You must resist the call to live according to the foolishness of this world. You should live a pure and holy life, not only to avoid the negative consequences of foolish living but also to honor God. God has called you out of this world to be His child.
The Cost of Living for the Flesh
Proverbs 5:7-14 warns against living an immoral life. It highlights the consequences of losing your honor, giving your hard-earned wealth to wickedness, and wearing out your mind and body with poor choices.
I have known people who looked much older than their actual age because of the physical stress of wild living. Some deal with chronic health issues for the rest of their lives due to mistakes made in their youth.
I once spoke to a man who lost multiple businesses and fortunes to drinking, drugs, and partying. He looked at me with tired, sad eyes and shared some heavy advice:
“Keep living like you are living, and don’t make the mistakes I made.”
Iniquity (sin and lawlessness) traps us and binds us to our foolish desires. As we read in Proverbs 5:20-23:
Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.
The iniquities of the wicked ensnare (trap) him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray. (ESV)
As Galatians 6:7-9 teaches, we will reap exactly what we sow. We cannot deceive ourselves into thinking we can escape the consequences of our actions.
Live Worthy of Jesus’ Sacrifice
In Ephesians 4:1-3, the apostle Paul urges Christians to live worthy of the high calling of Jesus. Because Jesus is holy and died to save us, our lives should reflect deep appreciation for His sacrifice.
Paul also told the Colossians in Colossians 1:9-14 that living a worthy life means abiding (remaining) in God’s power, doing good works, and growing in the knowledge of God. Our lives should reflect the light of God, not the darkness of the world.
A Description of the Worthy Life
Proverbs 4:20-27 provides a great summary of how a young person can live a worthy life:
My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance (alert watchfulness), for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. (Proverbs 4:20-27 ESV)
Other Articles in this Series
- Why Older People Give Youth Advice (And Why You Should Listen)
- Trust God Completely and You Can Face Anything
- Don’t Swim in the Sewage (being holy when you are on your own)
- Don’t Leave the Lord When You Leave Home
Private Reflection Journal
What is one thing from this study that you can apply to your life today? Jot down your thoughts below.