If we trace the history of the church, we will see that what has happened during the past nineteen centuries matches the four matters found in the books of Samuel: God's sovereignty, God's economy, man's failure, and God's punishing judgment. In chapters two and three of Revelation, we see the church under God's judgment. This judgment will consummate in chapter seventeen, with the judgment of Babylon the Great. As we consider this matter of God's judgment, we need to be very conscious of what God is and of what our response should be.
The account of God's punishing judgment on David is written as a warning to us today (1 Cor. 10:11). We should read this account seriously in the presence of God. This account warns us that the indulgence of the flesh is a serious thing. David was tempted simply by a glance and then he failed to restrict himself.
In contacting the opposite sex, we in the Lord's recovery need to be sanctified and separated unto God. The evil concerning sex is very contagious. We must exercise our spirit to overcome our flesh and our old man. This must not be a mere teaching; it must be a practice in our daily life.
All the saints, especially the young ones, should search their hearts and make a strong resolution of heart (Judg. 5:15-16) never to go the way of the indulgence of the flesh. Our God is living, and Christ is real. With Christ as the life-giving Spirit, everything is real, but apart from Him everything is vanity of vanities. The Spirit is moving within us in a very gentle way. We need to say, "Lord Jesus, I love You, I need You, and I receive You." If we say this, He will be our Savior and our dynamic salvation. As the pneumatic Christ, He will save us, preserve us, and protect us from the contamination of this age, so that we may keep the glory that we have gained.