Eph 2:1-3 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once
walked according to the [a]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
அக்கிரமங்களினாலும் பாவங்களினாலும் மரித்தவர்களாயிருந்த உங்களை உயிர்ப்பித்தார்.
2. அவைகளில் நீங்கள் முற்காலத்திலே இவ்வுலக வழக்கத்திற்கேற்றபடியாகவும், கீழ்ப்படியாமையின் பிள்ளைகளிடத்தில் இப்பொழுது கிரியைசெய்கிற ஆகாயத்து அதிகாரப் பிரபுவாகிய ஆவிக்கேற்றபடியாகவும் நடந்துகொண்டீர்கள்.
3. அவர்களுக்குள்ளே நாமெல்லாரும் முற்காலத்திலே நமது மாம்ச இச்சையின்படியே நடந்து, நமது மாம்சமும் மனசும் விரும்பினவைகளைச் செய்து, சுபாவத்தினாலே மற்றவர்களைப்போலக் கோபாக்கினையின் பிள்ளைகளாயிருந்தோம்.
Many times our spiritual life will be dull, lifeless, routine and we lose freshness and motivation. Are you like that today morning? If I see your faces.. that is how it looks. One of best ways to revive your spiritual life is practicing a spiritual discipline of remembering where we were before God saved us. One of the reason Israel fell and repeatedly sinned is because they failed to obey God’s command to remember their house of Egyptian bondage. In Isaiah 51, in verse 1, God says to His people, Listen to Me, you who [a]follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. நீதியைப் பின்பற்றி, கர்த்தரைத் தேடுகிற நீங்கள் எனக்குச் செவிகொடுங்கள்; நீங்கள் வெட்டி எடுக்கப்பட்ட கன்மலையையும், நீங்கள் தோண்டி எடுக்கப்பட்ட துரவின் குழியையும் நோக்கிப்பாருங்கள்…. Behold… see deeply pit from where you came.
Though it is sad thing to see back our terrible condition in sin, God commands us to do because it s means to grow in grace, it is very useful practice; it increases our faith, it increases our love to Jesus Christ. Because our Lord said To whom much is forgiven, the same loveth much. To direct proportion of our understanding of how terrible we were, and what has been forgiven us will be our love to Jesus Christ. If today morning you don’t love JC with burning heart, it is because you don’t remember where you were before he saved you. To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Deeper we see our condition in sin, deeper will be our love to JC.
In Eph 2, apostle Paul is exactly helping us practice that discipline by showing two great contrasts. Verses 1 to 10 as individual Christians before and after. Ye were, but God, and ye now are. Second contrast verses 11 through 22, who they were before as people, Gentiles, no hope, cutt off, far from God, now true people of God, even temple of God.
We are looking at first section, apostle Paul putting spotlight on pit in which we lived; and shows 5 shocking conditions of our depravity. I used imagery of going down dirty pit of dungeon of our depravity by 5 steps. I am calling it WORST. W- We were wholly Dead. Paul says you were not just blind, sick, comprehensively, extensively dead. Fallen from life for which he was created. Man is wholly dead had no 4 signs of spiritual life of knowing, communing, obeying, reflecting God. It
underscores the hopelessness and the helplessness of our condition.
In this dead condition, we were very active like walking corpse zombies. All our life thoughts, words, emotions are summarized in 2 words in sphere of sins and transgressions, all that we did from morning to night, even dreams. W for wholly dead. Next ORS. Now, where did our dead bodies get ORS energy to do all those activities….. 3 powers, 3 enemies of our souls. The world, devil, the flesh. Outside of Christ our lives are totally not at all under the dominion of God, but totally under dominion of the world, the flesh, and the devil O only worldly; vs 2 2 in which you once walked according to the [a]course of this world அவைகளில் நீங்கள் முற்காலத்திலே இவ்வுலக வழக்கத்திற்கேற்றபடியாகவும், நடந்துகொண்டீர்கள். His heart, mind, life from morning to night is pulled in current river of only worldly. This river current lifestyle that was dragging us directly to lake of fire. Word for world is this evil age, the epoch of the world. This brief period of time in which there is this probationary trial for all of humanity, in which the devil is given reign to seduce and sinners are given reign to carry out the foul designs of their hearts. He says you were walking according to the standard set by this world system, this brief limited epoch in which God has not yet brought to final judgement, new heaven, earth full fruition redemption. We were wholly dead, only worldly.
Third: we saw next power that pulled us. We were directly Roped personally by Satan, trapped by Satan and dragged. Satan traps சிக்க வைக்கிறார் them into damning lifestyle vazhkai pooku.
Lifestyle that obey Satan lies, fulfils his will. Just like tried to tempt our Lord; “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (Matt 4:3). Satan uses our legitimate physical needs—hunger, comfort, money, sex, and security—and suggests that fulfilling these is more urgent than obeying God. His deceiving lie; If you have a need, satisfy it now, Instant Gratification regardless of the method.” leading to a life lived purely for the next meal or purchase rather than what is written in God’s Word. Second temptation, Satan uses Scripture out of context to make people act recklessly, life as you want.. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down… He will command his angels concerning you.” (Matt 4:6). Go on like this, test the Lord, don’t change, putting us in place of temptation, continue sin; lying he will always forgive, he will save you in the end…. Continue like this.
Third: Deception of riches and worldly fame. Showing all world’s glory. All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matt 4:9) This is the “deal with the devil.” It offers the right things (fame, success, money) through the wrong means. “You can have it all right now. You don’t need to wait for God’s timing or follow His difficult path. Just compromise this one value, and the world is yours.” Making people lie, students cheat exams, deceive lying in work place. Such a lifestyle that inevitably take them to hell, and form which they cannot escape.
How does he do it to everyone? We saw Satan is called prince of the power of the air. IT talks about his internal and external workings. because Satan controls their outside environment by being prince of the power of the air ஆகாயத்து அதிகாரப் பிரபு, and then also internally works deeply inside their hearts through the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, கீழ்ப்படியாமையின் பிள்ளைகளிடத்தில் இப்பொழுது கிரியைசெய்கிற ஆவிக்கேற்றபடியாகவும் நடந்துகொண்டீர்கள். Working is powerful word; just God is working his children to do his will. Satan is actively at work in the sons of disobedience, moving them, மயக்கும் seducing them, prompting them, nice/cajoling them, enticing கவர்ந்திழுக்க them into a course of action that is in exact opposition to the revealed will of the living God. Behind all the smug மமதை திமிர் sneer ஏளனம் and mocking of world about Bible truths about Christ, hell, heaven, life, is the blinding power of the devil.
From W – wholly dead. Only worldly. Roped by Satan. It is impossible situation. Cannot never escape. Do we really recognize what universal miracle God has done in our life? If we do, it should fill us with tears of gratitude and fresh love for our saviour, he saved us such horrible pit of depravity. And Paul’s still not done with the bad news. He goes on to say in this totally helpless condition, we are absolutely enslaved to our lusts. Let us go deeper into this dungeon our fourth step. WOR, our next 4th word S – slaves to lust, or Satisfying their lusts.
Vs 3 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, 3. அவர்களுக்குள்ளே நாமெல்லாரும் முற்காலத்திலே நமது மாம்ச இச்சையின்படியே நடந்து, நமது மாம்சமும் மனசும் விரும்பினவைகளைச் செய்து,
If you dig little deeper, why did we go in direction of the world always, why are they so willingly trapped by Satan, when you do spiritual operation, peel off the external skin, flesh, artery, you get down deep into the core heart center of dead sinners, to find what drives and urges them, Paul says, the real motivation that produces all of their activity is lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Great ambition that drives all their activities in life, waking, running, working, traveling, eating, sleeping – Satisfaction of their lusts. Dead in sins, all people are consciously motivated by nothing higher than the gratification of lusts, that is all is great ambition of their life, they live and breathe to satisfy their lusts.
You see this is root cause of man’s corruption. Yes he is controlled by world, devil, those are all external causes, but root cause and pedigree of causes of all, the cause of causes, this is deeply internal cause: ‘We walk in the lusts of the flesh,
Let us understand this in 3 headings. 3 Ds – Dimension, Depth, Dangers.
First: Dimension of this lust of the flesh. When I say dimension, the scope of this problem. பரப்பு (Parappu) Notice vs 3: Notice how Paul is careful to broaden the scope of his description. 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves. அவர்களுக்குள்ளே நாமெல்லாரும் முற்காலத்திலே Up until now, he has used these words, And you, when you were dead, verse 1, wherein you once walked, in a sense in which we assume that Paul is thinking primarily, though not exclusively, of the heathen Gentiles. in verse 11, Wherefore remember that once ye the Gentiles
But now lest no one should think only gentiles outwardly sinful people were so dead in sins, there were outwardly religious Jews, not so WORST. No one should say I am not so depraved as gentiles, because I am Jew, or I am born in Christian family; traditional Christian, strictly brough up outwardly we are so moral, religious. To avoid any kind exclusion, விலக்குதல் Here Paul includes himself and all humanity, by saying, whether outwardly sinful gentiles or externally moral people or religious Jews, they are all in this condition.
Dimension of this lust of flesh isn’t just for “extraordinarily அசாதாரணமாக
wicked” people; it was the universal human condition. Paul including himself is an amazing truth we all have to stop and grasp and allow that to sink in. It is not realizing this truth that hinders many religious people from getting saved and that keeps saved people ungrateful.
Paul says I walked in lusts of flesh. Remember how Paul lived not like these gentile pagan Ephesians with base sins of lust and idolatry, all gross sins of heathenism. Phil we saw his life; touching the law, I was blameless, take 10 commandments and see his life, you cannot pinpoint one sin in his life, blameless outside, not robbed, lied, no adultery, observing Sabbath, woshiping God, zeal of God and temple, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, a religious man to the height, devout, externally moral.
Now he says though I was outwardly very religious, I also was motivated by nothing higher than the lust of my flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. You see it should give us tremendous insight of what our understanding of the phrase the lust of the flesh must be. This should remove our narrow idea lust of flesh means terrible sins of sex and drunkenness. It also must expand to include even religious people like Paul, living an outwardly moral and ethical life, even outward religious life according to Bible. So what is dimension of lust of the flesh: Paul opens both his hands all gentiles and Jews everyone in the world; all are WORST, totally depraved.
He did this masterfully in Romans in detail. First chapter he will show all gentiles are sinners. Second chapter, he will show however Jews outwardly religious do not commit adultery, they do it in heart, murder, they do it with heart of hate, covet in heart. So in the third Romans 3 he concludes all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God;’ and, ‘there is none righteous, no, not one.’ Only when men realize this truth, outwardly religious people can see their sin and be saved. You maybe sitting here thinking oh.. I am not rapist, drug addict.. worst like many… why should I be saved.. Paul says, you are also same like them.. you also live in lusts of flesh, WORST. HOW? Next heading Depth will help us grasp that. So we see dimension. Now
Depth: What does LOF mean. Paul gives the meaning in 2 ways to show its depth. Notice vs 3 First general statement, in the lusts of our flesh, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, அவர்களுக்குள்ளே நாமெல்லாரும் முற்காலத்திலே நமது மாம்ச இச்சையின்படியே நடந்து secondly specific definitive fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind நமது மாம்சமும் மனசும் விரும்பினவைகளைச் செய்து.
General statement: நடந்து conducted; we turned about, it is a graphic word to speak of habitual, continual, conscious activity. it talks about our manner of living, our lifestyle. LOF wasn’t just an occasional trip-up; every action in our life moved urged by lusts of the flesh. This is what ticked us, this is what moved us. Notice the preposition. “In” We lived in lusts. It was the atmosphere in we breathed. We lived, moved and had our in lusts of the flesh. Lust and flesh are two of the most fundamental words in the New Testament. They are repeated several times.
Let us see word by word: What is flesh. Sometimes used for in good sense; human body or nature or humanity. The word became flesh. He took upon himself a true humanity; body and soul. But predominant usage is to describe entirety of corrupt nature of man after the fall, separated from God and under the dominion of sin. “The flesh” (Sarx) refers to the entire fallen human nature—
Sin has corrupted the entire man; his mind, his affections, his will, his appetites, his drives, உந்துதல்கள் his capacities, திறன்கள் / his energies ஆற்றல்கள் all part of his corrupt nature. So flesh is totality of man cut him off from God, under the dominion of sin,
This flesh is every son of Adam after the fall, and he is only flesh and nothing but flesh. Paul said there is nothing good in my flesh. As coming from Adam, you and had nothing not a milli drop of good in us. This flesh like volcano நீரூற்று fountain has boiling desires and demands instead satisfaction, doesn’t care about God or anyone else. the boilings, the springings up from that fountain. out-of-control cravings. Those strong desires are called lusts. So it is called lust of the flesh.
So our next word lust: Basic meaning is strong desire. To lust after something is to have a strong desire for it. It is strong inordinate அளவுகடந்த desire for sinful forbidden things. Various forms of unregulated கட்டுப்பாடற்ற passion strong உணர்ச்சி and desire. It can lust for things, money, lust of sex, power, fame, praise, revenge. It is driving force of all unsaved people.
The flesh begets lusts, and these many lusts bring forth a particular lifestyle.
Basis our personality, upbringing, temperament, சுபாவம், training, friends, influences, each one will decide which lust road we will follow. It is like the bursting fountain choses many river paths. Every one of us cut his own channel basis our personality; we make a river path channel to float down that stream of fleshly lust.
For most LOF reveals in worst sins of sex, hate violence, covetousness, money love, it goes beyond control. They will be ready to lie, rob, become criminals, rapists, murderers. For some like Paul, it was outwardly religious show life for pride of life, reputation but all done for self satisfaction.. that makes them live outwardly decent. Others, they go down a channel of intellectual pursuits.
Some rise to the noble attainments of scientists and philanthropists. Some debase themselves to the shameful level of debauchery and criminality and profligacy.
Some you born in Christian family may outwardly not did terrible sins, you come to church, who carry Bibles, but who’ve never been born again, but still you were dead in sins, hearts were worst, we had lusts, coveteousness all in heart, and restraining grace of God and providence controlled so it didn’t allow it burst out visibly in lives. All humanity without God’s grace were in this worst condition. But in each case, Paul says, we all moved about in the lust of our flesh. That’s the general statement.
So general statement our lifestyle living in atmosphere of lust of flesh. Then notice he gives very specific statement. What was driving all our activities as unbelievers in precise way: why were we waking running, working, day by day, month by month, year by year. What was great ambition of our life.
Notice vs 3: fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, நமது மாம்சமும் மனசும் விரும்பினவைகளைச் செய்து.
But Paul uses another interesting phrase term here which shows a great twist to them. The satanic treachery comes out at this point — what is translated here “the desires of the body and of the mind” is a உட்பிரிவு subdivision of these passions of the flesh. The word he uses for “desires” is really the word will. It carries with it the thought of an unbreakable resolve, a determination. Drive, shaki,
moving force. These passions become drives… வல்லமை நிர்ப்பந்தம்….How does it become a drive!
Lust twists even normal good things like eating becomes gluttony, sleeping becomes too much sleeping laziness, sex God made it good, but it becomes uncontrolled lust; love to useful things become covetousness… instead of using them for living, we end up living for these. Same way TV, mobile control is good useful when used properly .. but it becomes addiction and lust … lust of the eyes… demanding constant visible stimuli, the flickering screen time hours together. Same Music good, but beyond a level addiction…… … always audible stimuli always earphone…
When it becomes lust, will of the flesh, a resolve, then it is becomes addiction stage. When it becomes a drive உத்வேகம் that we build our life around, we end up living for it; we sacrifice other values to get and enjoy it.
Notice next Interesting he says of the desires of the mind. That mind the higher part of our humanity, the intellectual, the thinking part. At least that should think where this will take us… how it destroys us… make us wise as reasonable creatures, not led to an action as beasts are, by brutish and unreasonable passions, in a brutish way, as beasts are led? … This is the most dangerous part. no no.. even highest part of our being is so depraved…. Even mind was corrupted and tainted by sin. Chapter 4.18, he says, the mind is darkened. That corrupt mind cooperated with the lusts. It became a partner to fulfuling these lusts. …..
