"Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding" (Prov. 6:32).
One of the most common sins to beset men and women is the sin of lust. As we learn from our Lord Jesus in His discourse on the mount, lust in the heart is a violation of the commandment “Do not commit adultery.” So serious is this crime that Jesus exhorts those who cannot control themselves to take drastic means to deal with it: “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off.” Under the judicial system of Israel, the punishment for committing adultery was death. In the New Testament the apostle warns us that adulterers will be eternally punished. This sin is serious in the eyes of God and should be just as serious to His children. Parents, who are responsible for instructing their children in the fullness of God’s law, should take Solomon’s lead and warn their children against committing such a heinous sin as adultery.
Sadly, adultery has become prevalent and widely accepted in our society. It is common not only in the world, but in the church. Part of the reason is teaching such as Solomon’s has been woefully neglected. The practical instruction not to approach the door of the adulteress has been lost. Solomon gives wise counsel when he tells his children to be alert for this temptation. Many broken relationships could be prevented if this advice were heeded. If only people would not open the door to the temptation, they would not be compelled by their own desires to step through it.
How can this be done? Be on your guard. Know your weaknesses. Strengthen your own marriage—“drink from your own cistern.” If things are not well at home, you are more apt to be tempted away from it. Focus on your own marriage and bring your life into submission to God even when things are difficult in your family. Watch for those who will most likely tempt you. Stay away from the woman in the office whom you like to be around. Don’t spend time talking to the neighbor’s husband who makes you feel good. Avert your eyes from those who try to draw your attention. Turn off the television when seductive commercials or shows come on.
Most of all, pray that God will give you the wisdom and strength to guard your heart and your life against such temptations. “Watch and pray,” that you might not fall to temptation.
Do you have a problem with lust? Do you have anyone in your life who is a temptation, who causes you to think less of your spouse? Pray for strength to avoid that person, or minimize your time with them if you can’t get away. Consider those things that cause you to lust. Take steps to rid your life of those things.
