“My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’
and call insight your intimate friend,
to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.”
A
ctions have consequences. This must surely be one of the most difficult lessons young people will be forced to learn. Tragically, some people appear never to have learned this lesson. Our young men grow to adulthood with a plethora of participation ribbons, but they are seldom challenged to excel. And if some do excel, few are ever taught that there are few ribbons for participating in life. A minimum wage law does not guarantee that they will have opportunity to learn how to work. Sheltering them from the consequences of their bad choices until they are eighteen, at which time they are thrown into a judicial system that wonders what is wrong with them does not prepare them for life.
I am deeply concerned that those for whom I have received appointment as a teacher and a pastor should learn this lesson. I am working hard to equip those whom God has placed under my oversight. My deep longing is described by the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” [2 CORINTHIANS 11:2].
I know that youth are growing to adulthood in a world that is hostile to righteousness. Youth are growing up within a society that depreciates godliness, pressures the young to engage in or approve of immorality and celebrates wickedness. I understand that sin has always been a part of life since the fall of our first parents; however, the transformation of society during the past fifty years is breath-taking. My observation leads me to conclude that churches have failed miserably in providing instruction in righteousness, substituting what has been accurately described as moralistic, therapeutic deism. Families have bought into the lie that it is more important to ensure that youth feel good about themselves than it is for them to be good.
If we imagine that youth attending our church are immune to the seduction of this fallen world, we are deluded. If we imagine that youth are sheltered from the allure of sin, we have deceived ourselves. While I believe that temptations for young women to turn from the path of righteousness are ubiquitous, my focus today is on young men. I do this for two reasons. First, it is Fathers’ Day; thus, it is appropriate to speak to men and those who are growing toward manhood. Again, the text chosen for this day specifically addresses the danger facing young men when they succumb to temptation and turn from the path of righteousness.
The text before us warns young men against gratuitous sex. I’m well aware that people believe the churches should be silent concerning sexual immorality, leaving the training of our youth to experts. My credentials include the fact that I left home when I was seventeen—I knew it all. It never ceases to amaze me how much my dad learned in the ensuing five years. In those five years after I had left home, I had served in the United States Marines Corps, travelled across most of the United States on my own, honed my skills in heavy construction trades and married. I lived a rough life and saw more than a little of the seamy side of life. I am reasonably certain that testosterone was as potent for young men during those years as it is today. However, we lived in a society that helped a young man hold impulses in check.
I believe I am watching fulfilment of the prophecy Daniel received as he wrote the book bearing his name: “There is going to be a lot of frantic running around, trying to figure out what’s going on” [DANIEL 12:4a THE MESSAGE]. Four currents ensured the transformation of society into what we witness today, a social structure that is still changing. Though we cannot accurately predict what the final society will look like, it is reasonably certain that it will be unlike anything any of us could imagine—and that may not be a good thing.
I lived through the sixties. The events that marked that tumultuous decade set in motion a social revolution unprecedented in modern history, perhaps unparalleled in all recorded history. My first research was supervised by a woman who had been part of the team that developed the first birth control pill, a development that set in motion a transformation of western society that disoriented successive generations. My children grew up in a world that was already significantly different from that in which I had grown up. Their children are being raised in a family vastly different from that in which my children were raised. The rapid pace of moral and social change causes many to wonder if human beings are capable of absorbing this level of change in any healthy way. Evidence to date leads many social scientists and observers to conclude that the answer is “no.” [2]
If we will make sense of the changes that have taken place during the past five decades, we must take into account four developments, any one of which was sure to have an impact on society. Together, these developments ensured that life would be transformed. The first development that would change human history was provision of modern contraception. The birth control pill caught evangelicals unprepared; consequently, pastors and theologians were largely silent in providing advice for parishioners.
