Daily Bible Study

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Day 18 Proverbs 6:20-35 Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 22 When thou go, it shall lead thee; when thou sleep, it shall keep thee; and when thou awake, it shall talk with thee. 23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: 24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 29 So he that goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent. 30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; 31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. 32 But whoso commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he that does it destroys his own soul. 33 A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou give many gifts. What do you consider to be the worst crime a person could commit? Courts are filled with people who commit every kind of crime from robbery to murder. People pay lawyers handsomely to get the charges dropped against them. Yet, once a person is charged with any kind of crime, it’s on the record and you can’t wipe the record clean. Someone will always know a crime was committed and who did it. Solomon was quick to note the worst crime a person could commit – adultery. Not murder, theft, lying, cheating, gambling, or any number of crimes God had laws for in the Law of Moses. It was adultery. Notice what Solomon said about the person who commits adultery. He said it destroyed the soul. He faced dishonor and reproach that would never go away. He also said a man who commits adultery lacks understanding. The crime God considers as the worst crime, mankind will not even bring to court. More people commit adultery today than any other crime against mankind. It has gotten to the point where people do not even bother to get married, they just live with someone for a while and then change partners when differences arise. Or they go through with a fancy wedding, live together in the bonds of matrimony until they are no longer content to live with each other and cite irreconcilable differences, and get a divorce, and go on to the next partner. No matter what society might think, according to God, it’s still adultery. Jesus told the Pharisees what God accepted in a marriage, even though divorce was allowed in the Law of Moses. Matthew 19:7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and whoso marries her which is put away doth commit adultery. Nobody thinks about adultery today. Few people think about what God expects of people, and go about their lives without a care in the world living, loving, and leaving a string of children behind to be raised by single parents. Christians are no better. They have become so complacent to the Word of God, that they easily settle into the ways of the world around them. Not only do they compromise their lifestyle, they compromise their witness for Jesus Christ. Without realizing it, the world and all its seductive ways has taken hold of them and slowly their souls are eaten away by their lusts. However, there is a way for Christians to find redemption. When you accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, he paid for all the sins you committed or ever would commit. 1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (KJV) God made a way through the death, burial, and resurrection of his Son, Jesus, so we can come before him, confessing our worst sin, worst crime against God, and he will forgive us. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (KJV) All our sin is forgiven, not just some of it. We are made whole, and brought before God our Creator without spot or blemish. That does not mean we are free to continue sinning. Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (KJV) As Christians, therefore, we need to put off the old man and walk in the newness of life. Solomon did not have that option when he taught his son about the evil woman and what adultery would do to the soul. God’s law has not changed, but your heart can. You can walk in the newness of life when you confess your sin before God and determine to live with your partner doing everything you can to make it through the struggles and hardships Satan will throw at you to separate you and destroy what God is doing in your life. When your marriage is looking like it is falling apart, it’s time to trust God to put the pieces back together and not look for other options. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhxELo-uD3c Don’t let Satan win. Let’s pray: Father, help me remain faithful to the partner you gave me. Be in the solution to all our problems, and bring us together as one, the way you meant our marriage to be. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright, © 24 September 2016 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay