Fleshly desires lead to sin and HELL

We all have needs and we also have

desires. There is a difference between desires and needs. We need
certain things to live, like food and shelter. There are also things
that we desire and lust after. Those things lead to sin if we allow
our desires and lusts to drive us. We are all tempted in various
ways, every day, but unless we resist temptation we will fall into
sin and end up in hell.

We read in James 1:13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14But each
one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin
is accomplished, it brings forth death.

The wages of sin is death. “The soul
that sins will die,” he will perish, in hell. That is why we need
to repent of sin, stop sinning and SIN NO MORE. Jesus grants
forgiveness and pardon of past sins if we accept Him, repent and be
baptized for the forgiveness of sin and then SIN NO MORE, but if we
keep on sinning we will end up in hell. We read in Hebrews 10:26 “For
if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the
truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a
terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE
WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.” We have to, at all cost, avoid
temptation because it leads to sin, and sin leads to death, eternal
damnation.

How shall we avoid temptation? Should
we lock ourselves away or go live in seclusion in a monastery?
Certainly not. Let us learn from those who followed Jesus before us.

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, a
young man and follower of Jesus in 2 Timothy 2: 22 “Now FLEE
FROM YOUTHFUL LUSTS and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace,
with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

The apostle John wrote in 1 John 2:15
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that
is in the world, the LUST OF THE FLESH and the LUST OF THE EYES and
the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the
world. 17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but
the one who does the will of God lives forever.“

How will we do the will of God so that
we will live for ever? We need to be led by the Holy Spirit, as Paul
wrote in Romans 8:13,14 “ 12So then, brethren, we are under
obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13for
if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the
Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will
live. 14For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these
are sons of God.“

This begs for another question: How do
we receive the Holy Spirit? Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to all
those who believe in Him and therefor obey Him, repent and are
baptized in water. He will baptize them in the Holy Spirit and give
of His Spirit to dwell in them, to teach and guide them into holiness
and fruitfulness, into doing His will. Those who have received the
Holy Spirit must follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Paul further writes in Galatians 5:16.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the
desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition
to one another, so that you may not do the things that you
please.  19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which
are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery,
enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,
dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and
things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned
you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom
of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness,
self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions
and desires.  25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by
the Spirit.”

What does it mean to crucify the flesh?
Crucifixion means to nail it to a cross and thereby utterly destroy
it, kill it. We have to kill our fleshly desires, ignore them, regard
them as dead. We have to crucify our flesh, and follow the guidance
of the Holy Spirit, then we will not run after the desires of our
flesh which will cause us to sin and end up in hell.

We do not only need to stop sinning and
be holy, we need to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. We need to
testify of Jesus, bring others to Him, so that they can also obey Him
and have eternal life. If we do not bear fruit, we will get cut off
and burned as Jesus explained. We read in John 15:1,2 “I am the
true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. 2He CUTS
OFF EVERY BRANCH IN ME THAT BEARS NO FRUIT.

We need to actively follow the guidance
of the Holy Spirit to be pleasing to Jesus and have eternal life.

Have you been born again? Have you
accepted Jesus, repented, been baptized in water for the forgiveness
of your sins? Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit and do you
follow His guidance every day? If you keep on following after your
fleshly desires, you will sin and end up in hell.

May Jesus bless you.