“If sinners entice thee, consent thou not“– Proverbs 1:10
The flip side of pursuing wisdom is avoiding foolishness. Running toward God necessarily means hurrying away from selfish, short-sighted pursuits. We cannot genuinely pray for our heavenly Father to “deliver us from evil” if we are not striving to avoid personal temptations to sin.
There are different ways by which you may be enticed to sin. You may want to fit in or belong; you may be intimidated by a stronger personality; you may see some promise of personal advancement. Enticement can even come in the form of a well-meaning, but foolish, peer who offers counsel that is contrary to God’s Word.
‘If sinners entice you…’ Notice that we are not to be concerned with the pitfalls and shortcomings of others. What entices someone else to sin may not even be a temptation for you. But here is the vital principle: whatever sins do entice you, do not consent to them. It is not enough to console yourself with the fact that you have not committed the same sin to which someone else has fallen prey.
Regardless of the multi-faceted enticements to sin which you may encounter, here is the simple, straight-forward admonition — do not consent. Though others may entice you to sin, they cannot force you to sin. We can never say someone else “made me do it.” When you feel the tug of sin, do not consent to its alluring invitation.
Set your mind, by God’s grace and power, to say “No” to every one of Satan’s advances, and to consciously consent to the claims of Christ upon your life.(Baptist Bible Hour)
