In contending with certain sins there remains no mode of victory but by flight. The ancient naturalists wrote much of dragons, whose eyes fascinated their victims and rendered them easy victims; so the mere gaze of wickedness puts us in solemn danger. He who would be safe from acts of evil must haste away from occasions of it. A covenant must be made with our eyes not even to look upon the cause of temptation, for such sins only need a spark to begin with and a blaze follows in an instant.
Who would wantonly enter the leper's prison and sleep amid its horrible corruption? He only who desires to be leprous himself would thus court contagion. If the mariner knew how to avoid a storm, he would do anything rather than run the risk of weathering it.
Cautious pilots have no desire to try how near the quicksand they can sail, or how often they may touch a rock without springing a leak; their aim is to keep as nearly as possible in the midst of a safe channel. This day I may be exposed to great peril, let me have the serpent's wisdom to keep out of it and avoid it.
The wings of a dove may be of more use to me to-day than the jaws of a lion. It is true I may be an apparent loser by declining evil company, but I had better leave my cloak than lose my character; it is not needful that I should be rich, but it is imperative upon me to be pure. No ties of friendship, no chains of beauty, no flashings of talent, no shafts of ridicule must turn me from the wise resolve to flee from sin.
The devil I am to resist and he will flee from me, but the lusts of the flesh, I must flee, or they will surely overcome me. O God of holiness preserve thy Josephs, that Madam Bubble bewitch them not with her vile suggestions. May the horrible trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil, never overcome us!
He left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
Genesis 39:12
Taken from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening
Logging you in...
helen · 539 weeks ago
Blessings
Helen UK
Lori Alexander 122p · 539 weeks ago
Maria · 539 weeks ago
Lori Alexander 122p · 539 weeks ago
Desiree · 539 weeks ago
Lori Alexander 122p · 539 weeks ago
donalgraeme 22p · 539 weeks ago
Sadly, that teenager Maria talked with is correct about what women will wear to churches these days. Some folks have described them as "Sunday Morning Nightclubs", and with the attire some women wear, it totally fits.
Lori Alexander 122p · 539 weeks ago
donalgraeme 22p · 538 weeks ago
And yes, the internet provides a quick and easy means of accessing sexually immoral material. Many Christian men I think try to flee sexual immorality, at least at first. Unfortunately, many succumb to temptation- often times because they receive no support in their efforts to avoid it.
Sheree · 539 weeks ago
Lori Alexander 122p · 538 weeks ago
Cynthia · 538 weeks ago
I'm wondering how this relates to an earlier discussion here about whether pornography was considered to be a form of adultery. Should we see it as a grievous sin, or no big deal?
A bigger question that I've been struggling with over the years is the view of balance vs. seeing being more strict in this area as automatically better.
To put this into context: I do not live in California. In my area, if you do not wear sleeves (ideally to the elbows at least), if you do not cover the collarbone, and if you don't cover the knees, you will not be seen as fully modest. This applies even to going grocery shopping in the summer. The stringent approach is often justified on the basis of needing to take a strong stand, esp. when standards in society may be going down. On the other hand, I worry about creating "hot-house flowers". Does being overly stringent create people who are distracted and more likely to stumble if they step outside of their protected environment? Is our responsibility as parents to raise children who will be so protected that they will never have the opportunity to sin, or to raise children who are equipped to fight temptation and the urge to sin regardless of their circumstances?
donalgraeme 22p · 538 weeks ago
Yes, if they aren't given the moral training to recognize and resist temptation. Proper training is key. Discipline is essential to this. Isolating yourself and your children from the world's "filth" is important, in large part because it helps you focus on that training without distraction. If you've raised your children right, they will be ready to face anything.