from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church https://ift.tt/2N82GMf
via IFTTT Sin is a choice to follow the desires of the flesh instead of the righteousness of Christ. Following the flesh, is wrong. Always wrong. The flesh is against God. What does that mean? What are the desires of the flesh? Things that "feel good" but violate God's law and design. You see, sin feels good. The flesh loves feelings, good feelings. Physical pleasure, mental pleasure, physical satisfaction. These things are of the flesh. Obeying the desires of our flesh is sin. This is why homosexuality is found in the same list of sins as gluttony (eating for pleasure instead of health). It is the same thing, violating God's law and design for physical pleasure. Sin. Obeying the desires of the flesh. We are to die to the flesh in order to live for Christ, that means we must bring the flesh under submission to God's will. We must give out bodies to God for His use, not our enjoyment. Life is not about enjoyment, but about serving. Is it wrong to make food taste good? Of course not. But it is wrong to eat things you know are unhealthy because it tastes good! Is it wrong to enjoy physical pleasure? Of course not, but it is wrong to enjoy physical pleasure in a manner outside God's design of committed marriage between man and woman. But wait.... Some say "I was born this way, my sexual desires are how I was made" Yes, we were all made to crave sin in our flesh, and we must all overcome those desires through the power of the cross. Some crave one sin, some another. The sin is in giving in to the cravings and desires of the flesh, giving in to how we were made. That is sin! We are to give up pleasing ourselves, give up being slaves to how we were made. That is the whole point of the gospel! Paul says to stop doing what feels good, and start going what God's will is. We have written scripture explaining God's will in principle, and we have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things in the moment. There is no excuse! Stop living for pleasure, stop living to serve your body. Instead set all that aside and ask Jesus so set you free from the desires of the flesh. Be free to follow scripture and God's heart. Be free to live without sin. Be free!
