An Unfair Trade

Read Proverbs 6

A prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.

Proverbs 6:26

Exchanging an old, rusty car for a new, shiny one is hardly a risk—it’s a fantastic swap. But almost nobody would trade a classic Porsche for a teenager’s clunker. It is easy to risk something that you do not value. As Solomon warns his son in Proverbs 6:26, it is not worth risking a valuable possession to indulge a sin. The possession at risk in this proverb is sexual purity.

The truth is, exchanging purity for sin is not a fair trade. There are far more consequences than we can predict. The consequences may or may not be immediate. A sin such as adultery may not automatically lead to the loss of house and family—sometimes, terrible sins remain a secret. But they create a wall between ourselves and God. Eventually, we will be poorer than if we were in poverty. Without repentance and forgiveness, such sins may, as this proverb clearly warns, cost us our very lives.

A WORD FOR TODAY

Adultery is also self-treachery.

Today, Lord, give me the strength to make the right choices.