You know in fact it is important factor for fulfilling the lust. Because the lust always starts where in the imagination. Mind helps the flesh to imagine how nice it will be enjoy that sin… it creates fantasy… Mind also concocts schemes and methods how to fulfil those fantasies. and bends the will to commit those sins. The desires of the flesh and thinking of the mind were working together in every activity.
Oh think innumerable hosts of sins of mind… it continually keeps sinning… as Gen 6:5 Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil. Can you imagine how non-stop we sin in our minds. We see someone having more than we have, then jealousy and envy starts, someone hurts us, insults us, hatred, malice and bitterness and desire for revenge. Those lusts can completely control us.
so that everything we do is related to some terrible envy — we want to show that we are better than someone else — or we want to take revenge and get even with someone and so we spend hours and hours of our life planning and scheming and maneuvering and manipulating, trying to get revenge. Lust of ambition; lust for wealth and power; the desire for position and recognition. Status anxiety is high disease now.. I should have great status..money; people should see me as success… matter intensely,.. oh deep craving in their thoughts for admiration and respect from the world. Lust burns and consumes some men beyond control.. Men will stop at nothing in order to have what they lust for… willing for any sacrifice.
Do you see how subtle this is, how widespread, how deeply embedded in life, how inescapable it is? Who of us can win over this? You are no longer in control, the thing has mastered you, it has captured you… just like an animal in heat …. this what drives people at various levels.. they are continually fulling lusts of the flesh and mind…
It starts as a child; from beginning child wants to enjoy, want what I want, I want it now; That’s why little kids throw temper tantrums, squawk and holler (shout annoying complain and cry), roll on floor and pout push one’s lips or one’s bottom lip forward as an expression of petulant annoyance when they cannot have what they want. They’re a bundle of desire.
Then child grows a little, you want sister’s piece of chocolate. You scheme and you make plans in the reasonings of your mind how you can get it; suddenly you become very nice brother, talk lovingly to sister and take chocolate, or wait until she’s out of the room, or notice where she keeps, then sneaked off to eat it, rob her cholalate and eat and oh it felt so good going down so you can gratify that lust of your flesh. You eat off all chicket or mutton, don’t’ care others in the family… self gratification. Small voce in conscience tells this is not right.. but drive of the lust powerful.. doesn’t listen to that voice. Then you ready to lie that you didn’t take and you didn’t eat. Oh, I don’t know.
When you got a little older, you sat in that class and you know you should study well, but you waste all your time. Your mind instead of studying… all in the lust of the flesh… watching TV, reels, mobile… waste time…. but you want to pass, get good marks; so you see how you can cheat on exam, copy someone’s work to get marks. You plan scheme to do that. you chose to cheat. And you chose to hand in your paper robbing others work; which was a lie. And you chose to accept the grade. And you chose to cover it up. How can you do all that… you are following lust of the flesh. This will become pattern path of your life… And you carry that through the entirety of life. Your job, your family, you live only to fulfil desires of flesh and mind.
Mind also contributes to higher sins; sins of pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, legalism,. Even for outwardly decent people; ignorant fleshy mind says you want to find acceptance with God? Be the best Pharisee that ever lived and pile up a mountain of works, righteousness, and you can climb up that mountain and enter the very presence of God in heaven. That is how Paul lived.
The Total Control: By mentioning both “flesh” (body) and “mind,” Paul is saying there was no part of us—neither our lowest instincts nor our highest thoughts—that was free from the control of sin. Our logic was used to justify our lusts. living according to the dictates of the body and the mind. Unsaved people have only one option to live: they live to gratify the flesh. Living according to what feels good at the moment. Lusts would command and say, feed me, gratify me. Our whole being would bow to those lusts of flesh. Our heart gave room to feel strong uncontrolled cravings. Our mind thought quickest way to satisfy it. And our will bowed in willing compliance. We obeyed these lusts as slaves. Word fulfilling is slavery term. When the flesh spoke, we obeyed. We were slaved to our lusts.
You see this is root cause of man’s corruption. Yes he is controlled by world, devil, those are all external causes, but root cause and pedigree of causes of all, the cause of causes, this is deeply internal cause: ‘We walk in the lusts of the flesh,
So we see Dimension parappu universal condition we all, Depth -we lived in atmosphere of lust of the flesh, it went deeper into our cravings of heart and intellectual mind, and finally Dangers.
