Repent When You Succumb to the Deceptive Ways of Sexual Temptation

Introduction:

“There is only one true Friend for sexual fools. His name is Jesus Christ, the Crucified One. He wants you to know that your sexuality is a magnificent gift from God, for his glory and your blessing. What you are, as a created being, is not fundamentally a problem; what you are, man or woman, is fundamentally a privilege. But if you used your iPhone, this highly sophisticated communications technology, to hammer nails, you would show complete incomprehension of an iPhone. Even so, your sexuality is a powerful, delicate gift from God. You cannot violate his gift without damaging repercussions. So the Lord wants us to know something else. There is a way back to healing, and that way is humility.” (Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr. – Proverbs–Wisdom that Works) So, as we continue looking at parental exhortations to follow biblical teaching about sex, we would be remiss if we did not stop to consider three ways in which God calls those who have succumbed to sexual temptation back to repentance.

I. God Calls Wanderers Back Through Mental/Spiritual Conviction (Pr 5:12-13)

A. Recalling to mind the truths they were taught (Pr 5:13)

Explanation: The New Testament has a wonderful word for this process of bringing mental/spiritual conviction, and that word is “conscience.” We see explained and illustrated in a couple of passages. “Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” (Jn 8:1–9). “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)” (Ro 2:14–15).

Application: This father in Proverbs is instructing his children in such a way that I’m sure their conscience would prick them the first time they even considered embarking on the path of sexual folly.

B. Recalling to mind the correction they received (Pr 5:12)

Explanation: Not only does the Lord see to it that we remember the truths we were taught, but he also sees to it that we can remember the unpleasantness of times when we had to be reproved for falling into other sins. This word in Hebrew refers to education by means of God’s judicial actions of discipline. God, in his love, allows us to undergo various types of punishment for our sins in order to bring us to repentance. This is what comes to the son’s mind here in Proverbs 5:12 when he laments how his heart has “despised reproof.”

Exhortation: Mga kapatid, the thing is that this memory doesn’t have to be punishment for the same sin that you are either contemplating or have committed. Due to the universal law of sowing and reaping, reproof for any sin serves as a warning of and a deterrent to committing other sins. We need to let these things be preventative spiritual medicine, so that we look back on these prior experiences and avoid committing the next sin in the first place. Di ba? And when you have sinned, confess it and forsake it right away. Don’t try to cover it up and add sins like deception and lying on top of the sin you have already committed.

Quotation: As the compiler of Proverbs will note later on, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Pr 28:13)

II. God Calls Wanderers Back Through Physical Suffering (Pr 5:11)

A. They seek gratification from the wrong source (Pr 5:11)

Explanation: It is entirely possible and all too common in our world that people seek to gratify their physical desires through means contrary to God’s creative purposes.

Illustration: This is like a person living on the shore of the ocean. That person gets thirsty from working in the hot sun, and to satisfy his thirst, he takes an enormous gulp of ocean water. A little while later, he feels even thirstier than before, so he goes back to the ocean and takes another large drink. If this person continues to try and satisfy his body’s need for water (which is a God-given need) in this manner, he will eventually die of dehydration. God has created us in such a way that our kidneys filter impurities of out water. Seawater contains much more salt than your body is created to absorb, so your kidneys need to use water to wash that excess salt out of your body. They do this in the form of urine, which they produce by dissolving impurities in excess water, which is then sent to the bladder to be eliminated. But the kidneys can only produce urine that is less salty than our blood, and saltwater contains more than three times the amount of salt that is normally present in human blood. This means that for every cup of saltwater you drink, you'd need to drink at least the same volume of fresh water in order for your kidneys to flush out all that salt. You might say ‘why not just drink more saltwater?' But then you're just left with more salt that you'd then have to flush with even more water. So, saltwater can never quench your thirst — it can only make you thirstier. Eventually, your kidneys would run out of water to remove the salt from your body, causing you to die from the effects of dehydration.

Application: This illustrates the all important truth that we need to seek gratification of our God-given needs and desires from God-sanctioned sources, not the sources that appear best or most desirable to us. Our minds are warped by sin. Our perspective is earthly and temporal. We need to take the counsel of our loving, all-wise, Heavenly Father to learn the appropriate ways of satisfying our needs and desires.

B. They find groaning rather than gratification (Pr 5:11)

Explanation: When we sow the wrong things in our physical bodies, the general consequence is that we reap a corresponding harvest of physical results.

Argumentation: Considering the specific emphasis of our passage in Proverbs 5, this is illustrated by the fact that there are a class of diseases called STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) that are most often found among those who have violated God’s design for sex.

Application: Whether or not you contract a sexually transmitted disease when you choose to deviate from God’s design for sex, you can be sure that there will be consequences. Whatever brief satisfaction or gratification you attain will certainly fade away and be replaced with groaning.

Exhortation: When you, like the prodigal son in Luke 15, come to your senses and realize just how far you have strayed from God’s path, waste no time in humbling yourself and saying, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,” (Lk 15:18).

III. God Calls Wanderers Back Through Emotional Suffering (Pr 5:14)

A. They seek fulfillment from the wrong source (Pr 5:14)

Explanation: It is common in many areas of our life to see fulfillment or emotional satisfaction from things that can never fully satisfy.

Illustration: An excellent illustration of this is King Ahab. Consider the season of his life recorded for us in 1 Kings 21. “And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.” (1 Ki 21:1–4). Notice how desperately Ahab wants this vineyard. He is pouting as a young child who cannot get his parents’ permission to engage in his favorite activity. Ahab is convinced that possessing this one piece of nearby land will yield satisfaction and fulfillment.

Application: Ahab looked to a vineyard to provide fulfillment and rejoicing. He should have realized that physical possessions are not the key to fulfillment. Notice our Lord’s recounting of the life of a certain Rich Young Ruler: “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” (Mt 19:16–22). This young man, who was so rich, was still unsatisfied and looking for something else. And yet, ironically, it was the idea of parting with his ultimately unsatisfactory riches that kept him from pursuing a relationship with God and the accompanying eternal life that are the only truly fulfilling possessions we can have.

B. They find failure rather than fulfillment (Pr 5:14)

Illustration: Going back to our example of Ahab, Ahab’s evil, scheming wife, Jezebel arranges for Naboth to be killed, and Ahab thinks that his ultimate desire is fulfilled, but is it really? Notice what happens soon after. “And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.” (1 Ki 21:16–27).

Application: In our study, it is human relationships that are in danger of becoming the object of our desire for fulfillment––in particular, human sexual relationships. However, the Sage makes it very clear that rather than fulfillment and satisfaction, illicit sexual relationships bring public humiliation and emptiness.

Exhortation: Pursuing relationship with God and following his ways are the only path to true fulfillment, both in this life and the next. If you find yourself having strayed from the true path, do not delay. You have a father, and if you will confess your sins, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9).

Conclusion:

“Maybe you’re stalling. But what are you waiting for? You have a Father. You have a home. The world may pick up its skirts and pass you by. The world may say you belong in the gutter. But God your Father, because of the cross, is ready to embrace you—yes, you in your rags, in your mess, as you are right now. Will you come home to him today? He will receive you and rejoice over you and renew you.” (Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr. – Proverbs–Wisdom that Works)

Just as Peter, who denied our precious Lord three times, could be restored to effective relationship to God through confession and repentance, so can you! Remember, “There is a way back to healing, and that way is humility.” (Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr. – Proverbs–Wisdom that Works) Have you succumbed to the deceptive ways of sexual temptation? Humble yourself and repent today!