How Important Are Consequences?

Children are not reasonable people.

That might be one of the reasons we have laughed at “Calvin and Hobbes,” “Peanuts,” “The Family Circus,” “Baby Blues” and other comic strips featuring children.

The younger the child, the more likely they are to have a complete lack of understanding of consequences. They lack life experience, understanding and knowledge. For that reason children are vulnerable to many dangers. For example, they do not recognize the consequences of touching a hot stove or sticking a metal object in an electrical outlet. While entertaining in the comic strips, the consequences of real life are often much more serious and sometimes painfully lasting.

Parents struggle with the task of instructing, training, and disciplining their children so that they will be able to avoid physical dangers in life. Parents also teach their children how to avoid financial pitfalls, academic failure, and common health problems. These are all necessary lessons. Yet, as Christians we must never rest from providing our children moral and spiritual training.

A significant part of moral and spiritual training is that of teaching consequences. Oftentimes, spiritual and moral offenses are not followed by immediate consequences. So, parents must apply consequences. Otherwise, their children will grow up spiritually immature and unable to see the ultimate consequences of their moral and spiritual choices.

At the end of a lengthy admonition to his son regarding the adulteress, Solomon considered the future of the one who had not listened to instruction. In the end, the young man's life was destroyed because he had wasted his energy and forfeited his possessions to strangers. Awakened by the reality of the moment, the young man cried out:

How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
--Proverbs 5:12 (NKJV)

After experiencing devastating consequences, the eyes of the young man were opened to reality. Instruction and correction had not failed, but only after reaping the consequences of his poor attitude and rebellious behavior did the young man realize that he had failed.

The Bible, God’s revelation to mankind, allows us to peer into the future and learn the consequences of our choices. Many of the teachings in the Proverbs apply directly to our physical lives in the here and now. Yet, the overall message of scripture deals with spiritual life and spiritual consequences reaching into the afterlife.

The simple point is this: Instruction has already been revealed. Correction has already been written. God still disciplines his children today. (See Hebrews 12:4-10.) So, listen and follow God’s instruction NOW. At times of failure, when God corrects you through His word, listen and follow!

Experience may be the best teacher in some areas of life. However, no one wants experience to teach them that they hated instruction and despised correction. The eternal consequences are devastating and irreversible.

Be wise, now.
Consequently, live.


Mark Stinnett

June 13, 2021

Playing with Fire

I remember childhood friends who could put out a lit match by pinching the flame with their thumb and forefinger. It looked rather daring to those of us who had never tried it and did not know the ‘trick.’

Everything was fun and games until one of my buddies accidentally pinched the head off a lit match and burned a blister on his thumb.

If you 'play with fire, sooner or later you are bound to get burned.'

'Playing with fire' is an expression that describes taking an unwarranted risk in a dangerous or questionable situation. A person who ‘plays with fire’ intentionally places himself in danger, usually with a sense of confidence. Due to inexperience in life, young people often ‘play with fire.’

Solomon wrote:
   Keep your way far from her,
   And do not go near the door of her house.
   --Proverbs 5:8

He was warning his son to stay far away from the house of the adulteress. It should be applied today as a general warning against sexual immorality.

We might have expected, “keep your feet” or “keep your eyes” or “keep your heart” far from her. Yet, Solomon said, “keep your way” far from her. The simple point is that YOU are the one who ultimately chooses your way. So, you should make your choice so that your path in life does not come near the house of the adulteress.

Applied to our day: Make your choice so that your path in life does not come near pornography, improper physical contact of your girlfriend, talking and joking about improper sexual behavior.

The closer a person gets to sexual impurity and the more they allow themselves to be teased by the imagined possibilities, then the more dangerous the circumstances. They invite temptation, paving the way to 'the door of her house.' How then will they keep from falling to the temptation.

Consider the next few verses from the same chapter to better understand the very real consequences of ‘playinng with the fire’ of sexual impurity.


   Lest you give your vigor to others, 
      And your years to the cruel one;
   Lest strangers be filled with your strength, 
      And your hard-earned goods go to the house of an alien;
   And you groan at your latter end, 
      When your flesh and your body are consumed;
   And you say, "How I have hated instruction! 
      And my heart spurned reproof!
   And I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, 
      Nor inclined my ear to my instructors!
   --Proverbs 5:9-13


Sexual impurity robs you of your strength, your wealth, and the best years of your life by giving yourself to someone who does not care about you...all in exchange for a mere moment of pleasure.

