Take a look in the mirror
And reflect on yourself.
For every deficiency you find
Remember Jesus and his atoning work.
Do what it takes for self improvement,
Not out of your own strength,
But through Him who gives power
For every good work.
You deceive yourself and miss the blessing
When you only hear, but don’t do.
Persevere in the law of liberty
To gain the reward of what you’ve worked for.
A poem based on 2 John 1:8 and James 1:22-25
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'””
John 7:38 ESV
Spirit baptize me with your presence
I need the living waters that only
Your love and power provides.
Spirit submerge my heart
In your living waters to make me pure
So I can see God and reflect Him.
I want to be a conduit of living water
To show others what a marvelous gift
Is freely available to those who believe
Soften any hardness and make me usable
Refine and renew me so I am wholly yours
Make me into a living sacrifice
For the one who sacrificed himself for me.
I can shape the vision of what sort of husband my daughters will desire more than any television show. I can show them day in and day out how a man should treat a woman. I can protect and guide better than any other force in their lives.
I can teach my son more about strength and fear than the nightly news. He can learn more than kneejerk consumerism and dead-end nihilism. He can learn honor, friendship, and compassion from me.
And here’s the thing: we fathers can be this powerful force in the face of our own brokenness despite the depravity of our souls. For though our world drowns out the voices of our children, though our sin is clearly reflected in the Law, we live in the love of our Father. It is a love that forgives and makes whole. It is a love that doesn’t just say, “It’s all right,” but actually does something about it. A love that was born, suffered, died, and rose so that you might die and rise to new life. And so you are new! You are fathers bearing the love of the Father, and the world cannot stop such love. “Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Taken from Being Dad: Father As A Picture of God’s Grace by Scott Keith
As we have taken the circle as the symbol of reason and madness, we may very well take the cross as the symbol at once of mystery and of health. Buddhism is centripetal, but Christianity is centrifugal: it breaks out. For the circle is perfect and infinite in its nature; but it is fixed for ever in its size; it can never be larger or smaller. But the cross, though it has at its heart a collision and a contradiction, can extend its four arms for ever without altering its shape. Because it has a paradox in its centre it can grow without changing. The circle returns upon itself and is bound. The cross opens its arms to the four winds; it is a signpost for free travellers. •
-G.K. Chesterton in Orthodoxy
If we are truly wise and fear God in all of our ways then we will stay away from women that God has not allowed us to call our own.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. (Proverbs 7:4-5 ESV)
The woman who wants me to forsake my vows will use smooth words to make me forget God’s Word, but if I fear God I will remember His calling on my life to live worthy of His calling. He has called me friend and accounted Christ righteousness onto me, so therefore I should live rightly and seek to be pure in all my ways.
If I read further in Proverbs 7 it describes the ways of someone who does not fear God and how that leads to the trap of impurity:
For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. (Proverbs 7:6-9 ESV)
In the passage above you will notice that the person that Solomon is referring to is someone simple and not wise, young and not mature, but most importantly they have a sense that is in tune with their flesh instead of with God. This leads them to walk in the darkness of the night instead of in the light of the gospel.
And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. (Proverbs 7:10-15 ESV)
Not walking in the light leads him into a trap. He meets a prostitute, but she doesn’t seem like a prostitute. She appears religious because she has made her sacrifices and paid her vows. She is a wolf’s in sheep clothing. More importantly is a lion on the prowl seeking who she can devour because she is at every corner laying in wait for those not on guard. This is the co-worker showing cleavage, the old acquaintance on facebook and who ever else Satan will use to find you. She has a heart not focused on God, she does not care for that you are a son of the King. She is loud and wants to distract you from the way that you have been called because the path is narrow.
With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. (Proverbs 7:21-23 ESV)
for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death. (Proverbs 7:26-27 ESV)
She will make a compelling argument. She may even be more seductive and offer to give you a delight that you do not normally receive and take a fill of love that you so eagerly long for (7:18), but know that this is a trap that will cost you your life. What you reap you will sow. A moment of indiscretion leads to destruction. You are not her first victim and she is an expert at destroying the lives of men. You cannot fight her on your own and should not over estimate your strength. If she can slay a mighty throng she can surely slay you. Involve yourself in a community of transparency, confess where your heart is prone to wander and turn from any thing that will lead you down the path of the adulterous woman so you can see the Gospel having more beauty and joy than anything she can offer. Cling to the hope that you are powerless to resist on your own, but God’s spirit can you empower you with the help of others to live for Him.
For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
to preserve you from the evil woman,
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,
but a married woman hunts down a precious life.
Can a man carry fire next to his chest
and his clothes not be burned?
Or can one walk on hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
none who touches her will go unpunished.
