The lips of the adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. (Proverbs 5:3-4)

Conviction:  Every man needs to read the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of Proverbs once a month.

Reason:  Lust is too huge of a temptation to go unchecked.  Regular reminders are necessary.

We've all heard the stories.  We've all seen the news broadcasts:  public figures are humiliated by some stupid sexual mistake.  It's particularly embarrassing when it's one of "those religious people" -- because their transgressions are amplified by their hypocrisy.  But the fact is that all men face the same scrutiny when they fail to keep their penis in their pants at inappropriate moments.  Government officials, television personalities, business leaders... the news is filled with countless stories of sexual indiscretions.  It's become a cliche -- but then again, cliches only seem to stick around if they ring true.  And the story of a good man led astray into adultery rings very true, if not also tragic.  On top of the public indictments, we all personally know people who have let their lust ruin their family, their career, their ministry... It's a painful lesson that we're destined to learn again and again and again:  the repurcussions of sexual immorality are pervasive and painful.

But somehow we all still seem to teeter on the precipice of this disaster at some point or another.

Because here's the trick:  Illicit sex looks very appealing from the outside.  Very appealing.  Like sweet, sticky honey.  Like smooth sensual aromatic oils.  Illicit sex offers to make us feel good, to erase doubts and insecurities, to give us affirmation and attention, to provide an escape from the harsh realities of day-to-day living.  The promise of por nography, lust, relationships with other women, escapist fantasies -- all these variations on the theme of sexual immorality -- have such allure because they offer us an alternate reality.  Like any other kind of idol, these things offer us answers for all of our problems.

But in the end, these idols prove to be bitter as gall.  Sharp as a double-edged sword.  Death, death, death.

This is where we need to keep hold of the black-and-white wisdom of Proverbs 5 (and 6 and 7).  These words of instruction are like smelling salts -- helping us to keep a clear head in the midst of life's dizzying temptations.  It seems to simple, as if it should speak for itself.  But we have to keep reminding ourselves.  Solomon's advice to avoid the adulteress has held true for over 3,000 years -- and it's still one of the most necessary reminders for us today.