No temptation that comes your way can overpower you

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 (1 Corinthians 10:13, KJV)

The verse above gives us a unique perspective of the Father’s heart when it comes to the troubles that come our way. It says no temptation, trial, or troubles that we face in our lives, Christian walk, ministry, family, finances, etc. is something that is so weird that makes your “problem special”. It continues and says it is what is common to man. He adds that God will not allow something that you cannot bear or defeat come your way. Furthermore, He makes a way for you to deal with the problem! This is mind-blowing. It means whatever you are dealing right now is below your level, and already has a solution, because God carefully monitors what happens to you!

Let me put this in perspective. The verse above is not about positive thinking or being optimistic in life. An unbeliever’s life is based on chance, and a positive attitude can sometimes help. However, as a believer, God is not saying you should simply have a positive attitude. He wants us to know that we are not left to wander in life by chance, but our lives are being monitored and carefully ordered from heaven. He wants you to put your trust and faith in Him, and this is way beyond being positive in life.

Rest assured. If you do not waiver, that problem no matter what it is, will be crushed under your feet. The reason God allowed it is because He knows what you are capable of. He knows you will not break down in the midst of the problem. He knows you will conquer it. He has confidence in what He has put inside of you!

MEDITATE

What is the one thing that comes to your mind as the major challenge in your life right now? Can you see that you are able to handle it because God allowed it to come your way?

APPLY THE WORD

It matters whether we trust God or not in difficult situations. Even if God knows we can handle a situation and let it come our way, it is possible for us to mess things up if we break down or lose faith in Him. Be strong, therefore. You cannot be defeated!

PRAY

Thank the Father for making you more than a conqueror in life!

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. (Leviticus 20:7–8, KJV)

Jehovah Mekaddishkem showing washing gloves, cleaning fluid and sponge

As the Great I AM that I AM, God revealed Himself as the Lord who sanctifies His people in the Old Covenant—Jehovah Mekaddishkem. But this was only a shadow of something greater that was coming in the New Testament.

Jehovah Mekaddishkem is the English transliteration of the Hebrew words for “I am the Lord which sanctify you” ( “mekaddish” = sanctify, “kem” = you). Divine names and titles in the Old Testament often reveal an aspect of God in relation to His people.

There are three keywords that underlie the meaning of sanctification: “wash,” “consecrate,” and “separate.” Sanctification essentially means to make something holy. Sinlessness is a core aspect of holiness, but there is more to holiness than sinlessness. It is the very nature of God. However, when used in reference to us humans, it means to be cleaned from sin, set apart for God, and consecrated to Him.

In the passage above, God tells the people first to sanctify themselves and then reveals He is the One who sanctifies them. Thus, He gives us the two sides of sanctification—the God side and the human side. There’s something God does and something His people do for their sanctification.

This truth was only a shadow in the Old Testament. It is in Christ that we see God fully revealed as Jehovah Mekaddishkem to His people through the sanctifying work on the cross. In speaking to the Corinthians, Paul revealed,

“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.” (1 Corinthians 6:11, KJV)

This is Jehovah Mekaddishkem fulfilled in Christ: We were washed and sanctified. Note that these are in past tense, describing something God has already done. The day you received Christ, you received the bath of your life, a heavenly bath by the Spirit of God that removed every stain of sin through the precious blood of Christ. And as you continue to live on earth, the Spirit continues to sanctify you daily.

Following the sanctifying work He has already done in us, He commands us,

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:” (1 Thessalonians 4:3, KJV)

Now that you are clean, washed, and sanctified, He tells us to put that sanctification to work outwardly. Paul explicit states it is what God wants—His will. He gives us a very specific example of sanctification here: abstain from sexual immorality. Few things defile us, like sexual impurity. But sanctification certainly includes more than abstaining from fornication or adultery. As above, it includes living a consecrated and separated life to God daily in the way we talk, act, think, feel, and handle our bodies.

He is Jehovah Mekaddishkem, the God who has Sanctified you in Christ and continues to sanctify you every day.

Meditate

Is our sanctification completed, ongoing, or both?

Apply the Word

This is the crucial part of this devotional. Until you receive the truth that God has already sanctified you by His Spirit, you will not be empowered to be sanctified practically. Put God’s sanctification power to work in your life daily by faith in the finished work of Christ.