It may be shocking to many, but at the advent of the twentieth century, birth control was condemned by every single Christian denomination. It was not until 1930 that Anglicans first posited that birth control could address the matter of growing urban populations. Malthusian ideas drove other, left-leaning denominations to agree that birth control was positive. However, a theological argument for that position has never been advanced to this date. Ultimately, birth control, at first restricted by law to married couples, was legalised for anyone. Today, even school children are provided birth control on requests without the consent of parents. Interestingly, the dire problem facing most nations today, including Canada, is not too many births, but too few births.
Another major development was the introduction of no-fault divorce. Divorce was inconceivable for most Christians throughout the history of the Faith. Society, and the faithful, saw marriage as a covenantal relationship—a couple united in covenant before God. No-fault divorce transformed that concept into a contractual relationship. Whereas a covenant is meant to be permanent, a contract can be broken whenever one party no longer wishes to be bound by it.
Marriage had been permanent in the view of society; that view encouraged couples to work hard to resolve conflicts—inevitable in every marriage. No-fault divorce changed that view so that marriage was now provisional. Again, the churches, rather than providing moral guidance, were led by the sentiments of society. Jettisoning biblical teaching for what many Christians argued was compassion, the churches silently accepted this new reality. For all the pious talk about compassion, children—truly victims in divorce—were largely forgotten. Worse still, when the churches abdicated responsibility to speak out against this new evil, they lost credibility to speak to any other issue impinging on sexuality and marriage.
On top of the twin blows of the pill and no-fault divorce, advanced reproductive technologies removed the necessity of a man and a woman living in a marriage union in order to produce children. Now, childless couples could be provided with children through resort of the new technologies. It was no longer necessary for a couple to be married to have children, or even for a man and a woman to be in a relationship in order to have children. “By the second decade of the twenty-first century, the combination of in vitro fertilisation, donor insemination, a commercial gamete market for sperm and eggs and pervasive availability of surrogate motherhood, allowed persons, single and coupled, heterosexual and homosexual, to ‘have’ a child.” Sex between a man and a woman was no longer necessary in order to produce a child. The great tragedy of all this was that contemporary culture insists that no moral significance be attached to these actions.
Finally, the aforementioned social changes ensure that non-marital co-habitation would be widely accepted. Society became lax in policing what had previously been censured, and the churches were again led rather than providing leadership and guidance. As this transformation was occurring, marriage itself has been marginalised. Why make a public commitment if the primary purpose of marriage is sexual gratification? If marriage is a contract, why not allow for understood contracts rather than insist on the formality?
In this new century, rates of extramarital sex and co-habitation have risen to levels that no previous society has experienced. In 2012, the New York Times reported that for women under age thirty, most births now occur outside of marriage. The paper of record also reported a clear and devastating correlation between out-of-wedlock births and pathologies of all kinds—ranging from children falling into poverty, failing to graduate from school, being arrested for crimes or suffering from emotional and behavioural problems.
I have taken the time to point to this transformation in order to note that co-habitation is common among our youth. Co-habitation is no longer a step toward getting married, rather it has become a replacement for marriage as an ultimate expectation. What is worse, co-habitation has now replaced dating in the romantic lives of youth. Relating to one another without sexual activity is inconceivable to many youth; they consider the lack of openness to sex as evidence of a lack of interest. This new view destroys the concept of courtship, romance and the concept that marriage involved two families affirming the union and pledging to honour and support it.
What has taken place is the creation of a society built on adultery. The lack of moral sanction, the failure of the churches to speak boldly to provide guidance, has insured that adultery is not only acceptable in contemporary society, but it is expected. Our entertainment is largely built on the idea of adultery. If people are no longer getting married, adultery is impossible. Thus, any argument against adultery is meaningless if there is no marriage in the first place. “Adultery disappears when marriage disappears, and the disappearance of marriage means that the notion of ‘extra-marital sex’ is losing any moral cogency.
MY SON, KEEP MY WORDS —
“My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’
and call insight your intimate friend,
to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.”