Young men...choose now to keep you way pure.

Illusion and Reality

The Proverbs are specifically relevant to young adult men. That does not mean that others cannot benefit from the Proverbs, but simply that Solomon had a target audience, namely, his son. For that reason many of the early chapters were devoted to sexual purity in young men. Solomon warned his son against the adulteress. His son could remain sexually pure only if he was faithful to his wife. Any woman who was not his wife was forbidden.

Illusion:

The father warned his son of the illusion presented by the adulteress:

   For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, 

   And smoother than oil is her speech.

   --Proverbs 5:3

'Honey' was something very desirable in Solomon’s day. Consider the following biblical references to honey:

• The Promised Land flowed with milk and honey; "the glory of all lands" (Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5; Ezekiel 20:15);
• Honey brightened the eyes of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:25);
• Honey was presented alongside gold as something desirable (Psalm 19:10);
• Honey satisfied (Psalm 81:16);
• Solomon recommended honey (Prov. 24:13);
• The bride’s lips dripped with honey; milk and honey under her tongue (Song of Solomon 4:11);
• Honey was included as a part of the pleasure of lovers (Song of Solomon 5:1).

Sweet honey describes the 'lips' of the adulteress. She is able to lure the unsuspecting young man with tremendous power. In addition, her 'speech' is smoother than oil, a reference to pleasant words and flattery that also lure. By every external appearance, the forbidden woman is very desirable.

Reality:

   But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, 

   Sharp as a two-edged sword.

   --Proverbs 5:4

'Wormwood' is bitter. In Scripture it is often found in the same text with poisonous water. Wormwood makes a person sick. In the book of Revelation men die from water made bitter from wormwood (8:11). Wormwood stands as a sharp contrast to sweet honey. The adulteress presents the illusion of sweet honey, but in reality she offers bitter wormwood.

A 'sword' is for battle. Swords pierce, cut, kill, destroy. A two-edged sword cuts both ways, possessing even greater destructive power. The speech of the adulteress has the illusion of smooth oil, but in reality is a sharp destructive two-edged sword.

A true man of God walks by faith, not by sight. He will recognize the illusion for what it is. He will listen to the warning, understanding by wisdom that reality exists behind the illusion. He will resist chasing the illusion.

Men...the illusions are strong! Yet, by faith in God's wisdom and the help of the Holy Spirit you can tear the illusions from your eyes and see past to the ugly reality of her lies. She will destroy you!

Be wise to illusion and reality!

Incline Your Ear...

You may be familiar with this scene, perhaps having experienced something similar. Lying on his deathbed an elderly man tries to speak. Family members see his lips move, but can only hear a faint whisper. The oldest son leans toward him but still cannot make out what he is saying. Awkwardly leaning in until his ear almost touches his father's lips, he strains to listen.

His father's dying words are important.

A related scene unfolds in much a more casual setting. Dad has come home from work and switches on the TV to see the evening news. The kids are horsing around in the background. Dad leans forward and cocks his head to the side so that he can hear the news report better. He cups one hand behind his listening ear, increases the volume, and if there is a pause, he barks at the kids, “Quiet!”
This is important.

There is a sound outside in the darkness; an unfamiliar, puzzling sound.

“Shhh! Listen.” 

Everyone stops! 

Creeping to the closest door you quietly, cautiously peer out; perhaps even dare to step out. You strain to hear; ears alert; wanting to know and understand.
This is important.

We make an effort to hear something that is important to us. We turn our head. We cup a hand behind one ear.
We lean in.
We ‘shush.’
We strain.
We change our position and change manage our surroundings so that we can hear.

It is important!

With one simple word Solomon paints the picture of importance: Incline.

My son, give attention to my wisdom,

Incline your ear to my understanding.

                                            --Proverbs 5:1

Lean your ear toward me for wisdom.
Stretch forward for understanding.
Strain, struggle, focus.
Shhhh!
Stop!

Listen.

This Is Important!