Proverbs 6:20-35

“Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” (Proverbs 6:27, NKJV)

Across the centuries, Solomon speaks to our culture. The problem is sexual sin. It is rampant today. The statistics of pornography—among men and women, outside and inside the church—are alarming. The gender distinction created by God is blurred, and people are confused. Men want to become women, and women want to become men. Even at the latest annual Dove Awards, several Christian musicians dressed in drag.

Of course Solomon was primarily warning his son about the seductress or the adulterous woman. Adultery has always destroyed marriages and families and continues today to be the number one cause of divorce.

According to LA Intelligence Detective Agency:

-30 to 60 percent of married couples will cheat at least once in the marriage.

-74 percent of men and 68 percent of women admit they’d cheat if it was guaranteed they’d never get caught.

-69 percent of marriages break up as a result of an affair being discovered.

In a global survey across 40 countries, 78% believe that having an affair is morally unacceptable. But the actual rates of adultery appear to be on the rise. It is difficult to be exact since estimates are mostly dependent on self-reporting, and many people are reluctant to admit their wrongdoing. But the rate of adultery in 2005 seems to have been about 22% while in 2016 it rose to about 33%.

This cultural loosening of morals should cause us to be increasingly on guard and to watch ourselves. Fidelity in marriage is a value we must not compromise. There is far too much at stake. We can’t imagine grabbing a flaming log out of the fire and holding it up against our chest. But some people think they can play with sexual sin and not get burned. Such self-deception will harm them, the people they love, and the people who love them.