. He has faith in you. Beyond that, He has also given you a way out. In every temptation, God has provided you with an escape, you just have to use it.

To sum it all up remember temptation is not sin, every temptation is common, God doesn't allow you to be tempted beyond your ability to resist, and He will always provide a way out. If you do that you are set, you can resist any temptation. God is rooting for you and knows that you can succeed.

2 Timothy 2:11-13

2 Timothy 2:11-13 – Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown us; if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.

           Here we see two sides of the same coin. We have a choice to make. Our position with God depends on that choice. First we see the good side of things. If we join with Christ in His death we will also join with Him in life. No, the death part may not look too appealing in itself, but life with Christ is amazing. To think about living life hand in hand with Jesus is the best motivator to endure through dying to ourselves.

           When we endure we also receive this promise from God: we will also reign with Him. It is written that trouble may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. As we push through the hard times we know that we have a great joy waiting for us on the other side, because God is always faithful.

           Even when we are faithless, God still remains faithful. That His nature; that is who He is. We do, however, also have to look at the other side of the coin. In verse 12 we are told that is we disown Him He will also disown us. Don’t turn your back on God. That is the only thing that can separate you from Him: a conscious choice to leave. He will not leave; He is always there; He is always faithful.

If you have turned your back on God it is not too late. Turn back to Him and know that He Loves you and wants you to reign in life with Christ. It’s your choice. Make the decision to return and join into life with Christ today.

1 Corinthians 10:13

1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

We all face temptation, we all have struggles and we have all fallen into sin at one time or another. One of the devils tricks is to try and make you feel alone. If he can get you to believe you are alone in your struggle, that no one else has gone through what you are going through, he has already won. All the enemy has are lies and if we start falling for them we begin to lose the strength we have in Christ.

If the enemy gets you to believe that no one would understand what you are going through then you will cut yourself off from others. His plan is to divide and conquer. The Bible says that he roams around like a roaring lion; seeking those he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). Lions prey on the one who have strayed from the herd. Our enemy knows that we have strength in numbers and once we get in unity with other believers he will not be able to touch us.

So this verse is a reminder to us that there is no struggle, no temptation and no sin that is not common. Satan cannot create anything; he can only pervert what God has already created. He is using the same tricks he used in the garden as he is using today. We’re all hit with the same lies and deception.

So whatever you are going through remember that you are not alone. There are others going through the exact same thing. And besides that we know that God is with us. He is always with us; protecting and watching over us. God knows what you can handle and we have this promise that tells us He will not allow more to come our way that what we can bear.

When you are facing something know this: God knows you can overcome it. And on top of that, He has already given you a way out. If your focus is on Him you will not only see that you can overcome, but you will also see the way out that God has already provided.