“If sinners entice, do not consent.” Proverbs 1:10
This proverb makes it clear; you are not to consent to sinners who encourage you to join in their activities which are wrong.
So who is a sinner?
We are all sinners; that is why God came to earth as a man called Jesus but there are millions of people in the world who do not believe this. They wilfully do things which are wrong. Their conscience has been conditioned to such an extent that their moral compass allows them to do whatever they do.
Where do we find sinners?
They are everywhere; at work, college, in the street, even family members.
What is sin?
The Collins dictionary describes “sin” as the act of doing something wicked or immoral.
It describes a sinner as someone who has done something immoral.
Drunkenness, drug taking, adultery and other sexual sins, stealing, worshipping idols, and murder are sins which we must not engage in.
There are consequences for sinning; murder for example will result in an offender losing their liberty.
What does entice mean?
If you entice someone to do something you tempt them to do it.
So it is your choice whether you take the bait or not. The reason why people tempt you to do something is because they want you to be just like them. It makes them feel less guilty about whatever they do. If they are a smoker no one else smokes, the smoker may offer a cigarette to someone in order not to feel left out.
What does consent mean?
When you consent to something you agree to it or allow it.
Sinners will entice others by appealing to the desire to want to fit in or be part of a crowd. There is nothing wrong with this desire but when one’s desire to belong is so strong that it is the most important thing in your life then you are heading for trouble. You become a people pleaser and leave yourself wide open to exploitation.
You do not have to compromise your values in order to find your place in the world, on the contrary there are opportunities in the world to meet the right kind of people. Just live your life according to your calling and your life will be a life of purpose.
This is not to say you will not make a mistake during your lifetime but rather minimize them by being steadfast in living up to your values.