[PROVERBS 7:1-5]
Though it is difficult for young men to believe, those who have lived more than a few years will have experienced a great deal of life. Youth appear to have difficulty understanding that their elders have experienced the identical emotions, the same feelings they now experience. Their elders have made more than a few mistakes of their own; they know the dangers inherent in wrong choices. If they have not made mistakes themselves, they have witnessed the consequences of wrong choices that others have made. When elders voice their concerns to youth, it is so much more than a matter of elders not wanting younger people to have fun.
Long years ago, I learned the wisdom inherent in the saying,
“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Disaster pursues sinners,
but the righteous are rewarded with good.”
[PROVERBS 13:20, 21]
Consequently, few parents want to steer their children wrong—they want their children to excel. However, there is a problem in this statement—if a parent’s worldview is tied only to this earth, any advice that parent may give will, of necessity, be seriously flawed. Only when an individual identifies as a citizen of Heaven, can they provide divine insight.
The emphasis I must press from the opening words of the chapter is to encourage Christian parents to be ambassadors of heaven for their children. Dads and moms, and all who name the Name of Christ, are responsible to be godly and to provide moral guidance for youth. When we see youth drifting off into the path that can only lead to displeasing God, we are responsible to speak. We must neither be angry nor demean and belittle our children. Surely, when it comes to providing moral certitude, it is enough for parents to say, “Because I am the parent!” We are not obligated to allow children to demand that we justify what we say. When Dad speaks, or when Mom speaks, that word is the law of the Medes and the Persians for those children. The corollary emphasis, directed to children, is for them to accept the wisdom of their parents, heeding the warnings that are delivered in love. Young men and young women must listen to their parents because their parents love them. That is not always true of teachers and other assorted adults. Children must respect their parents because they are motivated by love.
A YOUNG MAN LACKING SENSE —
“At the window of my house
I have looked out through my lattice,
and I have seen among the simple,
I have perceived among the youths,
a young man lacking sense,
passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house
in the twilight, in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.
“And behold, the woman meets him,
dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
She is loud and wayward;
her feet do not stay at home;
now in the street, now in the market,
and at every corner she lies in wait.
She seizes him and kisses him,
and with bold face she says to him,
‘I had to offer sacrifices,
and today I have paid my vows;
so now I have come out to meet you,
to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
I have spread my couch with coverings,
colored linens from Egyptian linen;
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon.
Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
let us delight ourselves with love.
For my husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey;
he took a bag of money with him;
at full moon he will come home.’
“With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with her smooth talk she compels him.”
[PROVERBS 7:6-21]
The preacher writes of a scene that unfolded before his eyes. A young man, urged on by his hormones, succumbs to the seduction of a young woman. She is insistent; he is susceptible. This woman employs all her wiles against this naïve boy. She uses sensual assault [VERSE 13], self-justification [VERSE 14], flattery [VERSE 15], visualisation of what could be [VERSES 16, 17], proposition [VERSE 18] and reassurance [VERSES 19, 20]. This young woman employs every weapon at her disposal in order to get what she wants. Make no mistake, she knows what she wants, and it is not to be faithful to her husband!
Let’s take a moment to look at her insistence and how effective she proved against the naïve young lad. Young men are susceptible to women. Testosterone is surging through their veins, and their thinking becomes foggy at the best of times. This is the reason young men need the encouragement of adults. Within the Community of Faith, each believer must accept responsibility to encourage chastity for youth, and especially encourage young men to act with honour and discretion.
The multi-faceted attack by this woman is designed to defeat every defence the young man can muster. Her sensual assault is just beginning. Solomon observes that this determined woman is aggressive and she dresses seductively; her demeanour is provocative. Feminists can mew all they wish that women should be able to dress however they wish and act in whatever way they wish. I’m not addressing all women; however, I caution Christian women who seek to honour God, “Your dress and demeanour have an incredible impact on young men.” I assure you that when you flash lots of flesh or deliberately accentuate your distinctive female form, young men find it very difficult to think Sunday school thoughts. This woman is on the prowl for sensual gratification; she will prey on anyone foolish enough to encourage her.
