On April 8th 1980 a T.V. series called "The Gambler" debuted on CBS. It starred Kenny Rogers. Don Schlitz wrote the theme song, "The Gambler" in August 1976 when he was 23 years old. However, it was Kenny Rogers who made the song a mainstream success. His version was a No. 1 Country hit and made its way to the Pop charts at a time when Country songs rarely crossed over. It was released in November 1978 as the title track from his album "The Gambler," which won him the Grammy award for best male country vocal performance in 1980.
As the song goes "You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to run."
In 1 Corinthians we see this truth reflected in the scriptures.
1 Corinthians 10:12-14 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13There 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. 14Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
Sometimes the best thing to do is run. As the scripture says in verse 14, flee. You got to know when to walk away you got to know when to flee.
Paul starts by telling us that the person "who thinketh he standeth should take heed lest he fall." In other words, don't be so prideful and confident in your own ability and knowledge when battling the devil. He then goes on in verse 13 to tell us that we will encounter various temptations in our lifetime.
Verse 14 teaches us to flee or run from idolatry. The interesting point here is the contrast between verse 12 and verse 14.
Verse 12 issues a warning about not being so sure in your own ability to stand as verse 14 tells us to flee. The point is that sometimes in order to overcome and be victorious, it's best to run away - to flee the situation.
As I was working the word on this subject, I noticed four temptations we are instructed to flee from. The first one is recorded in 1 Corinthians 6.
1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us to flee fornication.
The word fornication comes from the Greek word "porneia." I have listed the meaning of the word "porneia" according to Strong's lexicon.
Meaning: 1) illicit sexual intercourse 1a) adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
We get our English word pornographic or pornography from this word. It's interesting to note that that one of the ways the Bible uses the word "porneia" is in reference to homosexuality, lesbianism, beastiality and I'm sure transgender falls under these sins.
The Bible tells us to flee from or run from the sins of homosexuality, lesbianism, beastiality, and transgender and, for the most part, what does the professing Christian church do? They protect it. They invite them into their church, not with the intention of helping them overcome this spirit induced deception, but to affirm them and tolerate that which God calls disgusting.
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
In Dr. David Jeremiah book entitled "Slaying the Giants in your Life," he talks about his former professor and friend Dr. Hendricks. He said that Dr. Hendricks would carry a little note pad around in his pocket with a list of the ministers and students from his classes that had fallen into sexual temptation and are now out of ministry. There were more than 100 names on that list at one time.
One day as he was looking through the list he wondered to himself what all these people had in common. These were friends, students, ministers of his. He concluded that with the exception of two the rest shared a common spirit of pride and arrogance.
Proverbs warns us against pride.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
I'd like to share a story regarding God's warning to flee. Tom labored to build an honorable life and ministry. But one day a threat loomed on the horizon. One of the young ladies in Tom's fellowship introduced him to a friend. They chatted briefly, and Tom felt it immediately: a powerful physical attraction.
He was almost certain of an invitational flicker in her eye, and he worried about what might be revealed in his own. Tom did not like the thoughts and what if's that rushed into his head. He cut off the conversation politely and turned to speak with others in the meet and greet circle. However, the rest of the day the thoughts kept returning well into the next week. He found himself thinking of the attractive girl.
Tom was married, mature, and proud of his ability to minister to college kids of both genders. He spent time with God daily. How could he doubt his ability to handle such basic relationships? He had a daughter not much younger than some of these coeds. These students could practically be his own children in a sense that exactly what they were. And yet in the face of wisdom and reason the thoughts persisted. Tom could not dispel his fantasies even when he shared them with God, even when he avoided the girl in question.
He recited Bible verses, he prayed, he could not stop thinking about her. Not to think about her was like trying not to think about a polka dot elephant. He could not master his mind… he wondered if he could master his actions. Just one small opening can topple a life of honor and ministry. Tom talked to another youth minister he even talked to his wife. His fellow minister told him he had experience the same feelings with the same girl. Tom's wife was very loving and thankful for Tom's honesty and she prayed with him. She also spent extra time in prayer for him.
One evening after Bible study with tears in her eyes the young lady stood up and confessed she was under conviction of the holy spirit and was compelled to confess her sins to God and vowed to give her life to Jesus and live a lifestyle of greater purity.
Neither Tom nor his fellow minister were even aware that she was not saved. This was more than Tom's temptation with his personal passions. This was a struggle for a young lady's eternal life fought across the battlefield of other men's weakness. This time the battle was lost by the devil. Sometimes things are bigger than our own weakness and temptation.
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body…
The word flee comes from the Greek word "pheugo." Strong's gives this meaning of the word. "To be saved by flight, to shun or avoid by running away."
There are many verses in God's word that teach us to stand against the wiles of the devil, to grid up our loins to be steadfast unmovable etc. However, sometimes the way to win is to run away. Sometimes it's not best to stay and fight. It's a walk with God and circumstances vary but when the Bible tells us to flee we should hightail it out of there in the opposite direction immediately.
1 Samuel 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
Here we see David running towards Goliath and in this situation this was the right thing to do, just look at the outcome.
1 Samuel 17:49-51 49And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. Genesis 39:11-12 11And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
Joseph understood what it meant to flee fornication long before it was written in 1 Corinthians. This just goes to prove you can win the fight and be victorious over the adversary by running away sometimes.
To be continued…ÿ
Note: All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. NIV indicates The New International Version, NKJV indicates the New King James Version, ASV means the American Standard Version, BBE means the Bible in Basic English, DBY means the Darby translation, NAU means the American Standard Version, 1995 Edition, and NAB means the New American Bible translation. For more information, go to the Works Cited page.