Proverbs 4:15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

Pro 4:15  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

Solomon says the way to avoid sin is to stay far far away from it: “Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Pro 4:15). It means don’t ever go near to it or even look at it.

Curiosity killed the cat. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat" (Gen3:6).

Was Eve lingering around the forbidden fruit tree? Perhaps she was and Satan took occasion of it and tempted her to sin.

How about king David. He was on the rooftop of his palace. He chanced on a woman bathing. It was purely accidental. He should have walked away. But he stayed on. He couldn’t get his eyes off the woman. It induced lust on him. The end result he committed adultery with her. As we know, one sin led to another and he had to kill her husband to hide his adultery (2 Sam 11:1-27).

Just ask any unmarried girl or woman who has an unwanted pregnancy and she will tell that one thing led to another and they lost control of themselves. They should have just walked away from that compromising situation. But they stayed on in the temptation of their own choice.

Or ask anyone who is in jail because of drug or any other criminal offences. They will tell you that they should not have touched those things in the first place. They should have avoided them and stayed far away from those things.

When you pray that the Lord will not lead you into temptation, have it ever occurred to you that the Lord will never lead you into it but you walk into it on your own freewill? It has never been the case that the Lord has led you into temptation. You knew it was evil but you lingered at it and you led yourself into it. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (Jas 1:13-15).

Instead of lingering at the forbidden fruit, flee: “Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” God wants us to run away from temptations instead of running into them. God says to flee from temptations: “Flee fornication” (1 Cor 6:8); “Flee from idolatry” (1 Cor 10:14); and “Flee also youthful lusts” (2 Tim 2:22).

To stay on when we know it is sinful is to allow ourselves to be tempted to sin. When one says: “Don’t worry, I know what I am doing,” he does not know what he is doing. He does not know he is playing with fire. And he who plays with fire will get burn. Ask anyone who is now an alcoholic, a smoker, a drug addict, a sex pervert, or a game addict; he would tell you he should not have started it in the first place. He should have avoided those things.

Temptations are everywhere. The issue is whether we want to toy with them or not. Oftentimes, it is the company that we associate with that will determine our path. The scripture warns: “Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Cor 15:33). Therefore, choose friends wisely. Stay far away from those who are wicked and immoral: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful” (Psa 1:1).

Corrupt fiends will corrupt our morals. We must not even get near them. We must not follow them or learn their habits. Go instead in wise and right paths: “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Pro 13:20).

As Christians, we are to be holy (1 Pet 1:15-16). Therefore, let us flee temptations and live a life that leads to godliness: “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Tit 2:12).

Jimmy Lau