This woman grabs the young man and kisses him; he is beginning to wilt. Girls, a kiss is just a kiss, until it isn’t. Boys don’t see a kiss as just harmless flirtation or a sign of friendship. Young men have difficulty deciphering what is meant by a kiss. Their thinking is fogged, remember. I can almost guarantee that they will misinterpret your meaning, their mind moving at warp speed to a sexual interpretation when you kiss them.
The woman justifies her invitation. In her case, she says she had just offered a votive offering, and some of the food now remains in her house where she needed help eating it. We would not be wrong in understanding that today she would be saying something along the line of, “Everyone is doing it!” It is the invitation sung in both popular music and in country and western, “How can something that feels so right be so wrong?” The invitation to sexual sin is incredibly powerful to the unwary mind. Such an invitation speaks of the young woman, even with the knowledge and support of her own mother, inviting the young man to use her for his sexual pleasure. I had such an assault when I was a young man, the mother inviting me to join her daughter. Fortunately, I had a Dad wise enough to warn me against what could happen. His loving caution permitted me to set the brakes on the runaway train so that I could jump to safety.
She uses flattery, telling the young man that she wants him. She doesn’t want anyone else, just him. After a little time in the world, I grew jaded by the barflies that were looking just for me! It was of no consequence that they went to the same bar every night looking for someone to remind them that they were still attractive and desirable. Christian ladies will do well to hear the words of the Apostle Paul. “Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works” [1 TIMOTHY 2:9, 10]. Young women need to be encouraged to be modest and godly in their demeanour, not only for their own sake but for the sake of the young men who worship with them.
Again, listen to the words penned by Peter, addressing Christian women. “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening” [1 PETER 3:3-6].
The woman invites the young man to visualise what she will do for him and with him. He is so focused on his own pleasure that he cannot see the end of what will happen. Ladies, men are visual creatures. Why do you think that pornography exerts such a powerful attraction over men? Why do sex chat lines advertise on late night television programs? While it is true that women do become addicted to pornography—a growing problem in contemporary society, [3] men are assuredly visual and aural creatures. A man is easily aroused by sight and by sound. If he is not equipped to be righteous, he will shortly have a new name—victim!
Then, she propositions the naïve young man.
“Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
let us delight ourselves with love.”
[PROVERBS 7:18]
Imagination running wild, almost unable to help himself, the young man is wilting fast. Perhaps a moment of caution registers on his face, as he recalls the concerns of his mother or hears the loving words that warn him of consequences of his acts delivered by his father.
The woman notes the hesitation and assuages his fears, reassuring him that he is safe. “My husband is not at home.” Perhaps now she would say, “My mother doesn’t care. No one will know. Quick, don’t think about it.”
Thus, we read,
“With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with her smooth talk she compels him.”
[PROVERBS 7:6-21]
How true to life. How often this scene is played out, even among the children of the faithful. “No one will know?” Really? You know; and God knows. And every time you seek to honour God after this, the deed will rise up in your mind. Satan will condemn you because of your indiscretion. You thought you would get away with this, but the evil one will destroy you with it. The action cannot be undone once it is committed.
ALL AT ONCE —
“All at once he follows her,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast
till an arrow pierces its liver;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.”
[PROVERBS 7:22, 23]
No drunkard ever took the first sip of alcohol thinking, “Oh, boy, I’ll become a sot. I’ll wake up morning after morning with a mouth that tastes like a possum slept there all night and feeling a hammer pounding on my head.” He never thinks of dying from liver failure or the loss of reasoning power because of alcohol poisoning. No drug addict ever lit the first toke while thinking, “Great! Soon I’ll be offering my body to whoever will take it so I can get five dollars for a fix.” They don’t see the loss of teeth, the degradation and the disgrace that must attend that first hit. In the same way, no young man ever lay down with a loose woman thinking, “Wonderful! I’ll destroy intimacy and set myself on a path that leads to walling myself off from my wife one day.” They are not thinking of the consequences of that one act.
