Always Saved? ("Yes" and "No")

The book of 1 John assures Christians of their salvation in Christ. However, some have taught that a Christian is always saved and can never lose their salvation. Turning to the book of 1 John, let’s answer an important question: Is a Christian always saved?

“Absolutely, Yes!”

John wrote his first letter to Christians who must have lacked confidence in their salvation. He offered convincing truths to build their confidence. Consider the following statements in John’s letter:

If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses from all sin.

--1 John 1:7

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

--1 John 2:1

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

--1 John 2:25

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

--1 John 2:28

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.

--1 John 3:18-21

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

--1 John 4:17

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

--1 John 5:13

Christians were being deceived about their salvation (2:26). John wanted to bolster their confidence by ensuring them that they would not lose their salvation. We are encouraged that God has not and will not abandon his children. The children of God have confidence that God will never change his mind or makes new requirements for salvation. He will honor all his promises regarding salvation.

So, in that respect we can confidently say, “Absolutely Yes!” Once a person has been saved, he/she has confidence in God’s promises. They will never lose their salvation.

“Absolutely Not!”

Some say that a Christian cannot fall from God’s grace. John also gives us insight into this claim in his brief letter. Remember that John was addressing those who were already saved (2:12-14). In the first chapter He reminded them of their fellowship with God through Christ. Then in the very next chapter he boldly stated:

I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father….(2:1)

John’s intent was for Christians to avoid sin. Yet in the same verse he acknowledged that a Christian might sin, but that there is a remedy for sin for the Christian: confession of one’s sins. However, if anyone refuses to confess his sins, or if he returns to a life of sin, then he walks in darkness and has no fellowship with God.

John takes it a step farther saying that anyone who hates (rejects) his brother walks in darkness. The one who hates his brother is “of the evil one” (3:7-10). So, the Christian who hates his brother has returned to a path of darkness. He no longer walks in the light and consequently forfeits his fellowship with God.

For that reason, we must answer, “Absolutely Not!” Salvation is conditional. A Christian must not adopt a casual attitude toward sin and return to his former way of life. In doing so, he will no longer have fellowship with God and will forfeit his salvation. It is important to see that, in this case, God has not abandoned his child. Rather, the child has abandoned his Father.

Conclusion

John’s letter was written to bolster the confidence of Christians. Our confidence is rooted in our salvation through Jesus. However, confidence in one’s salvation is not a license to sin.

Because of our changed nature sin is no longer our way of life. For that reason, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from sin. And yet, the blood of Jesus does not cleanse those who are opposed to God. It does not cleans those who return to their old life in spiritual darkness.

God will keep his promises. The question is whether YOU will faithfully hold to Christ and His promises.

Mark Stinnett

July 7, 2024

Refuse and Rubbish

Did you know that God wants you to offer yourself as a sacrifice? In the Bible a sacrifice was not always burned up. For example, precious metals that were devoted to God were kept and used in the treasury and, from that time forward, used in service to God. They were no longer available for common use. (That caused trouble for King Belshazzar. —Daniel 5.)

The Apostle Paul reminded us that we are to offer our bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice. (Romans 12:1) What that means is that God desires for you to devote your life to Jesus, and that you are no longer suitable for common use.

To punctuate this idea consider the Old Testament animal sacrifices. I want to draw your attention to one of the ugly tasks involved. When a bull was killed and offered for the consecration of the priests not all of the animal was burned on the altar.

But the flesh of the bull and its hide and its refuse, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. 

 —Exodus 29:13

Similar instruction applied to other offerings.

So, not all of the animal was suitable for the sacrifice. Some parts of the animal simply had to be taken outside the Israelite encampment and destroyed.

When we think about God’s expectation for us, we understand that He wants our whole life. Yet, when you think about it, there are some things in our lives that are simply not suitable as a sacrifice to God. These are what you might call the refuse of our lives.

As an example, God has no use for man’s pride. We cannot offer pride to God and ask him to use it for his glory. Pride elevates man by supposing that man is wiser than God and His word. So, pride is something that could be called refuse. It simply needs to be eliminated.

A person might have bad habits. I’m not thinking about belching in public, rather, bad habits that interfere with one’s spiritual well being. For example, sleeping in on Sunday or staying home when relatives visit instead of making fellowship with Christians a priority is a bad habit.

Other refuse might include ungodly attitudes, prejudices and any other kind of sin. In our day people sometimes make light of sin. They laugh about sinful pleasures, as if sin will bring joy into one’s life. Others would never admit to sin, but protect it by hiding it (secret sin). In whatever way it is worded, sin in one’s life cannot possibly be offered to God as a sacrifice. Sin of all kinds is refuse that must be eliminated.