Dangers: You may ask, so what… all are living that.. what is problem. Let me conclude dangers of LOF. It covers both for unbelievers and believers
Lusts of flesh blinded us unbelievers. “darkened in their understanding” (Ephesians 4:18). Darkening of the Mind” (Spiritual Blindness) They corrupt and twist the way we perceived reality. Reality itself will something else… lusts will twist that reality to our mind…. It will make you believe only those who cheat can be happy… only having your desires fulfilled you can be happy. That is not reality.. only those who are obey God will be blessed and happy… lust will twist that reality. We ended up seeing evil good and good as evil. Twisted perspective…. .. we waste life, doing 101 big mistakes….. it will be too late before we realize reality ….
Second: Lusts destroy our soul: Peter says fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11). It destroys all parts of our soul. It hardens our heart. “But exhort one another daily… lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13). What does hardening of heart do. It will make us impossible to hear or respond to God’s word. If you hear God’s voice, do not harden your heart. These lusts will harden .. you can never respond to any message of God. More you heart God’s word, lusts will make your heart more like stone….. like Pharaoh… after a point, you can never hear anything, and will never be able to repent at all… as judgement God himself will harden.. . John 12:40, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them”
hard
Next it will sear your conscience and make callous. Searing of the conscience, fire burn, no sense. Habitual hardening made conscience callous. Very dangerous stage. Guilt is pain signal of soul. Just like in body something is wrong, body will give signal as pain. Guilt is like that in soul. If the soul is being damaged, destroyed, guilt is signal. Fleshly lusts will make us completely senseless like lepers, no sense. Not realize even when we are doing terrible sins against God. No guilt, no sense.. we will continue to do.. seen such people.. no guilty.. why Lusts of flesh will take us to stage of “past feeling” (Ephesians 4:19), where the guilt which is only means to drive sinners to God no longer functions. Horrible damage to soul.
After this condition; it makes us completely hate God and anything to do with God, hate Bible, church, Jesus Christ. Romans 8:6-8, Paul states, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Note, again, the emphasis on inability. It Blinds You to the Father’s Love in gospel. Only gospel message of Father’s love.. how many ever times you, you cannot respond. You hate it………why while your eyes are fixed on carnal pleasures. if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. Why? “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.” (1 John 2:16).
Ok you reject, your perspective reality is twisted, your soul is destroyed to an extend, you cannot come to God and enjoy any God’s blessings…………………..
Ok, will lusts of flesh make you happy, at least temporarily.. give you what it promised. Saddest reality; Ephesians 4:22, it is called “lusts of deceit” மோசம்போக்கும் இச்சைகளாலே கெட்டுப்போகிற It is deceitful lust…. It is completely deceitful.
—It promises great satisfaction… big happiness… ……..but it always disappoints.” Lusts Promise Satisfaction but Deliver Emptiness Lust offers a high that never lasts.. fleeting unsatisfying pleasure it is a deceptive one. It leaves you chasing a shadow, resulting in a life of “emptiness behind.”
It deceives with innocent face… what you are doing is not wrong at all. It rarely presents itself as “vile sin.” It convinces you that your lust is actually a “biological need,” you have all a “right to be happy,” or “self-care.” By re-labeling the sin, it bypasses your conscience moral defenses and makes the pursuit of the flesh seem reasonable or even healthy.
Lust deceives you into thinking you are the one in charge, while it is actually weaving a web of addiction and habit around you. By the time you realize you are a slave, you have already lost the power to quit. Slaves to lust go on deeper in lust believing thinking they can stop whenever they want it… but they don’t realize, they are become addicted slaved to lusts… lifelong they cannot stop.
Lusts makes you discontent about your state providence kept you… saying..see how empty you are… and it promises that if you just fulfill this one desire, you will be happy and content. lust is “insatiable.” Instead of filling a hole, it digs it deeper. … you don’t realize.. you falling deeper into a hole.. you cannot escape.. The more you feed a fleshly desire, the more it demands, leaving you more miserable than before you started.
