How does Proverbs 7:18 connect with 1 Corinthians 6:18 on fleeing immorality? The seductive invitation in Proverbs 7:18 “Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; let us delight in loving caresses.” • The context: A crafty adulteress lures a naïve young man. • The language: “Drink our fill… delight…” paints reckless, unrestrained passion. • The danger: What is offered feels pleasurable, harmless, even celebratory—but it is sin masquerading as love (vv. 22-23 show it leads to death). Paul’s command in 1 Corinthians 6:18 “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” is a present-tense imperative—keep running, again and again. • Sexual sin uniquely desecrates the body, which for believers is “a temple of the Holy Spirit” (v. 19). • The command is not negotiate, explain, or tame desire—just get away. The common thread: Run! • Proverbs 7 shows the voice of temptation; 1 Corinthians 6 gives the proper response. • What the adulteress says, “Come,” the apostle answers, “Go!” • Both passages assume desire is powerful; neither denies its reality, but both warn that indulging it outside God’s design destroys. Why fleeing matters 1. Protection of worship – We are bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:20); immorality insults the One who purchased us. 2. Preservation of life – Proverbs 7:23 likens the trapped man to an ox going to slaughter; 6:32 says, “He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.” 3. Purity of witness – Ephesians 5:3: “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.” A fleeing believer points others to Christ’s holiness. Practical ways to flee today • Physically leave compromising places or digital spaces—Joseph bolted from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:12). • Pre-decide boundaries: no private texting, late-night chats, or secret meetings that mirror Proverbs 7’s setting. • Replace lustful thoughts with Scripture (Psalm 119:9,11). • Pursue accountability—trusted believers who ask blunt, loving questions (Hebrews 3:13). • Cultivate a higher delight in Christ (Psalm 16:11); sin loses allure when true joy is known. Supporting Scriptures • Proverbs 5:8—“Keep your path far from her; do not go near the door of her house.” • 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5—“This is God’s will: your sanctification; that you abstain from sexual immorality.” • 2 Timothy 2:22—“Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.” Summary truth to remember The siren song of Proverbs 7:18 invites indulgence; 1 Corinthians 6:18 issues a decisive counter-command: flee. Scripture’s harmony is clear—when immorality calls, the only safe response is immediate, determined flight, treasuring the God who bought and indwells us. |
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