Witnessing the folly of the young man and the aggressive pursuit by the woman, I recall that Solomon has also written:
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
[PROVERBS 9:17]
But the following verse presents a sobering warning that young men, and young women, must hear.
“But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.”
[PROVERBS 9:18]
The dreadful truth that is not spoken by those promoting the wickedness that is so rampant in this day—there are consequences for every choice. Among the highest incidence of suicides are those who were counselled by those indoctrinated in contemporary immorality that sexuality is a matter of choice and not a matter of biology. Multiplied studies by qualified social scientists reveal that the individuals with the greatest degree of satisfaction in life are those who are faithful to their marriage vows. Likewise, multiple studies demonstrate that the most unfulfilled individuals are those with multiple sexual partners. In time, they discover that they are unable to form healthy, loving relationships. The highest incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, the highest incidence of dissatisfaction with life and the highest incidence of alcoholism and drug abuse are associated with sexual immorality. That momentary deed that you thought gave you such pleasure can destroy you. I recall the words of an old-time preacher who spoke of a man in a wheelchair calling out to him as a young man, saying, “Five minutes of pleasure gave me a lifetime of sorrow.” Even as a young man, that warning gave me pause.
Let’s think about the threat of sexually transmitted disease. However, you have been told that you are protected. Young man, let me plainly warn you that the only sure protection against such lifelong trauma is abstinence and a monogamous sexual relationship with the wife of your youth. “Well, we have drugs that will cure these loathsome diseases,” you may console yourself. Are you quite sure of that? What of the new strains of gonorrhea, of syphilis, of chlamydia, of herpes that have adapted to our current pharmacopeia and are now resistant? What of viral infections such as herpes or HIV, for which there is no cure? When you do not have a monogamous marital relationship, can you be certain that you are not at risk?
Of course, there is the grave danger arising from jealousy. Perhaps some other young man has laid claim to that young woman, and though he doesn’t own her and though she makes her own choices, because she is promiscuous, he imagines he has the sole claim to her affections. Or you may foolishly imagine that she is committed to you. Her actions have already demonstrated that she is capable of some despicable deceit. I understand that young men imagine that they are strong and tough and able to handle themselves. I will warn you that there is always someone stronger that you, tougher than you and better able to handle himself than you. You may think that you will gather a few friends, but there is always someone with a posse bigger than yours. It is one thing to be prepared to defend your own wife; it is quite another to fight over someone who has been shared by others and likely will be shared by still more.
There is the very real likelihood of infidelity as time passes. I don’t mean that you will necessarily be unfaithful, though that is possible; I mean that the young women to whom you gave yourself has already demonstrate what she is capable of being and doing. If she was loose with you, if you were not the first person to lay with her, what gives you confidence that she will not prove unfaithful to you when the opportunity arises. Her pattern is telling, and you should be wise enough to recognise what is happening.
You will have sacrificed intimacy with your future wife. God created you to share intimacy with your wife, not with a promiscuous woman. Listen to the words of the wise man:
“Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets?
Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated always in her love.
Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD,
and he ponders all his paths.”
[PROVERBS 5:15-21]
You were designed to find intimacy in the arms of one special individual for whom you were created. To sacrifice that intimacy for a brief, biological explosion of pleasure will have lasting harm in the relationship that is still before you. In time, if you don’t take control of your life, intimacy will be reduced to a vague dream that haunts the wishes of your life.
Worse still, you will have sacrificed intimacy with God. You have heard the Word of God which cautions, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” [HEBREWS 13:4].
I would mention two warnings from the pen of the Apostle. “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” [COLOSSIANS 3:5].
Also, note EPHESIANS 5:3-7: “Sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not become partners with them.”