Finally: They Mask the Consequences. Lust functions like a fisherman’s lure; it shows the “bait” (the pleasure) but hides the “hook” (the pain). The flesh uses the imagination to create a “fantasy world” where the sin looks perfect and the consequences don’t exist. It “darkens the understanding” so that the sinner can no longer think logically or biblically about their choices.
The Deceit: It focuses your mind entirely on the immediate gratification while completely blinding you to the long-term fallout—destruction of body; the loss of reputation, the destruction of family, the searing of the conscience, or the judgment of God, hell. It is not harmless desire, but as a seed that grows into something deadly. Bible Verse: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15) End of this LOF is terrible destruction… “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. In the next verse, no wonder it says we become children of wrath. “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality… and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” — Galatians 5:19-21 “And the world and its lusts is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” — 1 John 2:17
So we see dimension parapu of lust of flesh, depth of LOF, dangers of lusts of the flesh.
Let me conclude with few applications. 5 applications remember it with word Grace.
Gratitude: Tearful gratitude. Hope you can see what helpless and hopeless condition we were. We were born like this. Whatever we do or attain in our life, we can never come out of it. Our Lord said to Nicodemus the Pharisee in all of his attainments, greatest religious teacher of Israel. All your religious attainments are useless unless God gives you new birth. You must be born again. Why? That which is born of the flesh is flesh. Flesh you have been, flesh you are, flesh you shall be, unless God imparts life by the Holy Ghost. They that are in the flesh cannot please God. We were most hateful condition by God, children of wrath. That was condition of every one of us….
I skipped small word; Notice the little phrase Among whom we also all, what’s the next word? Once 2. அவைகளில் நீங்கள் முற்காலத்திலே இவ்வுலக Once lived. It was once true, but bless God it is no longer so. If you realize depth of our depravity and how driven by flesh we lived…… How this realization should fill us with gratitude God without any initiative from us, gave us new birth, saved us, and today we are in his church worshiping him, loving his word.
Even those of you who lived Pharisee like life from childhood going to church, carrying Bible, outwardly moral; it would be impossible to save you because your religion would have blinded you like Paul… but how grateful you should be to God … his grace saved you….
Once we only fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the mind, Our life is aimbition once was not just fulfilling lusts of flesh, we have a new goal, new motivation, new love, love and serve the son of God who loved us and gave himself for me. …. but we can say with Paul now to me to live is Christ. And to die is gain. If any man be in Christ, he’s a new creation. if you can say with Paul we were once, not now, if that has happened that you are of all the peoples of the earth most blessed this morning, that God has been pleased in grace to quicken you to life. It is nothing of us, as we say in Eph 1, it is EPRAIS. Oh blessed God for riches of the glory of his grace with Tearful gratitude.
Gratitude – R – Resist. Our duty to resist fleshly lusts now…. மாம்சத்திற்கு இடம் கொடாதிருங்கள் overcome/kill the flesh and walk in the spirit as believers: Though we are saved from that, there is remaining sin in us. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:14). துர்இச்சைகளுக்கு இடமாக உடலைப் பேணாமலிருந்து, கர்த்தராகிய இயேசுகிறிஸ்துவைத் தரித்துக்கொள்ளுங்கள். We are commanded not to even give sin a “foothold.” We were once dead in sin, but now scripture says “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11). In Galatians 5, Paul sets the desires and deeds of the flesh against power and fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16-23). This shows that although believers have been delivered from the dominating power of the flesh, we still must do battle against it by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
You don’t stop the flesh by sheer willpower alone; you stop it by being occupied with something better. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.“ (Galatians 5:16) ஆவிக்கேற்றபடி நடந்துகொள்ளுங்கள், அப்பொழுது மாம்ச இச்சையை நிறைவேற்றாதிருப்பீர்கள். This is a promise. If you are actively walking (obeying, praying, meditating) in the Spirit, the flesh will not room… Replace “deceitful lusts” with “divine truths.” The mind cannot be a vacuum. If you aren’t filling it with the “excellent and praiseworthy,” the flesh will fill it with “imaginations.” Romans 8 13For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live மாம்சத்தின்படி பிழைத்தால் சாவீர்கள்; ஆவியினாலே சரீரத்தின் செய்கைகளை அழித்தால் பிழைப்பீர்கள். Owen: If you don’t kill sin, sin will kill you. G- Gratitude. R – resist.