We also need to have the right attitude toward the things of this life that are not refuse. A person can offer his education, job, house, money, etc. as a sacrifice to God by using these things for God’s glory and in advancing the kingdom of God. And yet, love of these things can stand in the way of following Jesus.

The rich young ruler had wealth in property. It stood in the way of following Jesus (Matthew 19). To deal with the things of this world the Apostle Paul adopted a life-changing attitude. In comparison to the surpassing value of knowing Christ, he considered the achievements and things of value in this life as rubbish, that is, suitable only to be flushed. (Philippians 3:1-8)

We must adopt a proper attitude toward the things of this life. Let’s resolve to eliminate the refuse, and to view the rubbish for what it’s worth. Then our sacrificial offering of ourselves to God will be accepted. 

Be cleansed. 

Be pure.

Mark Stinnett
January 15, 2023

Preparing to See God's Face

We place a high value on seeing.

I am not thinking about sight itself, but being in the presence of someone or something. It is one thing to see high quality photos of the Grand Canyon or to see it on the big screen. It is quite another thing to see the Grand Canyon in person, to actually see it with your own eyes.

I once saw President Regan. (Well, actually I saw his motorcade as it passed through town. With tinted windows, no one really knew which car was his.) But I did see President George W. Bush in person! I was in the presence of the President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world.

We like to tell family and friends and new acquaintances about our sightings. For many of us our special sightings give us a sense of pride, perhaps even, a sense of identity.

There were no more than a hundred people in attendance when I saw President Bush. He came to our school district to announce the enactment of a new education bill. Only those with tickets were allowed a seat at this event.

I had only recently been hired by the school district to oversee the district’s student data system. Because of my job I was housed in the district’s central office. Along with the school board, those of us in central office were given a ticket, so also a number of city dignitaries and a few others.

We were all told how to dress, what to bring, what to leave behind, when to arrive, and where to sit. For security reasons we didn’t drive; we were transported. The press conference was held in a high school gymnasium, but it was all very formal. I felt very important. (In reality, I was just lucky enough to have an office in the right building in the district).

I guess you might say that that’s my claim to fame. The President never looked straight at me, but only in my direction as he scanned the crowd. Still, I saw the President, in person.

___________

When Moses approached the burning bush, God told him to remove his sandals because he was he was standing on holy ground. Even then, it was an angel of the Lord that appeared to him in the burning bush. (Exodus 3:1-5)

When the Israelites were camped at Mt. Sinai, God told Moses that He wanted to speak to the people. However, they had to be consecrated. That means that they had to be set apart to God before this meeting could take place. They were to wash their clothes before approaching the mountain where God would come down to speak to them. A boundary was set and a warning was issued: Neither the people nor their animals should cross the boundary when the Lord came near. Anyone crossing the boundary would die. The reason? God is holy. (See Exodus 19.)

The Psalmist once asked who could stand in the holy place of God, that is, in the presence of God. The answer:

The one who has innocent hands and a pure heart; the person who does not delight in what is false and does not swear an oath deceitfully. 

—Psalm 24:4

Jesus brought this psalm forward in a beatitude:

Blissful are the pure in heart,

for they shall see God.

—Matthew 5:8

In our day, those who are pure in heart and who avoid falsehood are rare.

Do you long to see God’s face?

Do you understand how to prepare your heart and your lips?

Mark Stinnett

January 30, 2022

Aren't You Glad You Can Eat Bacon?

I like bacon! I am so glad Jesus “declared all foods clean.” (Mark 7:19)

Do you think that was God’s expected response, “Yippee! I like bacon!”?

(Probably not.)

The laws about food in the Law of Moses can seem puzzling, especially since Christians are not restricted in their eating choices, at least, not restricted morally or religiously.

Pages and pages have been devoted to explanations of God’s imposed food restrictions on the Israelites. Some have explained the health benefits associated with God’s laws of cleanliness. One scholar, reasoning that pork is the finest of all meats, suggested that it was a test that God devised to see if Israel could refrain from such a delicacy. He failed to recognize that pork was not the only prohibited food. Not only that, not everyone would agree with his subjective assessment about pork. 

It is really about food???

Perhaps we’ve missed something.

In many ways the Law of Moses seems to have been behavior-oriented while the teachings of Jesus were different. Yet...I wonder...

When Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount He would say, “You have heard it said...but I say to you….” Many people today have mistakenly thought that Jesus was teaching something new. That is not the case. He had just said…

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law of the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 
—Matthew 5:18

He went on to say that the righteousness that God expected was not like the teachings of the Pharisees. They were so exacting in the literal obedience to the Law of Moses they created more restrictive laws that were precise and incredibly demanding. They had missed the point.

Paraphrasing, Jesus then taught: You have been taught, ‘Do not commit murder,’ but I tell you that whoever is angry with his brother is guilty. 

Jesus was not creating a new ‘anger law’ in place of the old commandment about murder. Rather, He was teaching the people that anger was the root of murder in the first place. Had they stopped and pondered the command, “Thou shalt not murder,” they would have reasoned that to avoid murder they must first deal with the anger of the heart. Murder is the conclusion of something that began in the heart: anger. Deal with the problem of anger and you’ve solved the murder problem.

The same path of thought applies to the other laws that Jesus addressed in Matthew 5:21-47.

• Adultery: Begins in the heart as lust. It is a desire in the heart that treats a person as a mere object of sexual satisfaction with little or no consideration for his/her humanity.
• Divorce: Begins in the heart with an unwillingness to sacrifice. It is a desire in the heart that makes selfish demands without consideration for commitment and relationship.
• Lying: Begins in a heart that fears or hates truth. It is a desire to manipulate circumstances by creating a false sense of reality. Lying is never sacrificial. Even when it protects another person, it is a purely selfish means of satisfying oneself.
• Vengeance: Begins in a heart refusing forgiveness. It is a desire to exact justice, yet ultimately justice on one's own terms. It fails to consider others as souls in needs of a Savior. It fails to consider God's justice.
• Hate your enemies: Begins in a heart of arrogant selective love. It is a desire to keep others out of one's own circle of acceptance. It fails to consider God's boundless (boundary-less) love.

Israel should have looked at the laws of God and found the core issue that made these things offensive to God, a heart in opposition to the very character of God. 

How do I know this?
Jesus taught that whatever comes out of the heart condemns a person. Go ahead and look it up. It is in Mark 7:20-23. It is right after Jesus “declared all foods clean.”

So, what about all the food laws and laws about cleanliness? God was teaching Israel about His own purity. 

To have a relationship with God, a person must be pure, just as God is pure in His divine character. And purity begins in the heart.

When you read the Bible, do you see God, or do you see rules...or just bacon???

Mark Stinnett

February 23, 2020

I Am Righteous...Are You?

Today's blog is a companion to the previous one entitled: “I Am Not Righteous...Are You?” They are meant to be considered together.

Jesus was described as “One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin,” (Hebrews 4:15) implying that the rest of us are not without sin. The Apostle Paul was more direct: “There is none righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10)

Among other scriptures, these two tell us that humanity can only be described as evil. In fact, God looked at the world during the time of Noah and observed that “every intent of the thoughts of his (mankind’s) heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) (I'm not saying that things are that bad today, but you get the idea...man tends toward evil.)

After the Garden of Eden, mankind needed a remedy for sin and unrighteousness. Many religious people have come and gone with ideas for a remedy for sin that are not found in God’s word.

• Saying lots of prayers never undid anyone’s sin and made them righteous.
• Punishing oneself never undid or paid for anyone’s sin and made them righteous.
• Doing lots and lots of good never undid or paid for anyone’s sin and made them righteous. 

Good does not cancel out evil.

Jesus actually did lots and lots of good works, but he never sinned. So, there was no sin in His life to make him unrighteous (evil).

I am thinking about the pure water illustration I used in my previous article. There are only two ways to obtain pure water:

1. Start with water that has never been impure.
2. Remove the impurities of tainted water to make the water pure.

Applied morally, Jesus began pure and was never tainted with sin. All other people, on the other hand, have been tainted with sin. The real problem with sin is that man, left on his own, cannot get rid of it. He cannot purify himself. The only thing he can do is pay for his sin, and the payment is quite steep: Death!

However, mankind is not without hope:

He [God] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

--2 Corinthians 5:21

This verse refers to the sinless Christ bearing the sins of mankind on the cross. The Apostle Peter wrote about souls that are purified through obedience to the truth. He explained purification by referring to one’s rebirth “through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:22-23). The Apostle Paul described how the sacrifice of Jesus sanctified His church, “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:26). The Apostle John wrote about the individual:

If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness. 

--1 John 1:7

I know that I cannot become righteous by praying a lot, by worshiping every week, by doing good deeds, or by punishing myself (or being punished) for my sins. Nothing can undo sin. Yet, God has promised to purify anyone who makes a proper faith response to Jesus. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you and I can be made clean. And understand this, we are not simply labeled ‘clean’ though tainted with sin. We who are in Christ...ARE TRULY CLEAN. We ARE the righteousness of God through Christ.

