(upbeat music) It's Monday, a new week ahead, and we have new tasks ahead, and new burdens ahead, and new mercies ahead. And podcast listener Fabian writes in to ask this. Dear Pastor John, this phrase, "God will never give us more than what we can handle," is often used when someone is facing life challenges, sufferings, and trials.

Based on the Bible is this phrase, that God will never give us more than what we can handle. Is it biblically correct? Whether that statement, God will never give us more than we can handle, is biblically correct, depends on what we mean by we, and handle. What does we mean?

What does handle mean? Does we, nothing we can't handle, does we mean God watches us, takes into account our independent possibilities, based on our track record of handling trouble, and thus measure out that trouble to us so that it doesn't go beyond what we independently, by our own resources, can handle?

Is that what we means? Or does we mean what we can handle if we receive it by faith in divine assistance, and that God knows what he himself will give us by grace in enabling us to handle what he gives us, so he's not thinking of we as independent, but we as dependent on the grace that comes with the difficulty?

Which of those two does this statement ask about? And handle, what's handle mean? Does handle mean you never collapse under it? Does it mean you never fail in any task? Does it mean you never mess up? Does it mean you never fail to get a B+ on every one of life tests?

Or does handle mean you never fail so that you never recover or repent, or restore reconciliation, and that you are finally lost because you fail? Which does handle mean? So to answer all of that and give my answer to the question, let's just look at the key text that I think he probably has in mind.

1 Corinthians 10, 13, "No temptation or test," it's the same word in Greek, "No test has overtaken you, but what is common to man, "God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted, "tested beyond your ability or beyond what you're able, "but with the temptation, "he will also provide the way of escape "that you may be able to endure it." When Paul says he won't give what's beyond what you're able, he means not beyond what you're able with God's help.

We know that because of a couple other things he says. For example, in 2 Corinthians 9, 8, he says, "God is able to make all grace abound to you "so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, "you may abound in every good work." In other words, in every test or temptation, the question is, will I do what I ought to do?

And Paul says, "There will be grace." Not just, I'm dependent on you to use your resources without depending on grace. I'm giving you grace so there will be grace to do it. Not you independent of my powers to help. And he said, in 1 Corinthians 15, 10, "By the grace of God, I am what I am, "and his grace towards me was not in vain.

"On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, "though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." In other words, if I survive any test or accomplish any work when I'm tested, it is grace, decisively grace, not decisively me. So my answer to the first query is, what does we mean in this statement?

God will never give us more than we can handle. Is that we means we helped by sovereign grace, not we independent of the power of God's help. And then the question is, what does handle mean? Never stumble, never fail, never get a C- or an F on a particular test that God gives?

And my answer is, no, it doesn't mean that. If we had perfect reliance on all that he is for us in Christ, we would pass every test glowingly, but God does not promise that kind of perfect reliance on his omnipotent grace. Well then, what is being promised when he says that we will always have with every test an escape, and when he says that we will have grace for every good work?

And I think what is promised is ultimately that he will never let us so stumble or so fail that we don't recover and repent and are restored. In other words, he will never let us sin our way into apostasy and damnation. He will enable us to bear the fruits of genuine faith and perseverance to the end.

And here are the texts that make me think that. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ, Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:30, those whom he predestined he called, those whom he called he justified, and those whom he justified he glorified.

He's gonna keep you. Or Luke 22, 31, Simon, Simon, Jesus says to Peter, "Behold, Satan demanded to have you "that he might sift you like wheat." Get your faith out of you. "But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. "And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." I prayed for you.

Yes, you're gonna deny me tonight, but I'm bringing you back. You're gonna get an F on this test tonight, and I'm gonna make you pass your life test. Or 1 Peter 1, 5, "By God's power, "we are being guarded through faith for our salvation." God's power is guarding me.

He won't let me fail in any test utterly. And last one, 1 Corinthians 1, 8, "He will sustain you to the end, "guiltless in the day of Christ." So, conclusion. Is the statement, "God will never give us more "than we can handle," biblically correct? Yes. If we mean God will never give his people trials in which he will not sustain them and bring them through to everlasting glory, we will be enabled to do all we must do to get there.

Amen, thank you, Pastor John. And thank you, Fabian, for the excellent question. Tomorrow's question is a good one, too. It's about that text in 1 Thessalonians 4, 11 that encourages Christians to aspire to live a quiet life and to mind our own business. So, should Christians live quietly, or should we spark revolutions?

That's the question on the table tomorrow. I'm your host, Tony Reinke. We'll see you then. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)