“Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.” (Prov. 6:30-31 NLT)

I’ve traveled to jails and prisons a few times over the years to share Christ and to visit with the prisoners. Some of those I spoke with were truly sorry for what they had done. They admitted their sins, repented from them and prayed to receive Christ. They were transformed by His Spirit (John 1:12). Others were only sorry for getting caught and they justified what they had done with excuses. I couldn’t help them. Unfortunately, it is impossible to help a non-repentant person (Luke 13:3). 

 An adulterer will be disgraced

“But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself. He will be wounded and disgraced.” (Prov. 6:32-33 NLT)

He will be shown no mercy 

“His shame will never be erased.
For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
He will accept no compensation,
nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.” (Prov. 6:34-35 NLT)

“My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you.” (Prov. 6:20-22 NLT)

Your parent’s collective discipline will protect you from immorality

“For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life. It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman. Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you. (Prov. 6:23-25 NLT)

A command with a promise 

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Eph. 6:1-3 NIV)

Well pleasing to the Lord

“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.” (Col. 3:2 NASB)

“There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.” (Prov. 6:16-19 NLT)

The above passage includes a short list of things that God detests. It’s very important to know what these things are and not to allow them into our lives! Period!

1. Haughty eyes - Haughty is defined as arrogant, vain, conceited, snobbish, superior, self important, pompous, supercilious, condescending, patronizing; scornful, contemptuous, disdainful; full of oneself, stuck-up, snooty, hoity-toity, uppity and big-headed. 

1. A lying tongue – To lie is to deceive someone else and to be in agreement with the devil who is the father of lies! (John 8:44). Deception of any kind leads away from God because He is truth and will not associate Himself with liars and deceivers. The opposite of lie is truth, Jesus is the truth and the truth will set you free! (John 8:32).

1. Hands that kill the innocent – To kill the innocent is to commit murder (Exo. 20:13). This is why abortion is wrong. It is killing the innocent. (Gal. 1:15 & Jer. 1:5)

1. A heart that plots evil – Evil is defined as any of the following: wicked, bad, wrong, immoral, sinful, foul, vile, dishonorable, corrupt, iniquitous, depraved, reprobate, villainous, nefarious, vicious, malicious; malevolent, sinister, demonic, devilish, diabolical,fiendish, dark; monstrous, despicable, atrocious, heinous, odious, contemptible, horrible, execrable; dirty “an evil deed".

1. Feet that race to do wrong – Wrong is defined as not true, incorrect, mistaken, in error, erroneous, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, fallacious, wide of the mark, off target, unsound, faulty. It’s to know what is good but then not to do it: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.” (James 4:17 NIV)

1. A false witness who pours out lies – One of the Ten Commandments is, “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” It forbids: Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive your neighbor. Speaking unjustly against your neighbor, to the prejudice of his reputation. In other words, a righteous witness must tell only the truth and be trustworthy. “A trustworthy witness will not lie, But a false witness utters lies.” (Prov. 24:5 NIV)

1. A person who sows discord in a family – Discord is defined as Conflict, friction, hostility, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, bad feeling, ill feeling, bad blood, argument, quarreling, squabbling, bickering, wrangling, feuding, contention, dissension, dispute, disunity, division, opposition, infighting.

“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.” (Prov. 6:6-8 NLT)

Take a lesson from the ants

The above passage tells us to take a lesson from ants. We can and should learn a lot from them because ants are truly amazing creatures. They faithfully do their jobs, work hard, cooperate together and they prepare for the winter. Ants are very social insects and they divide jobs among different types of ants in each colony. The queen’s job is to lay eggs. The other worker ants feed the larvae, take out the colony's trash, forage for food and supplies or defends the nest. 

Wake up you lazybones!

“But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. (Prov. 6:9-11 NLT)

“My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger— if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do. Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.” (Prov. 6:1-5 NLT)

 My answer is always no

Over the years I have had a number of friends ask me to co-sign for them. The reason I won’t co-sign is because the Bible makes it perfectly clear that you should never co-sign for anyone! And, quite frankly, there are many compelling reasons not to co-sign for someone else, and here are just just a few:

First, by co-signing, you take on all the risk if their loan is not repaid

Keep in mind also that they were not a good risk in the first place for the loan based on their own ability to carry the burden of the loan. The lender considered them to be a bad risk and that’s why they needed someone else with good credit and sufficient collateral to guarantee their loan. 

Secondly, by co-signing you are agreeing to pay the loan completely if they don’t

Their failure to pay, often even one payment on the loan, means the lender will immediately come after the co-signer for the entire balance! You are 100 percent liable on any loan you co-sign for, which could be a significant amount. 

Thirdly, co-signing for someone else can affect your own credit

It could even make you ineligible for any future loan you may need for yourself.

If you can’t afford to give them the money, you could never afford to co-sign for them

It’s not worth the risk to take on another’s debt, so just don’t do it! And, If you can actually afford to help someone in need, just give them some money, but never co-sign for them!

“Drink water from your own well— share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers.” (Prov. 5:15-17 NLT)

A fountain of blessing for you 

“Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?” (Prov. 5:18-20 NLT)

God sees clearly what you do

“For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.” (Prov. 5:21 NLT)

The lack of self control leads to death

“An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.” (Prov. 5:22-23 NLT)

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you’ve learned. For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword.” (Prov. 5:1-4 NLT)

Immorality leads downward to death

“Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. For she cares nothing about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.” (Prov. 5:5-7 NLT)

Immorality will cause you to lose your honor and all you have achieved

“So now, my sons, listen to me.
 Never stray from what I am about to say: Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house! If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.” (Prov. 5:7-8 NLT)

Immorality will cause you to groan in anguish and disease

“Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor. In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body.” (Prov. 5:10-11 NLT)

Immorality brings public disgrace and great regret 

“You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.” (Prov. 5:13-14 NLT)

“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[b] flesh.” (Prov. 4:20-22 ESV)

 The springs of life flow from your heart 

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.” (Prov. 4:23-24 ESV)

 Ponder the path of your feet

“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder[c] 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.” (Prov. 4:25-27 ESV)

“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” (Prov. 4:7-9 ESV)

Get wisdom by asking God for it

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)

The years of your life may be many

“Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.  I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.” (Prov. 4:10-11 ESV)

 Keep hold of instruction and you won’t stumble

“When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” (Prov. 4:12-13 ESV) 

God’s kind of wisdom defined

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17 ESV)

 Turn away from evil ways

“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. (Prov. 4:14-17 ESV)

Because the days are evil, be careful how you walk

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Eph. 5:15-17 ESV)

 The righteous path shines brightly 

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. (Prov. 4:18-19 ESV)