- Avoid Sexual Temptation
If there was a road in your town that regularly caused people to drive off of a cliff, warning signs would be posted everywhere. In the same way, Proverbs 5 warns people of the danger associated with sexual temptation. The road of sexual temptation should not be trifled with or walked down by anyone. As the father says to the son in Proverbs 5:5, the words of adulterous seduction always “lead down to death.” We must avoid such sexual temptation lest we lose ourselves and “die because of lack of discipline” (Proverbs 5:23).
item. Never Be Lazy
While God justifies sinners by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, a saving faith is always an active faith. Laziness has no place in the Christian life. In Romans 12:11, Paul instructs the church in Rome to not allow their zeal to be without action. Zeal without action defames the glory of Christ and accomplishes nothing. To this end, we must be mindful not to be lazy in our love for and service to Christ and others.Repent of Your Sins
Not only should sexual temptation be avoided at all cost, but we should all repent of the sins that we have committed. While temptation is not necessarily a sin, once we have transgressed against God’s command, we have sinned and are in need of repentance. Repentance is the act of turning away from sin toward God for forgiveness and strength for righteous living. Jesus calls everyone to repent of their sins (Mark 1:15), warning us that failure to repent will result in righteous judgment.
- End Unkind Speech
One of the easiest ways to sin against God is with unkind words. We are warned in 1 Peter 2:1 that unkind speech, that is, speech that is destructive and not redemptive toward others, must cease among believers. The book of James offers further details about the need for believers to both honor God and those who are created in His image (James 3:1-12).
- item. Run from Youthful Lusts
Youthful lusts refer not only to sexual temptations but all desires that arise from immaturity. Such desires do not foster Christian maturity or reflect God’s will to others. When we do not flee youthful lusts, we are often caught up in them and held back from God’s perfect plan for our lives in Christ. If Paul could warn Timothy to flee such desires (2 Timothy 2:2), how much more do we need to heed the warning in a culture that is marked by rampant immaturity?