Pro 6:33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

Once again, Solomon warns his son about committing sin with a strange woman. It is a sin that will not go away easily. Solomon says he will get wounds and dishonour, and his disgrace will not be wiped away (v.33). Even when he has repented, the shame will not go away. While the thief could redeem himself by restitution, the adulterer can do nothing to undo his sin in the least degree. Adultery is a heinous sin in which the whole body is involved (1 Corinthians 6:18). For this reason adultery should be rejected at all costs. Hollywood encourages and glamorizes adultery, but God’s word condemns it as a profane act which carries eternal damnation (Proverbs 2:18; 5:5; 9:18). The most notable news in the newspapers in recent days is about the string of cases involving voyeurs in universities. Young men who are intelligent and so full of promises for the future have succumbed to the lust of the eyes and flesh. Fools they are; they destroy their lives and future and all for one moment of gratification to the flesh. They may repent but their shame will not go away. They will forever remember the shame and the day they were caught. Their friends will remember this sin forever. There is no way one can forget this sin. Solomon is right: their reproach shall not be wiped away. The handphone is a gadget for good and evil. The handphone itself is neutral; it is not capable of committing sin. It was designed for good. The fault lies in its users. How can we use this gadget wisely that prevents us from running into sin? 1. Have a consciousness of sin and fear God When faced with the seductress, Joseph said: “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Joseph knew all sins are against God. Joseph had a reverential fear of God. He knew casual sex is sin and one which God hates. 2. Make a covenant with our eyes and flesh not to commit sexual sin Job made a covenant with his eyes that he would not look lustfully at another woman (Job 31:1). Solomon says likewise in today’s reading chapter: “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids” (v.25). Paul warns: “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22). He means every form of evil. It includes pictures and novels. Watch what we read and see! 3. Do not stay at the corridor of sin Don’t be too confident that you will not fall into temptation. Solomon advises us to run away as far as our legs can carry us: “Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:15). Learn from Joseph; he ran away from the temptress. Don’t be like Samson; he went where harlots displayed their wares. We know what happened to him in the end (Judges 16:1, 21). 4. Cut it off Jesus says: “If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off” (Matthew 5:30). You can live without your handphone. There are millions in this world whose lives still go on without the internet. If you are spending too much time on the FaceBook, unsubscribe it. You don’t need a FB if it is hurting your life. If your handphone has become a gadget for sin, cast it away. 5. Mediate on the word of God David says: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). It is not good enough just to hear and read the word of God or has it only in our hands. The word of God must be in our hearts: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16). To have God’s word laid up in the heart is the only security against being surprised into sin. Let us fear God and keep His commandments; it is the only way we can overcome sin.