He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
Temptation: An Indicator of Our Spiritual
Condition: Prov 5:20-23
20) And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and
embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21) For the ways of man [are]
before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
22) His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be
holden with the cords of his sins.
23) He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly
he shall go astray.
INTRODUCTION:
Solomon now clearly
reveals that we are held accountable for our actions in this life….
EXPOSITION:
20) And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and
embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Solomon
continues from the previous verses (vss 18-19), using unfulfilled desires of physical
intimacy as a representation of any unfulfilled desires that are the basis of
temptation in our lives….
He
asks very simple, yet important questions… Why would we attempt to fulfill our
unmet desires in a fashion that goes against the will of God? Why would we look
to strangers and those in opposition to the will and ways of God to find peace,
contentment and lasting joy?
These
questions are asked in the context of two very important issues:
#1
– the wonderful blessings that God has given to us. (vss 15-19). When we consider all that He has done for us,
how can we purposely, turn our back on His desires and depart from His will by
attempting to find satisfaction through sinful means?
#2
– Based upon His knowledge of our actions and the deserved results of
disobedience to His commands (vss 21-23).
How can we so easily leave His desires for our lives behind, when we see
that sin results in harm to those who partake of it? Also keep in mind, those who habitually
submit to the temptations of the world are proving that they have never been
made the “new man” in Christ and are yet in their sins (vss 22-23).
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had
our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath,
even as others.” (Ephesians 2:2-3)
21) For the ways of man [are]
before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
The
path that man chooses is never hidden from God.
Mankind is aware of every choice and the ultimate lifestyles that is
formed by its choices. Mankind must
recognize that it is ever before Him.
“To the chief Musician, A
Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known [me]. Thou knowest my
downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path
and my lying down, and art acquainted [with] all my ways. For [there is] not a word
in my tongue, [but], lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.” (Psalms 139:1-4)
22) His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be
holden with the cords of his sins.
Those
who choose to submit to temptation’s enticements, those who live immoral
lifestyles, can only expect to be:
#1
– captured in the net of their immoralities
#2
- bound and enslaved by their unlawful
deeds
These
are both pictures of enslavement, domination and chronic sinfulness. When man willingly submits to temptations,
this leads to a lifestyle of sin and habitual mistreatment of themselves,
others around them and God Himself.
This is a mark of an unsaved individual who has never been made a new
creature in Christ.
“Let not sin therefore
reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your
members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto
God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments
of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have
dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:12-14)
23) He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly
he shall go astray.
For
those who have chosen a lifestyle of sinfully fulfilling their desires they
will all meet the same end:
#1
- They shall experience death. Although
already spiritually dead, they have yet to experience physical death and the
following eternal death. All of this will
come upon them because they chose not to receive the message of God that reveals
the way of escape for spiritual and eternal death.
#2
– They shall wander throughout their life, being led by their fleshly desires,
never entering into the path of life that the Lord has freely offered to
them.
All
of this comes upon those who are consumed with finding fulfillment through the
sinful pursuits that this world has to offer.
“While they promise them liberty, they
themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of
the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled
therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for
them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it],
to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” (2 Peter 2:19-21)
SUMMARY:
How
we handle the temptations that come before us, is a clear indicator of our
spiritual condition. For those who live
a lifestyle of sinfully fulfilling their unmet desires are manifesting that
they are unsaved and yet in the bonds of sin.
For
those who have chosen to oppose temptation and seek fulfillment of their
desires in a God honoring way, clear show to themselves, and others, that they
have become new creatures in Christ and servants of Almighty God.
Based
upon how we handle temptation, what is our spiritual condition?
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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