It Will Cost You

"And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, and you say, 'How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation'" (Proverbs 5:7-14).

Because the cost of adultery is so high, Solomon urges his sons to listen and hold fast to what he tells them. He warns them that moral failure is costly. Hence, the boys are not to even go close to the adulteress' house. The temptation could be so great, even being near her could prove deadly.

The consequences of adultery are threefold, according to Solomon. To fall prey to adultery will first cost a person their honor. Sin takes a toll on a person by zapping their spiritual strength due to the guilt that is produced. Their is no honor in sin... and we know that.

To fall prey to sexual sin will also cost a person their emotional strength. This could mean that their emotional health is compromised because they lose their self-respect. There is nothing respectable about sin because it is an offense to God and it ruins human relationship.

To fall prey to adultery will cost a person their money. To have "your labors go to the house of a foreigner" means that you literally pay for your transgression. Whether it is paying money to keep the transgression secret, paying the adulteress so she sticks around, or paying child support once a baby is born, the monetary cost of sin can be very real.

The cost of sin can also be found in being remorseful at the end of your life for not listening to sound counsel in this area. The ruin and the disgrace in the eyes of others brings intense remorse. The bottom line is simple: it will cost you greatly if you fall prey to sexual sin.

Consider your steps today. Are you walking anywhere close to the house of ruin? Are you flirting with disaster. If so, take the counsel of Scripture and stay far away from the adulteress' house. You cannot afford the actual cost associated with the experience she offers.