Mark Stinnett

Kill the Beast

Life is full of inequities. Or, expressed in the words of a child, “It’s not fair.”

How do you deal with the inequities of life? The rich and powerful often seem to take advantage of others. Random events in life often seem to work against people keeping them from achieving their goals. So many people feel like they can never get ahead. Many feel like victims to life and the people in their life.

When we allow ourselves to become worked up over the current issues of the day, whether personal issues or those on a larger national or global scale, we lose sight of reality. We forget our Savior and the power of our God. We forget that we have not been promised a problem-free life; rather, life will be filled with inequities. We forget that God is patient, even with evil people, even when they hurt other people.

We sometimes become so disgusted with the inequities in life that we want to lash out. We want someone to be held responsible. We want to ‘kill the beast’ who is heartless, ‘kill the beast’ who is arrogant; ‘kill the beast’ who hides behind wealth and power. Yet, when we allow ourselves to lash out, we become united with the beast. Then we react without any rational thought of our own.

     When my heart was embittered,
          And I was pierced within,
     Then I was senseless and ignorant;
          I was like a beast before You.
     —Psalm 73:21-22

It is as if the Psalmist has looked into the human soul. He sees us as we are. In the first verse of Psalm 73 he writes, “Surely God is good to Israel.” It sounds like a simple declaration of truth. Then, he writes, “But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling.” He knows the truth, God is good!, yet he feels that his world is an exception: inequities loom. Life is not fair. (He might stumble.)

The Psalmist sees the rich, the arrogant, and the wicked and he knows their evil character. Yet, he finds himself envious. They simply do not have the same troubles as ordinary men.

The Psalmist sees them mock God and treat people unkindly. He sees how easy it would be for him to be like them, but that would be betrayal. That would be going against the very things he believed to be true; the things he had taught his children and others.

So, how did the Psalmist resolve his dilemma?

     When I pondered to understand this,
          It was troublesome in my sight
     Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
          Then I perceived their end.

He realized that he could only make sense of the inequities of life when he turned to God.

When he turned to God’s divine counsel he was able to see beyond the inequities of this life. He was able to understand the ultimate end of the arrogant and the wicked. He was able to look beyond himself and beyond his problems and find refuge (peace and security) in God.

His confidence in God was restored. He better understood life. He realized why God was patient with the ungodly and he accepted that God will deal fairly with him and with the ungodly. In his mind he had solidified the truth of his opening statement. There was no longer any doubt based on his circumstances.

     Surely God is good to Israel,

     To those who are pure in heart!

Through faith, we must 'kill the beast' within ourselves.

Enjoy the security of living in peace with God through purity of heart.

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.

You Just Have to 'Stop'

No, I am not waxing philosophical; but have you ever thought about thinking? (Perhaps I could get you to consider it for just a moment.)

Have you ever been talking with someone and something they said forces a pause in the conversation, “I’ll have to think about that”?

People think about things in different ways. Some look up at the sky and tap or rub their chin and just think, think, think. Others look down at the ground and scratch their head and think, think, think. Some might prefer to talk it out; brainstorming ideas (with another person or even a wall). Others like a visual approach using pencil and paper, whiteboard and marker, or something similar. Whatever the case, two things are common to all: Pause...and ideas turning over and over in the mind.

James wrote, “Consider it all joy when you face various trials…” (James 1:2) I think he really meant for people to STOP...and then think about what he was writing.

When Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air… and observe the lilies of the field…” (Matthew 6:24, 26) I think he really meant for people to STOP...and take time to look and observe and THINK about the birds; to STOP...and take time to look and observe and THINK about the flowers.

Paul wrote:

   Finally, brethren, whatever is true,

      whatever is honorable,

      whatever is right,

      whatever is pure,

      whatever is lovely,

      whatever is of good repute,

   if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,

   dwell on these things.

                                                 --Philippians 4:8

What do you think Paul expected his readers to do???

Do you know why God's word is difficult to understand for some people? Do you know why some folks never find peace or comfort or help from God's word even though they read and read and read?

They never...stop! They never...think.

I know it sounds silly, but I'll leave you extra room at the end of this blog to give you 'extra time' to...stop...and think about the things Paul wrote...
stop...

and think...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Seriously...you need to STOP…
And...think…

Will You Think about My Box?

Is purity important to you?

Let me approach the same question another way, using several examples.

