My son, listen…
After the fall of another few prominent pastors, I’m reminded that one of the greatest threats to the “Legacy” of any man, me included, is sexual impurity.
Solomon warns young men about sexual fidelity saying,
“Listen to me. Never stray from what I am about to say: Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house! If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved. Strangers will come consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor. In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body. You will say, ‘How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.”[1]
His warning is clear – even proximity to the immoral woman will lead a man to the grave of his honor, his possessions, his labor, and his joy. He spells out the end of the man who falls prey to sexual temptation for a reason. He wants his readers to know how their lives will play out if they plunge themselves into an affair – they will be led like an ox to the slaughter.
Some will say in their hearts. “What harm is there in getting close to the line? I am mature enough. I can be near temptation and abstain.” Solomon says, you can do that – to your own demise. You will “die from lack of self-control.”[2]
But his counsel is not only defensive, it’s also offensive. He says, “Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth… Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.” [3]
Thomas Chalmers wrote, “The only way to rid the heart of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new and greater affection.” God is not a prohibitionist, he is zealous for our joy, our blessing and our true satisfaction!
If you are led astray, be intoxicated, even captivated by the love of your wife. But even more, be captivated by the love of your Savior, who rescues us from the bondage of sexual immorality, so that we might live a life of deep joy, rich blessing and eternal satisfaction!
[1] Proverbs 5:7-14
[2] Proverbs 5:23
[3] Proverbs 5:18-19