February 07, 2023
Nobody wants to suffer or cause others to suffer. But God is very clear in His Word about the path into moral impurity and its deadly consequences. He warns us by completely uncovering the dark and very common path we travel. Notice the progression in Proverbs 7 … ten steps that lead us into our enemy's carefully-laid traps.
THE ANTIDOTE
There is an antidote for this moral slide. It is found in the first verses of the Proverb.
My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live, and 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 understanding your intimate friend that they may keep you from an adulteress, from the foreigner who flatters with her words. (Vs. 1-5)
Moral sin begins with an unprotected mind, descends to the heart (our affections, our values, what we want), and ends with the conscious choices of our bodies. This is why Proverbs ends with this final admonition.
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths. For many are the victims she has cast down, and numerous are all her slain. Her house is the way to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death. (Vs. 25-27)
Moral sin is the easiest and deadliest step in the world. Millions have been ruined, their life a mere shadow of what they could have been for God’s glory.
If you find yourself there, go to some trusted, godly friends immediately. Get transparent about your sin and the temptations you’re facing. Memorize Proverbs 7 and heed its warning. Hide God’s Word in your heart and get strong accountability from godly friends who have found victory in this area.
The deeper you’ve fallen, the broader your parameters of protection and accountability must be. There are hard choices that must be taken, but spiritual success is completely possible through reliance upon the Spirit of God and surrender to His promptings and the illumination of His Word.
Millions have fallen, but millions have stopped the slide. You and others around you deserve more. And the God who made you for greater things longs to protect you and use your life greatly.
March 11, 2025
God knows what He is about. Always include in your request the greatest prayer—the prayer of surrender. “Lord, Your will be done.” This is the prayer, when humbly prayed, that will always be answered and yield the most valuable result from the God who loves us best ... even if the answer is hard.
March 05, 2025
Every created man or woman must make their choice. What will you do with God? Will you embrace or reject Him? Draw near or run away? Trust and serve Him or doubt God and serve yourself? This foundational choice determines everything.
March 04, 2025
As you evaluate your faith, is it “God and?” God and others. God and the world’s ideas. God and my best thoughts thrown in. God and some money. God and a clear path. Or simply: God. Are you vainly clinging to the idea that you need more than Him?