Connect Proverbs 5:20 with 1 Corinthians 6:18 on sexual purity. Seeing the Same Warning in Two Texts “Why, my son, be captivated by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?” “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” A Father’s Plea and an Apostle’s Command • Proverbs 5:20 speaks in the language of a loving father appealing to a son’s common sense: “Why be captivated?” • 1 Corinthians 6:18 echoes that urgency, but shifts to an explicit command: “Flee.” Both texts treat sexual sin as uniquely destructive and call for decisive separation from it. Shared Themes • Captivation vs. Flight – Proverbs warns against being “captivated” (drawn in, mesmerized). – Paul insists on the opposite: run away. • The Strangeness of Illicit Passion – Proverbs labels the seductress “a stranger,” marking her as outside God-ordained covenant. – Paul labels any sexual sin “porneia,” equally outside covenant boundaries. • Sin Against One’s Own Body – Proverbs hints at physical and spiritual ruin (vv. 22–23). – Paul states it plainly: sexual sin is self-harm (6:18–20). Why This Sin Is Different • Covenant Violation – Marriage mirrors God’s covenant with His people (Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:31–32). – Immorality vandalizes that picture. • Temple Reality – Believers’ bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). – Uniting that temple with immorality profanes holy ground. Living the Connection Today Guardrails: • Cherish your own marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4; Proverbs 5:18–19). • Starve lust at its first spark (Matthew 5:27–30). • Feed devotion through Scripture, prayer, fellowship (Psalm 119:9; Acts 2:42). • Practice accountability—invite trusted believers to speak into your life (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10; Galatians 6:1). Promises: • God’s call is matched by His enabling grace (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5, 7–8). • Purity yields joy, health, and freedom from regret (Proverbs 4:18; John 15:11). • Faithfulness glorifies Christ in your body and spirit, which are His (1 Corinthians 6:20). Closing Takeaway Proverbs 5:20 asks, “Why get pulled in?” 1 Corinthians 6:18 answers, “Don’t—run the other way.” Both unite to declare that sexual purity protects covenant faithfulness, honors the indwelling Spirit, and brings life. |
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