Proverbs 1:13
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We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
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What an offer! How can you resist? Unity with others! All precious substance! Houses filled with spoil! Beware! Death and hell are hidden in the words! The world does not entice you to sin by offering pain and trouble. It entices you by offering friendship, pleasure, and success. But all that glitters is not gold, and sin will bring your total ruin.
Here is a lesson in peer pressure. Solomon warned his son to reject sinners enticing him to participate with them in folly and sin (1:10). He warned against their promises of unity and good success (1:11-14). And he concluded the lesson by telling his son to stay away from their sins and the horrible judgment that would surely come on them (1:15-19).
A large part of wisdom is rejecting ungodly friends. It is a common warning of Scripture (Ex 23:2; Ps 1:1; 26:4-5; 101:1-8; I Cor 15:33; II Cor 6:14-17; Jas 4:4). But Solomon emphasized it for the safety of his son (1:15; 4:14-15; 9:6; 13:20; 14:7; 19:27). And all good parents will keep their children from the ungodly influences of evil friends.
Every sin offers a desirable motive, short-term pleasure, or promise of success; or men would not sin. Eve thought she could become like God, if she ate the forbidden fruit. Samson thought Delilah would make him happy. Ananias and Sapphira thought they could keep some of the money and still be important in the church. Sin is a deceitful lie!
The devil and his world make tempting offers. They seldom admit they hate God, want to violate His word, and cannot wait for hell. They come as an angel of light and ministers of righteousness telling how to have your cake and eat it too. Satan comes as another Jesus, presenting a popular gospel, and oozing another spirit (II Cor 11:3-4,13-15).
It is the perilous times of the last days: evil seducers are worse than ever (II Tim 3:1-13). Carnal Christianity is full of them. One of their sweet lies to compromise truth is the offer of growth - you can have a mega-church - just like the cutthroats in our proverb. But Paul condemned the end-justifies-the-means crowd and their heretical measurement of godliness by gain (I Tim 6:3-5). He told Timothy to get away from such men (I Tim 6:5).
What is the cure for these lying tempters? "But godliness with contentment is great gain" (I Tim 6:6). Peer pressure cannot affect a man committed to godliness and content with what he has. Seducers have no opening in such a man's life! Paul warned further about the grievous dangers of worldly ambition (I Tim 6:7-10). Moses should be our example; he forsook all the opportunities of Egypt to suffer with Christ's people (Heb 11:24-26).
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