Sins of the flesh pervade our society, let’s face it.
If you are not mired in them, then you are tempted to them virtually every, single day. Television and radio commercials sell sex. Movies, sitcoms, comedies, and movies promote them. Every grocery store aisle has magazines speaking of them. What passes for popular music rarely has a song that does not promote sins of the flesh.
Basically, everywhere you turn, you are reminded of them and encouraged to engage in them.
Yet, what becomes of those who do give in to the temptation? Holy Scripture informs us. In fact, from the Epistles of Saint Paul, we can gain an understanding of what the sins of the flesh are and what destruction results for those who partake.
For a culture that makes recreational sex a protected Constitution right, in the form of government protections for contraception users, abortion seekers, pornography peddlers, and the like, our nation will surely be punished by God. Individuals caught up in these sins will surely have to answer to the Lord.
What follows is a survey of Bible verses on sins of the flesh, and the fallout thereof. These are from the Douay-Rheims.
“I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. /
For the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another: so that you do not the things that you would. /
But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. /
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, /
Idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, /
Envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. Of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God. /
But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, /
Mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such there is no law. /
And they that are Christ’s, have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences” – Galatians 5:16-24.
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service of idols. /
For which things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief, /
In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them. /
But now put you also all away: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech out of your mouth. /
Lie not one to another: stripping yourselves of the old man with his deeds” – Colossians 3:5-9.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice: /
Because that which is known of God is manifest in them. For God hath manifested it unto them. /
For the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; his eternal power also, and divinity: so that they are inexcusable. /
Because that, when they knew God, they have not glorified him as God, or given thanks; but became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened. /
For professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. /
And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of fourfooted beasts, and of creeping things. /
Wherefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness, to dishonour their own bodies among themselves. /
Who changed the truth of God into a lie; and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. /
For this cause God delivered them up to shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use which is against nature. /
And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts one towards another, men with men working that which is filthy, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error. /
And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient; /
Being filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness, full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity, whisperers, /
Detractors, hateful to God, contumelious, proud, haughty, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, /
Foolish, dissolute, without affection, without fidelity, without mercy. /
Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death; and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them” – Romans 1:18-32.
“And you, when you were dead in your offences, and sins, /
Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of this air, of the spirit that now worketh on the children of unbelief: /
In which also we all conversed in time past, in the desires of our flesh, fulfilling the will of the flesh and of our thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” – Ephesians 2:1-3.
“For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death” – Romans 7:5.
“Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption” – Galatians 6:7-8.
“For they that are according to the flesh, mind the things that are of the flesh; but they that are according to the spirit, mind the things that are of the spirit. /
For the wisdom of the flesh is death; but the wisdom of the spirit is life and peace. /
Because the wisdom of the flesh is an enemy to God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither can it be. /
And they who are in the flesh, cannot please God…
For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die: but if by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live” – Romans 8:5-8,13
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences” – Romans 13:14.
Is it any wonder then that God gives us over to the sins of the flesh, when we insist to serve our passions, rather than put to death our concupiscence, as we are commanded?
YOUR TURN
Pretty strong language from God Himself, don’t you agree?
Leave your thoughts below on Saint Paul’s admonitions against sins of the flesh.
