Godly Standards

(Prov 23:27,28 NLT) A prostitute is a dangerous trap; a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well. She hides and waits like a robber, eager to make more men unfaithful.

Prostitution is known as the world's oldest profession. Here Solomon warns us against opening the door to illicit sex. He explains how the prostitute and the promiscuous woman-which other translation call a "loose woman" or "adulterous woman"-unashamedly allure men and how the men who succumb to the allure wind up in a dangerous trap. Countless leaders, both within and without the church, have fallen to sexual sin.

Back in chapter six Solomon said the following of the divine counsel that we receive from our parents: "For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life. It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman. Don't lust for her beauty. Don't let her coy glances seduce you. For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man's wife will cost you your life" (6:23-26). That's a clear warning to stay away from prostitutes and adulterous/loose women.

The problem is that live in a society today where 'anything goes.' As a people we have made several poor decisions that have led to the deterioration of the moral fabric of our nation. We allowed someone to convince us that taking the Bible and the posting of the 10 Commandments out of schools was a good idea. That somehow, for our kids to read, "Thou shalt not kill," or "Thou shalt no steal," was wrong. Someone else said our little girls could have abortions, without even telling their parents, and we let it slide. Someone else said that since our boys 'will-be-boys,' that we should allow the school system to give them as many condoms as they want, even without parental consent or involvement, and we said, "Okay." We let some supposed expert tell us that we should not spank our kids and we said, "That's right. Spanking is old fashioned." We also said that what you do in private is your business; that your private life should be separate from your public life, and that it simply does not matter, even if you are holding public office. And then, in some states, we allowed two men or two women to come together, legally calling it a marriage, an we said, "What they do is their business." Lastly, our television and radio airwaves are now convoluted with filth; what would never have been allowed 30 years ago is now commonplace today.

I love our nation and pray for her all the time. We should pray for our President, his staff, the Congress, the Supreme Court; state, local, and city officials at every level; for the protection of our borders, the safety of our children, the status of our education system; our economy, and etc. God has and I pray He will continue to bless America, but we are fooling ourselves if we think that we can continue to call wrong right without any consequences.

So what does this mean? It means that we need to get back to Godly standards. The message this morning is clear: sexual sin is wrong. Sex is reserved for marriage and a Godly marriage is a one between one man and one wife. Any sex outside of marriage is wrong - period. Don't allow yourself to accept the low standards of society. God's standards have never changed. Don't make concessions for sin and stop calling wrong "right."

Father, I thank You for the reminder this morning. Jesus died so that I could be cleansed from the filthiness of sin. Jesus' blood cleansed me and left me white-as-snow. I refuse to disgrace what Jesus did on the cross for me, by continuing in sin. I take a stand for what is right today. I am holy, because You are holy. I am righteousness, because You have declared me righteous. And I shall live in purity all the days of my life. I abstain from even the appearance of evil. I shine as light in the midst of darkness. I become divine love in the midst of selfishness. I stand for what is right and refrain from participating in what is wrong. I reserve the intimacy of sex for the purity of the bond between my spouse and me; and I declare this by faith. In Jesus' name. Amen!

This is Today's Word! Apply it and Prosper!