The Young Man's Crossroads from Proverbs 5Bible World
5:22Proverbs 5:22
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
The wicked is caught by his own doing and held fast, trapped in the consequences of his own choices, with his iniquities becoming the cords that bind him. Sin has terrible power over the wrongdoer, and evil habits can become a bondage, so to allow a child or youth to become fastened in such habits is a grave wrong. Entanglement begins with careless steps and failure to guard against temptation until escape seems impossible, so each person should firmly resolve in God's strength to remain truthful and honest and not commit even a small wrong.
Persistently cherished sin and repeated indulgence strengthen aversion to God, harden the heart, and make a person less willing and less able to respond to the Holy Spirit, so the sinner reaps what he has sown. Sinful desires and the pleasures of sin become cords that hold a person in Satan's snares, and a wrong habit left unconquered can become a ruling power and lead to loss. The pleasures of sin and the pains of duty become cords that hold people in Satan's snares, and a sinful desire can ultimately neutralize the power of the gospel, so faithfulness requires refusing to do wrong even at the cost of life.
The prodigal illustrates this bondage: pursuing selfish pleasure and self-indulgence, wasting his inheritance, and separating from God to serve self, he passes from apparent freedom into slavery, degradation, and misery when the pleasures that enticed him vanish and leave him bearing their burden. Secret sin or a ruling passion can bring a person under a power stronger than his own, leaving him helpless as the demoniac was held by sin. Yet this captivity is not hopeless, for people may choose whom they serve and Christ can deliver even those who have fallen very low.
The wicked is caught by his own doing and held fast, trapped in the consequences of his own choices, with his iniquities becoming the cords that bind him. Sin has terrible power over the wrongdoer, and evil habits can become a bondage, so to allow a child or youth to become fastened in such habits is a grave wrong. Entanglement begins with careless steps and failure to guard against temptation until escape seems impossible, so each person should firmly resolve in God's strength to remain truthful and honest and not commit even a small wrong.
Persistently cherished sin and repeated indulgence strengthen aversion to God, harden the heart, and make a person less willing and less able to respond to the Holy Spirit, so the sinner reaps what he has sown. Sinful desires and the pleasures of sin become cords that hold a person in Satan's snares, and a wrong habit left unconquered can become a ruling power and lead to loss. The pleasures of sin and the pains of duty become cords that hold people in Satan's snares, and a sinful desire can ultimately neutralize the power of the gospel, so faithfulness requires refusing to do wrong even at the cost of life.
The prodigal illustrates this bondage: pursuing selfish pleasure and self-indulgence, wasting his inheritance, and separating from God to serve self, he passes from apparent freedom into slavery, degradation, and misery when the pleasures that enticed him vanish and leave him bearing their burden. Secret sin or a ruling passion can bring a person under a power stronger than his own, leaving him helpless as the demoniac was held by sin. Yet this captivity is not hopeless, for people may choose whom they serve and Christ can deliver even those who have fallen very low.