People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.(Proverbs 6:23-33 ESV)
Matthew Henry goes on to make the following comments
The greatest kindness we can do ourselves is to keep at a distance from this sin, and to look upon it with the utmost dread
Those therefore who, for the gratifying of a base lust, would lay themselves open to the law, could be reckoned no better than self-murderers
The way of this sin is down-hill, and those that venture upon the temptations to it hardly escape the sin itself
He that commits adultery is in the high road to destruction. The bold presumptuous sinner says, “I may venture upon the sin and yet escape the punishment; I shall have peace though I go on.” He might as well say, I will take fire into my bosom and not burn my clothes, or I will go upon hot coals and not burn my feet. He that goes into his neighbour’s wife, however he holds himself, God will not hold him guiltless. The fire of lust kindles the fire of hell.
the adulterer destroys his own soul
When it comes to battling lust and pornography it is important to keep in mind three things: the good, the bad and what it means to be godly. Here are some reflections taken from Proverbs 5 on this topic.
The Good:
As men we have a sex organ that is literally a fountain. That fountain can either be frustrated (Proverbs 5:16-17) or it can be blessed. The way it is blessed is by rejoicing in the wife of your youth (Proverbs 5:18). I have been particularly struck by v. 19 in this Proverb, “be intoxicated always in her love.” A beer does not make me intoxicated, but being intentional to drink the beer makes me intoxicated. It isn’t just one drink either, but it’s going back to it continually. It is the same way with my wife, I have to be intentional about setting her above all else and looking to her as what I find intoxicating and delightful at all times.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; – Proverbs 5:19
The Bad:
It may be easy to place blame on the wife and say she has a lower sex drive and isn’t interested having her breasts fill you. That is blame shifting and we can still control what we desire. The dire consequences of looking elsewhere to fulfill our fountains are extreme as well. The one who looks to either breasts for delight will find himself saying, “I am at the brink of utter ruin (Proverbs 5:14).” The woman who wants to tempt you with her breasts online (or in real life) or in a friendship that doesn’t honor God or your marriage is one whose “feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; (Proverbs 5:5)” and she wants to take you with her.
The Godly:
If you are not married it can be easy to find this passage depressing because you don’t have a wife to delight in and our society and culture makes lust and pornography look not that wrong. One of the things that I enjoy about this passage is that the reason for avoiding lust and pornography isn’t ultimate to protect marriage. The motivating factor for purity isn’t your current spouse or future spouse, but it is God:
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. (Proverbs 5:21 ESV)
When you are tempted to flirt with that co-worker God’s eyes are on you and he knows the path your mind is going down. When you are about to click on that link to the inappropriate website God’s eyes are on you and he knows the path your mind is going down.
When you look at the woman dressed inappropriate and start to undress her with your mind God’s eyes are on you and he knows the path your mind is going down.
This verse is why youth pastor’s would always say, imagine God is with you in the room/car/movie theater when you are on a date. If you aren’t married and on a date God’s eyes are on you and he knows the intentions of your heart in regards to if you want to guard her purity or use her for sexual fulfillment even if you don’t have sex.
Proverbs 4:22 says that I must de diligent to keep a pure heart for from it flows the wellspring of life. The game plan for this starts with my speech. Am I being honest about my struggles? Am I speaking to other women in a way that glorifies God and my wife? Another important component is my eyes. Are they gazing directly ahead at my wife and seeing her for the blessing she is or am I looking elsewhere in a discontented manner. Lastly I must consider where I am going. Do I go to God for fulfillment or am I looking to the world to satisfy me? There is a narrow path I am called to and it is a path off righteousness that is paved by intentionality. If I am intentional about keeping my marriage vows I will pursue to be right in all of ways, thoughts and actions.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
(Proverbs 4:23-27 ESV)
Nothing can compare to knowing God, not even pornography, masturbation or impure relationships. Fearing God will lead to blessing, but sexual sin always frustrates. The way of purity leads to pleasantness and peace, but impurity only leads to stress and death.
Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.
(Proverbs 3:13-18 ESV)
Not every man has to be enslaved to sexual sin. Proverbs 2:16 warns what happens if deliverance does not come which means that there must be a way to be delivered. Here are some of my notes on the first part of Proverbs 2 about where deliverance is found:
1)”knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” deliverance comes from allowing yourself to be known, not having any areas hidden from others. Others should have full knowledge of your temptations and what the battle looks like including victory and defeat. (v. 10)
2)”he is a shield to those who walk in integrity” this is a life and death battle and we must cling tightly to the shield of faith. We can’t be too overconfident in our abilities without it. My God will guard me from every attack if I choose to not walk directly in the line of fire, but instead to walk in integrity by choosing the good path of righteousness and justice (v. 7-9)
3)”discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.” it is imperative to use common sense. Choose boundaries with relationships of the opposite sex. If you know there is a mine field do you walk in it. Understand what your temptations are and ensure you have hedges of protection. Remember, this is not a harmless matter, but life or death, so go into no situation blind to the dangers it may present. Always have a plan, for example, I am very tempted in the early morning so I need to have a concrete plan of things I want to accomplish when I wake up early because idle hands are typically seek out the forbidden woman for me (v. 11)
If you read this far I’d love to hear you find deliverance from sexual sin.
Bought by the Blood 