1 John 2
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
What is the world? Where is the world?
Satan tempted Eve with these things. Satan first appealed to Eve’s flesh to desire the fruit. Then he showed her the fruit and lastly he appealed to her pride to be like God.
Satan tempted Jesus with these things too. He appealed to the needs of His flesh for bread, the desire for the riches of the world and lastly to glorify Himself by jumping from the temple without getting hurt.
Matthew 15
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Galatians 5
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Bible says that those who do these evil things will not go to heaven. It doesn’t matter that you’re given the last rites by a priest or even if all the ministers in the world are gathered to pray for you.
A certain man continually got irritated with his wife and children. So he sought a place to be alone where he won’t be disturbed. He found such a place but after two or three hours he suddenly realised that the things which really troubled him were within him.
You can wash and perfume a pig, but the moment it’s left alone, it will go and wallow in the mud. Why? Because it’s a pig. So too, if you love the world, you might be in church physically, but the moment the protection is removed, you will wallow in the world, because the world is in your heart.
1 Thessalonians 4
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
Martin Luther said that an adulterer carried a worse stench than any other sinner. All sorts of sexual immorality, fornication and uncleanness is rife in our societies today. People do perverted things, defiling themselves even alone with their hands or the things sold in sex shops.
You might be blessed of God in so many other things, but you trample it underfoot by your sexual promiscuity. Some ignore God’s commands completely and simply divorce and marry again. Why? Because they’re of the world and does as the world does.
We should heed what Jesus said – rather gouge out your eye than that your eye causes you to offend and you end in hell. Or rather cut off your hand or foot, than sinning and ending in hell.
In Job we read of the drastic step Job took to remain pure:
Job 31
1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
Sexual sin is just one of the lusts of the flesh that causes many people to fall.
The story is told of a church organist who was trying to practice a piece of music by Felix Mendelssohn, but he struggled. While he tried, a stranger sat and listened silently at the back. Eventually the organist gave up and wanted to leave. The stranger walked up to him and asked to be allowed to play on the organ. At first the frustrated organist refused, but after the third request he allowed him. The stranger sat down and filled the sanctuary with beautiful, flawless music. When he finished, the organist asked, “Who are you?” The man replied, “I am Felix Mendelssohn.” The organist had almost prevented the song’s creator from playing his own music!
Allow the Lord Jesus to take control of your life after you’ve given up, and He who has created you and been your originator will change you and live His life in you that the world will marvel at what Jesus can do.