A- Amazement. Be amazed at God’s grace in every good act of your life. Martin Luther wrote great book bondage of will. All our thoughts, words acts, came from flesh of lust, to fulfil gratify lust of flesh and mind…….our will was bondage to sin. ……..we did nothing else. If we understood bondage of the will and really believe. You cannot but be amazed at what God’s grace in every act of your life… We can only do lust of the flush.. nothing else… naturally… and if there is any good act that is coming from such beings… it is amazing act of grace. You have to amazed that you are a Christian today morning.. . You are sitting in church now. You will be amazed that your heart inclines to the beauty of Christ. You will be amazed at every good resolve, and every impulse to praise, and every good deed. You will be amazed you can pray, read Bible, amazed you come to church. All work of grace. You will be inclined to talk like David in 1 Chronicles 29:14: “Who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly?” Every use of your will to act for God’s glory is amazing. And it is a wonderful thing to live a life of regular amazement.
G- Gratitude. R – resist. A- Amazement. –
Confidence. If we know we were worst condition, it was only miracle grace of God that saved us… we will have confidence that God’s grace can save any worst sinner. Conversion of the hardest sinner is not impossible with God, then we will share gospel confidence— no matter how weak and helpless we feel. “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God”
In other words, no one is beyond the power of God to save. And our witness to his saving gospel should be confidence and tireless and not discouraging. Only God can give life, and God does that through sharing of the gospel witness. It will fill us with confidence
G- Gratitude for grace. R – resist flesh. A- Amazement. Confident in gospel.
E – Endurance and humility. This truth brings deep ppatience and humility.
Patience: Knowing that we were dead and could not raise ourselves —— makes us patient with those who have not yet seen the glory of Christ in the gospel. We call them to believe the gospel… but we do it not impatiently, but loving with the awareness that our salvation was because of divine miracle. We have a trembling sense that we cannot save sinners, and they cannot save themselves. Patience is the reflex of humility realizing we didn’t save ourselves.
Humility. I am not nothing, I can do nothing. I did nothing to deserve this. If there is anything praiseworthy I do in my life. it is work of grace, not me. I only think I know naturally is to fulfil lust of the flesh. If there is any good… I don’t have any credit for that. “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). When we are rewarded in the end for our imperfect righteousness, the glory will finally belong to God,
G- Gratitude for grace. R – resist flesh. A- Amazement. Confident in gospel. E – Endurance and humility.
Gospel call: Self examine…….Can you say as Paul did these words I once walked in the lust of my flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind?…………you’re no longer in that condition? Can you say, If you cannot say, you are in WORST dreadful condition. Whether you are worst sinner or outwardly religious person blinded by his own religion? But see gospel news in this verse. The change that was made was not man’s work. It was divine work of God. God came and graciously worked in the hearts these Eph people. But how did God come? Did he come in some mysterious, indefinable, indescribable way?
Now you look at chapter 1:13 says in whom ye also having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
How did all this became past tense for Eph sinners? The gospel of salvation came. That message that says that God in love has sent his Son to a race of dead sinners. The Son has lived and died and been buried and raised and seated at the right hand of the Father. And all who believe, who rely upon, commit themselves to this person in the fullness of the glory of his person. And in the sufficiency of his work, they shall be accepted, forgiven. They heard gospel, believed, and were
saved.
This gospel calling. your hope does not lie in yourself. It does not lie in this church. It does not lie in this preacher or any other human instrumentality. It is by believing the word of the gospel of salvation. It is so simple that it is stumbling block to some; oh give us 101 rules, method
self-help methods. Flesh responds to all self-help religion, no use from all those fleshly advices.
Divine good news is no hope you. So put all your faith on Lord Jesus Christ for time and eternity. Trust bloody gruesome death. Oh that humbles your pride of flesh, doesn’t it? Yes, God calculated that it should be so. That no flesh should glory in his presence. Believe LJC, you shall be saved from this horrible pit of WORST.. may do give you life this morning and rise you up from death. . Oh may God use this message to make some you believe Savior. Believers love saviour more.
Next week we will Frightening words. They are by nature children of wrath