Ensnared

"Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray" (Proverbs 5:20-23).

The father's warning to his son is intended to be a life saving event. No one denies that sexual activity is desirous. No one can argue that sex feels good. The father uses the word "intoxicated" on purpose. Sex is awesome.

It is, however, a deadly situation when sex is taken out of the context of God's design. One way to describe the damage is to talk about its addictive power. "The iniquities of the wicked ensnares him" is all about getting trapped in a destructive behavior. Being held fast in the cords of anything is frustrating for anyone who enjoys freedom.

The father warns that death follows the one who lacks discipline. All areas of our life need discipline. Boundaries are not terrible things. When experienced the way God designed it to be experienced, our sexual lives are not about being ensnared but rather freed.