For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths.

                                                                                                           Proverbs 5:21 

Today: Read Proverbs 5

In today’s passage, Solomon reminds us that God sees and knows everything that goes on in our lives, even our hidden thoughts. The subject of adultery is specifically identified in this chapter. Adultery, as well as all other immorality, is not something to be taken lightly but dealt with immediately. I have three single word instructions for those involved in adultery. I will spend most of our time on the last, since I believe it is the most overlooked of the three.

For Those Contemplating Adultery: DON’T

Proverbs 5 is a magnificent warning for all of us but especially for those in their youth. It is a no-nonsense, straightforward look as to why we should avoid sexual immorality, especially adultery. If you are contemplating getting involved in an adulterous situation, I have one word for you…DON’T! Take some time and use Proverbs 5 to assist you in your decision-making.

For Those Who Are Currently Committing Adultery: STOP

For some, you may be currently involved in this behavior. Although trust may already be broken, abandoning this road will do nothing but improve your chances of returning to the kind of life that God desires for you and that Christ died for you to enjoy. Anytime we reject the simple, clear teachings of scripture, we put ourselves (and perhaps our families) in a spiritually precarious situation. For those currently in an adulterous relationship, I have one for you…STOP! Hope is always within reach, but desertion is required and the sooner the better.

For Those Who Have Already Committed Adultery: HEAL

The worst thing that any believer can do after falling into any sin, especially adultery, is to allow the enemy to convince you that you are no longer loved, redeemed, or usable. For Christians, it is quite the contrary. God still loves you, through the cross, you are still redeemed, and God can take your moral failure and put you back into useful service for the kingdom. Unfortunately, Proverbs 5 will not be a good source of encouragement if you already have committed adultery or another act of immorality in your life since it is a warning to stay away from such behavior. That is a little like getting a lesson on the dangers of playing with matches after your house has already burned to the ground. At this point, you must rely on the forgiveness, healing, and restoration power of the cross. Be cautious with whom you associate though. Some people will shake their heads and say things like, “I told you what would happen if you played with matches.” But a true Christian friend will help you sort through the charred rubble to see if there are things that you can salvage.

I have personally lived this as well as seen similar situations in the lives of friends and family. If you have found yourself in this place, I want to encourage you that God is capable of taking our greatest mistakes and turning them into blessings. To illustrate this, let’s look at two verifiable cases of adultery found in scripture. The first will come from the Old Testament.

Interestingly enough, this case comes from the life of King David, the father of Solomon, the man writing the Proverbs. Perhaps some of Solomon’s wisdom came from seeing his father go through personal failure. Nevertheless, as we have seen previously, David was a godly man, hand picked by God to rule over Israel. David was a man of great faith, walking with God, and serving Him. But just like all of us, David was human. In a split second of decision-making, David brought himself into immorality. When all was said and done, his charges were adultery and murder. David was so blinded to his own sin that when given a hypothetical case of a man doing the very same things, David was enraged and pronounced that the man should die for what he had done (2 Samuel 12:5). His stance quickly changed when he discovered that “he was that man” (2 Samuel 12:7). But the point we need to get to is that God forgave David, as it was announced through a man named Nathan, “The Lord also has taken away your sin (caused your sin to pass away), you shall not die” (2 Samuel 12:13). David was a broken man over his sin (Psalm 51) and yes, there were consequences that came from his actions, none of the least was the loss of a child. But God was not through with David and the kingship of Israel was passed down to his son Solomon, the writer of Proverbs. One more important note in this case, Solomon was the child of the very woman with whom David had committed adultery further demonstrating that power of God to continue His working in our lives even when we are spiritually unfaithful.

Our second case comes from the New Testament during the earthly ministry of Jesus. You may be familiar with the scene. The Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus that they claim was caught in the very act of adultery. I have no scriptural reason to doubt that the accusation was correct. They appealed to the Law as a basis for stoning her to death. In what I believe was an attempt to trap Jesus in His words, they asked Him what He thought about the situation (John 8:3-5). What Jesus does next is nothing short of remarkable and gracious.

First, He sent her accusers away. When we fail morally and spiritually, it is vital that we distance ourselves from those who would like nothing more than to see us “stoned to death.” We have an accuser in the enemy and he will sometimes use the mouths of others to inflict his damage. Jesus could have pardoned this woman in front of the crowd however, He didn’t. He first dismissed the crowd of accusers before dealing with her situation. I believe that in order for healing to take place after moral failure, there are times when we must distance ourselves from the scorn of others.

Secondly, he pronounced her forgiven. Notice that Jesus’ announcement of not condemning the woman comes prior to his instruction to live differently. I believe that we often (and incorrectly) believe that in order for God to heal us and move us to a better spiritual position in life, we must first clean up “our mess.” I believe that this is the reason why so many believers get “stuck” in their present position. They simply fail to receive a full pardon from God. As a result, they find themselves, not doing better, but actually falling into even more failure, self-deprecation, and despair. If we are going to move through a time of failure, we must receive the pardon already offered to us through the power of the cross and the gospel.

Lastly, Jesus instructs her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Now we see the instruction to go and live without the sin of adultery or any other sin for that matter. In order for the woman to be successful in her new life, she would need to leave fully healed, forgiven, and redeemed, without any sin hanging over her head. I’m sure this angered her accusers (as it still does today), but the power of the gospel is for sinners such as this, not for the righteous (Luke 5:32).

The one outcry often heard from a religious legalist is that encouraging uncomplicated, undemanding, and unhindered forgiveness and restoration from immorality is the equivalent of being “light on sin.” Anytime you hear that argument being leveled against the gospel, just go back and reflect on the cross. The suffering, scorn, and shame of the cross clearly demonstrate that God did not go lightly on sin. The problem with this type of legalistic argument is not the cross rather the acceptance of the fullness of what Christ accomplished on behalf of all who believe.

One last thought. Adultery, like most sin, affects others as well. When God prompts us to go and make right (as much as we can) a wrong committed, we need to be sensitive and obedient to that prompting. God knows what each of us needs in order to move into the fullness of the calling that He has for us. Proverbs 5 is a warning against the pain and damage that sin (especially adultery) can cause. But it is also a reminder that when we fail, the power of the cross and the grace given to us through it can bring healing, forgiveness, and restoration to our lives. Receive the fullness of God’s mercy and grace and then move through your failure to the destiny that He has for you!