Connect Proverbs 6:26 with 1 Corinthians 6:18 on fleeing sexual immorality. Setting the Scene • Proverbs speaks with the voice of a caring father; Paul writes as a spiritual father to the church. • Both zero in on the same danger: sexual sin promises pleasure but delivers ruin. • One text is wisdom poetry (Proverbs 6:26), the other apostolic command (1 Corinthians 6:18). Both stand together to urge one action—run. Proverbs 6:26—The High Cost of Casual Lust “For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a loaf of bread, and an adulteress preys upon your precious life.” • “Reduced to a loaf of bread” – sexual sin strips a man down to bare survival; resources, reputation, and respect are devoured. • “Preys upon your precious life” – the seductress is pictured as a hunter; the victim’s very life is the trophy. • The warning is blunt: immorality de-values the image-bearer of God, turning someone rich in dignity into something disposable. 1 Corinthians 6:18—The Only Command Is to Flee “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.” • “Flee” – not negotiate, not linger, but sprint. Sexual temptation is not to be debated; it is to be escaped. • “Sins against his own body” – immorality vandalizes the temple of the Holy Spirit (v. 19); it is self-harm disguised as pleasure. Threading the Two Passages Together 1. Same Danger, Different Angles – Proverbs highlights the external fallout: financial loss, relational ruin, life endangered. – Paul highlights the internal fallout: spiritual corrosion, bodily defilement. 2. Complementary Urgency – Proverbs: see the cost ahead of time. – Paul: act decisively in the moment. 3. Root Principle – God designed sexual intimacy for covenant marriage (Genesis 2:24; Hebrews 13:4). Stepping outside that design invites both kinds of loss—outer and inner. Living It Out—Practical Flight Plan • Guard the eyes (Job 31:1; Matthew 5:28). • Cultivate swift exits—like Joseph leaving his cloak (Genesis 39:12). • Saturate the mind with Scripture (Psalm 119:9,11). • Pursue community accountability (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; James 5:16). • Redirect desires toward holy affection (Colossians 3:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). Why Fleeing Is Worth It • Protection of body and soul. • Preservation of marriage vows or future marriage. • Clear conscience and vibrant fellowship with God (Psalm 32:1-2). • A life that points others to Christ’s purity (Philippians 2:15). |
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