by David Scott Robertson
I love the Word of God.
It cuts to the chase.
It lays its ax at the root of your problem.
It does not mince words, it is the Word.
Take infidelity, for example –
A sin so tragic
That the full ramifications cannot be comprehended.
But “The Answer Book,”
God’s Holy Word,
The Scriptures which cannot be broken,
Will address the issue in no-nonsense terms
To both help prevent it from happening
And offer the antidote to those who have fallen prey.
Proverbs 5:7-8 speaks to those who may have been tempted but have not fallen
Into this sin against their own body.
“My son, LISTEN to me
And DO everything I say.
STAY AWAY from a bad woman!
DON’T EVEN GO NEAR the door of her house.” (CEV, emphasis added)
These 2 verses,
Written in plain English,
About half an inch tall on the page of the Bible
Can save a lifetime of regret and grief.
First, we must be willing to LISTEN to our mentors (v.7).
Wisdom is often found in the experience of others.
We can learn from others who have suffered.
We can observe and see what has happened to the unfortunate person
Who has dabbled in this forbidden activity.
Secondly, we must be willing to DO what is right (v.7).
Knowing what’s right and doing what’s right
Has been a point of great controversy for many souls.
The action verb “do” must take effect to protect us from destruction.
Martin Luther King was once quoted as saying,
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
Next, we must be willing to STAY AWAY from a bad person (v.8).
If you are a married man,
Don’t go to lunch with a woman who is not your wife.
Whenever possible,
Don’t be in a room with the door closed with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t ride in the car with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t go play tennis with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t [fill in the blank] with a woman who is not your wife.
The same goes for married ladies.
Give the Devil a foothold and he’ll shoot for a stronghold.
Finally, DON’T EVEN GO NEAR THE DOOR OF HER HOUSE (v.8).
Use common sense to avoid every appearance of evil.
Apply the “Joseph Strategy” for staying out of sexual impurity.
“And though she [Potipher’s wife] spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.” (Genesis 39:10 NIV)
Don’t even go near the door of the house of a potential problem relationship.
Don’t even go sit at the workstation of a person who might tempt you.
Don’t go to the beach if you struggle with lust and can’t handle the bikinis.
Don’t go to the video store if the video jackets give you a problem.
Don’t stare at the tabloids and magazines at the Wal-Mart checkout lane
If it causes you to stumble with awkward fantasies.
Don’t channel-surf if you linger too long on inappropriate images.
Don’t allow the blessing of the Internet to be a curse on your thought-life.
The Bible frankly and in brutal honesty lists some of the results of infidelity: -
“You will lose your self-respect and end up in debt to some cruel person for the rest of your life.” (Proverbs 5:9)
“Strangers will get your money and everything else you have worked for.” (5:10)
“When it’s all over, your body will waste away, as you grown (5:11)
and shout, ‘I hated advice and correction! (5:12)
‘I paid no attention to my teachers, (5:13)
‘And now I am disgraced in front of everyone.’” (5:14)
Man of God,
Woman of God:
LISTEN TO GOD,
DO EVERYTHING THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS!
STAY AWAY from evil companions that corrupt good morals.
DON’T EVEN GO NEAR THE DOOR of those who might cause you to sin sexually.
Ask God to help you love your spouse as Christ loves the Church
And gave Himself for her.
With man this is impossible,
But with God all things are possible.
Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The antidote to infidelity is of course the cross of Jesus Christ.
The “pound of cure” was the nails pounded into divine hands and feet
That caused the lifeblood of the Son of God to die.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Chris the Righteous (1 John 2:1).
His blood can erase the condemnation of sexual impurity,
Restore the years the locusts have eaten,
And do a new things in a person’s life who has morally failed.
What consequences you must live with
As a result of infidelity are in the Lord’s hands.
The best advice I can give
Is to go to the best advice ever given
And that is found in the pages of the Bible.
Discover for yourself in “Life’s Owner’s Manual”
How to operate your life in accordance with god’s perfect plan for your life
Then you will enjoy a great marriage,
Great parenting,
Great ministry,
And the abundant life that Jesus died that we might obtain (John 10:10).
DSR
8/11/99