Imagine that you are looking for a *new* car. You inspect its body, every inch of the interior. Even if you know only a little about mechanics, you want to see a lot of shiny parts under the hood. It is *new* and you expect it to be unblemished.

When you are served a glass of water at a restaurant and you notice lip prints on the rim of the glass (gross!), you send it back. You expect a clean glass.

Shopping for an article of clothing you make a selection, but notice a small 'spot.' You put the item back; you expect it to be unstained.

When buying a special ring for your wife, would you prefer 14 or 24 caret gold? And what about the diamond? Clarity is one of the “Four C’s” of diamonds that defines value. You probably prefer the purest gold and the clearest diamond you can afford.

Truth be known, none of us really prefers the unretouched portrait photo. We would like people to see our wrinkles softened, stray hair adjusted, the bird that bombed the outdoor photo removed. We prefer to remove the blemishes.

Blemishes get our attention and they irritate us: Blemishes, stains, impurities and flaws in everyday life; personal flaws, past sins. They are all a part of life; we prefer life without them. Yet how often we focus on them, obsess over them.

Some people are really good at noticing blemishes. They often criticize. Show off a new article of clothing and they will zero in on the most insignificant flaw. They will see the mistake you made in your freshly painted room (oops). You can walk, skip, hop, and run a hundred miles, and they will remind you of the instant that you stumbled.

The empty ‘quote box’ (that white box above) really irritates some folks. They find it distracting, not because of what is there, but because it is unexpected. An empty box in the middle of an blog article (blarticle) appears to be a flaw.

However, did you notice how clean it looks? Did you see how pure it is?

I know that it has never had words in it. It wasn’t an old messy box that I cleaned up. It started out clean and remains clean. Pure.

There are different ways to be pure; the Bible describes each. In the Old Testament sacrifices and cleansing rituals brought about a state of cleanliness before God. (Uncleanness affected one's standing with God and the community of God's people.)

A practical way of achieving purity is to remove impurities. Filtered water is a good example.

In these first two examples of uncleanness and impurity, something blemished is made pure.

Purity also exists where there had never been a flaw, like my empty 'quote box.' There is no need of cleansing. For lack of a better explanation, you might call this perfect purity. Would you agree that this kind of 'never-before-blemished' purity is rare?

The Apostle Paul encouraged:

     Whatsoever things are...pure…
     dwell on these things.
                               —Philippians 4:8

God invites you to stop! and spend some time thinking about things or people that fit the description of purity.
(To do this you will need to put down your phone and get off the Internet; stop watching/reading the latest news.)

Sooo...STOP. Think. Things that are pure.

Now, let me ask: "Is purity important to you?"

What Are You Chasing?

“The proverbs,” those wise, clever, pithy (and often unrelated) sayings really begin in chapter ten with an announcement:

          The proverbs of Solomon.

          A wise son makes a father glad,

          But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

                                                                  --Proverbs 10:1

I won’t press the matter, but it is probably correct to think of the first nine chapters as a lengthy introduction. It is as if Solomon was careful to prepare the mind of his son so that he could listen to wisdom. How did he prepare him?

If I had to reduce the first nine chapters into  one statement...

Chase after the knowledge and discernment of the Lord; do not chase after women.

In chapters eight and nine wisdom is personified as a woman who is desirable, offering wisdom, discretion, and life. In stark contrast is the ‘strange’ woman (adulteress) who is ultimately portrayed as naive. She doesn’t even realize that she seduces men to their deaths.

How many young men have fallen prey to the lure of a girlfriend, the power of pornography, the seduction of another man’s wife? For a moment of pleasure a life is changed!

Changed forever!!!

How many young men have set their eyes on a good and lofty goal in life; high thoughts of service, generosity, and devotion to God, perhaps even entering into the ministry? But things changed. It was not the demands of career or changed interests; rather it was the momentary distraction of the sexual lure of a woman.

Foolish!

Even if he is careful/clever enough to escape public notice, the guilt in the heart changes him. The lofty goals smashed. Changed forever!

It is not that God’s forgiveness cannot heal. But the power of sin and its psychological entanglement are great and all too often defeating.

Watch his parents...

Filled with high hopes his father’s heart is deeply saddened; his mother weeps.

There are many ways to act foolishly, but sexual sin is among the most devastating.

Young men! Sexual purity is of greatest importance. Purity of he spirit is the pursuit of God's wisdom and knowledge and discernment. You will NEVER regret the sin you did not commit!

The 'first' proverb...

          A wise son makes a father glad,

          But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

Chase wisely.