Being Burned

"Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished" (Proverbs 6:27-28).

The answer to both questions is, "No!" A man can't carry fire and not get burned nor can he walk on hot coals not be scorched. In both cases, injury is sustained. Mess with fire and you get burned. Mess with the bull and you get gored. While it is as simple as that, many people still play with fire and taunt bulls.

A fire in a fireplace is a wonderful thing. It is warm, inviting, cosy, and pleasant. A fire in a forest is disastrous. It is damaging, hurtful, dangerous, and out of control. It is very much the same way with sex. Inside the context of marriage, sex is a wonderful, warm, inviting, cosy, and pleasant experience. Outside of marriage, it is hurtful, dangerous, and damaging.

Thus the repeated warnings in Proverbs. Just as there are consequences associated with our contact with fire, there are consequences for our involvement with adultery. In both cases, people get burned.

If none of us wish to be burned by the consequences of sexual sin, then we must be committed to the marriage vows we made in front of family, friends, and God. If not, we will end up being burned. We will ended up doing a lot of damage.