Worldliness Exposed - Part 3

Now, the next issue of Those Great and Infamous Three (the three things that make up the entire 'world' concept), is the lust of the flesh. So now we have a decent enough idea of what Lust of the Eyes is. Or at least, you have my humble stand on the issue based on Scripture. :)
This issue, the lust of the flesh, is probably the easiest to know of and most understandable issue...after all, we've all been there. The fact is, we live in sinful, corrupted bodies, made up of physical flesh. Now sadly, in this state that we've been in since Adam and Eve's eating of the tree, we have been exposed to and condemned (in more ways than one) to actual death. This means I believe that not only to we literally die when our bodies stop functioning, but our flesh is literally corrupted also and will be until it dies, and/or until Resurrection Day when we're all risen to God's Kingdom with renewed bodies.
"Right, so, what about now? Our current state?" You say. Well sadly, there's really not a lot we can do about it. Unless you feel all right with killing yourself, your going to live in your corrupted flesh until you die...which isn't nearly as serious a problem for us as saved believers as it would be for unsaved persons, but is still an issue.
On to the brutal statement: The lust of the flesh is pretty simple, we've all been there before. It involves the appetites of your own body that are ungodly, such as over-desires for food, for pleasure, for avoiding physical pain and damage for its own sake, etc. Note: I said OVER-DESIRES. For crying out loud, we all know that feeling hungry is no sin. However, we DO know that gluttony is. Also, for example: Sexual desire in itself is not a bad thing. God Himself created it in us, and for a reason. Its when you desire something you are commanded not to have or Satan twists these desires in you into lust that it becomes sin. And that's just logical sense. ;) Same with pain and pleasure, physically: nothing wrong with them in themselves, but its when they begin governing your body, actions, thoughts, and probably life that its an issue. You know what I mean...more logical sense.
However, even given that your body's desires in themselves aren't the lust of the flesh: Its the wrongful desires of corrupted flesh. The Bible is quite clear that we are to avoid these things, period. No wiggle-room allowed.
I actually talked with Rog briefly about this passage,

"I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 6:19-23

Paul is saying here that our bodies USED to be enslaved to these natural desires to sin. And naturally so. We were unsaved creatures. But now that shouldn't be a problem, and if your body's appetites begin hindering your walk with God, or becoming dominant in your daily life...Paul says, quite literally, we're to break those chains of bondage! We are God's servants, not servants of our own desires.


"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 1st Cor. 15:50-54

The main point here is that 1) Our corrupted flesh and blood of this world will not enter the Kindgom of God. Its impossible, since it is part of the great depravity we suffer even since Adam. However, the great news is 2) When it dies, we will be resurrected in an imperishable, un-corrupted, pure body. How's that for amazing? :D

In my next little post I'll probably go on to give my thoughts and study discoveries on probably the biggest, most complicated, most threatening issue of the three, one that's been around even before our Earth began: The pride of living. The pride of life. Thoughts, anyone? On either issue?