Finally, I warn you that you will have sacrificed integrity. If God created you to share your life with one special individual, and you have given away your virginity to someone that will never be that special person, you will have squandered your integrity. The memory of your indiscretion will arise in the dark recesses of your mind at the most inopportune moments to haunt you and to threaten your joy with that beautiful woman whom God created for you alone.
NOW, O SONS, LISTEN TO ME —
“And now, O sons, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths,
for many a victim has she laid low,
and all her slain are a mighty throng.
Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.”
[PROVERBS 7:24-27]
These are sinful days, and wickedness increases exponentially. I draw comfort from God’s promise given through the Apostle to the Gentiles: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” [ROMANS 5:20, 21].
If you have already sacrificed the gift of purity, you need not wallow in your guilt. Without doubt, you have sinned and there will be a cost. However, we serve a God who is merciful, a God who is willing to receive the sinner when that sinner repents. Recall the promise of forgiven delivered by the Apostle of Love. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” [1 JOHN 1:9]. Forgiveness and cleansing are promised by the True and Living God to those who confess their sin.
You feel shame as a consequence of your actions, and you should feel shame! However, your shame is evidence that your spirit is still tender and you are sensitive to the Spirit of God. Do not allow your shame to beat you down or drive you away from God’s kindness; rather, let the hot flush that creeps up your cheek drive you to God. Turning to Him, admit that you sinned against Him and ask that He forgive you.
If you say you don’t know how to confess, let the example provided by David, King of Israel, guide your confession. David sinned against the Lord. When his heart struck him, he confessed to God, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly” [2 SAMUEL 24:10]. He humbled himself and admitted that he had sinned. That is what you must do if you will be cleansed.
If you have sinned egregiously, I counsel you to seek the Lord and His pardon. The Saviour will receive you and He will forgive your sin. More wonderful still, He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You can be restored to intimacy with God, again enjoying His favour. You have sinned, but you need not wallow in your sin.
I’ve spoken quite plainly today. Admittedly, I’ve spoken primarily to young men, urging them and counselling them to be pure, to be godly, to choose righteousness, to honour the Living God. No doubt young women have listened to my words. Just as I have called young men to be pure, so I now urge young women to help the young men by being chaste and pure in dress and in demeanour. Take responsibility for how you live before those who observe your life. Parents, I urge you to take responsibility for holding firm in expecting righteousness from your sons, as you do also from your daughters. Parents must accept responsibility to be righteous in their own conduct, modelling godliness before the eyes of their children and those who watch. Otherwise, who will model godliness for your children?
My words have been delivered to believing people. A young man who is yet unsaved has no ability to be righteous, however much that young man may wish to do so. A young woman will always be drawn to appeal to the flesh if she has no living relationship to the Living God. She will seek her self-worth through soliciting the adoration of young men, and she will have nothing but what is available to the flesh to accomplish what she seeks. Her self-worth will be tied to her self-image; and that self-image will be defined by her body. If there is to be true worth, it must be found in Christ the Lord as king of life. If righteousness is more than a vague, gossamer hope, it must be the righteousness that is found in Christ the Lord as Master of life. Salvation, a living relationship with the Living God, is found only in Jesus the Saviour.
Jesus offers, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” [MATTHEW 11:28-30].
This is the offer God makes to any who will accept it. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” [ROMANS 10:9, 10]. You know quite well that the invitation of God to any willing to accept it is, “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved” [ROMANS 10:13].
With the Apostle, I plead with all who are willing to accept the promise of Living God. “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” [2 CORINTHIANS 5:20, 21]. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. Do it today; do it now. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] I have relied heavily on overviews by R. Albert Mohler, We Cannot Be Silent (Nelson Books, Nashville, TN 2015)
[3] See Rebekah Hannah, “Women Use Porn Too,” May 18, 2017, The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/women-use-porn-too, accessed 17 June 2017; see also Tim Challies, “10 Ugly Numbers Describing Pornography Use in 2017,” @Challies, https://www.challies.com/10-ugly-and-updated-numbers-about-pornography-use/, accessed 17 June 2017
