Proverbs 6:28

Here is a beautiful proverb – short, powerful, wise, memorable. The question is simple; the answer is simple. No! It is impossible to walk on hot coals and not burn your feet!

Profane skeptics accuse God of ignorance, but devil-possessed aborigines or modern “fear-conquerors” that protect their feet with numerous safety measures are ignored here. If these pagans want to bark against the Bible here, let us prepare the coals! They will believe! We will introduce them to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!

The context is fornication – sexual intimacy with other than your spouse (Pr 6:20-35). It is impossible to fornicate without suffering for it. The sin of adultery is a heinous crime, and it has horrible and far-reaching consequences (Pr 6:29-35). And these terrible results cannot be avoided any more than fire will not burn your feet. Be forewarned, reader!

Such a lesson flies in the face of modern wisdom and entertainment. Psychologists today suggest adultery to revive dull marriages, and Hollywood promotes fornication as the most common, natural, and certain pleasure in life. Sitcoms, advertisements, movies, and serials all teach incessantly that fornication is wonderful and without harmful consequences. What a lie! Satan, the spirit of Hollywood, wants to take you to hell!

But the Creator has spoken, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Heb 13:4). Jehovah created sex and all its associated pleasures, but He designed its maximum enjoyment for a monogamous relationship of one man and one woman committed by marriage covenant before Him.

Samson thought he could walk on sexual coals, but Delilah stole his strength and left him blinded and chained to grind for the Philistines. David did not think he would be burned either, but his short tryst with Bathsheba cost him dearly for the rest of his life. Profane Amnon craved his sister, but the event horribly disappointed him and cost him his life.

Joseph is a hero, for when he saw and felt the fire, he ran as far and as fast as he could. He knew that even though she greatly desired him, there would be hell to pay with God and men. He chose the certainty of a false accusation rather than the lying promise of stolen pleasure. He knew he would be burned if he stayed, so he ran from the fire.

The rule is simple: if you play with fire, you will get burned. Moses said, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23). Do not lie to yourself. God will not be mocked. If you compromise His rules, especially in sexual sins, you will suffer horribly for it.

There may be short-term pleasure in sin (Heb 11:25), but the long-term consequences crush and grind that little pleasure into oblivion. You will never remember the pleasure when the horrible consequences of your folly burst into flames. Then it is too late to turn back! You are scarred! You have wrecked relationships! Your reputation is ruined! Your enemies have claims against you! Former friends hate you! Your soul is defiled! And the woman’s husband cannot be appeased no matter what you do (Pr 6:29-35)!

Dear reader, are you playing with fire? Pornography? Romance novels? Lustful thoughts? Marital discontentment? A relationship with the other sex that warms more than your spirit? Each of these sins is playing with fire. You will be burned. Repent, and run away!

How do parents keep children from getting burned? They make them stay far away from fire. And the Heavenly Father does the same. He says, “Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Pr 4:15). Solomon warned against lust in your heart and the sight of your eyes (Pr 6:25). Fear of this great danger will not allow television, music, movies, books, magazines, texting, tweeting, or any other sexual temptation that could start a fire.

Matches themselves cause little damage; it is the fire they kindle that can burn everything in its path, so parents keep matches from children. Paul, who knew the burning danger of concupiscence, or sexual lusts (Rom 7:8), told you to avoid even the possibility of a fire (Ro 13:14). You do this by staying away from even those things that might start a fire.

Ignore this simple lesson to your own peril. Fire burns; burns are horribly painful; they leave ugly and miserable scars. Get away now, before it is too late! Throw away all the sexual matches and lighter fluid in your house! Get all combustible material outside! Stay far away from any person who tempts your heart or any thing that leads you to sexual sin.

If you are single, seek a godly spouse by wise means (I Cor 7:2,9). If you are married, build the intimate part of your marriage and kill any discontentment or bitterness (I Cor 7:3-5; Col 3:19; Pr 5:19). The danger here, in your degenerate society, is great. Make sure you are using God’s primary means to avoid this temptation and its consequences.

And then pray after the example of the blessed and sinless Lord Jesus Christ, “Lead us not into temptation.” For who can resist the power of this temptation? Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can a Christian hope to walk in sexual integrity before the Lord.

Neither can Jesus Christ’s churches play with fire without getting burned. The great whore herself, the mother church of Rome, has committed fornication with the world for 1500 years. Her religion is one of spiritual debauchery and abominations. You are commanded to reject such religious affiliations and not touch the unclean things (II Cor 6:14-17; Rev 18:4). God’s true churches must reject the embrace of the world and turn far away from her worldly beauty and flattery. It is impossible to enjoy her lying pleasures without God’s jealousy and judgment soon burning you up (Heb 10:30-31; 12:28-29).