The pleasures of the flesh are not subject to moral choice. They do not fall within the realm of morality, and are not voluntary. Nevertheless, they are a common temptation in the human condition, and a Christian should be careful not to indulge in them. The Bible calls them “worldly pleasures.”

Leticia Gossdenovich Feldman

The pleasures of the flesh are things which we enjoy but which we cannot please or control. These things are not within the scope of morality and are prohibited by God. The first step to stop pleasing the flesh is to cultivate a strong faith in God. This will lead us to seek better things in Him. All other directions in our lives will be subordinate to our pursuit of God. The pleasure of the flesh is an inordinate or excessive desire which hinders our soul.

Pleasures of the flesh are tantalizing but only temporary. They can only satisfy us for a short time and then we need something else. The pleasures of the flesh are often associated with sexual sins. In fact, the nineteenth century critic Robert Buchanan condemned a school of poetry called the Fleshly School of Poetry for its preoccupation with sex and sensual matters. This criticism eventually gave rise to numerous books and films about the subject.

Pleasures of the flesh are the greatest temptation to sin. While a healthy body is necessary for duty, the pleasures of the flesh are not good for the soul. A heavy body is a dull servant of the mind and is a great temptation to sin. The temptations of the flesh are many and varied.

Pleasures of the flesh are essentially akin to idol worship. They nourish filthy lusts and other forms of sin. In addition, they cause harm to the body and deprive it of its sanctification. Therefore, God commands us to practice temperance and avoid unnecessary pleasures of the flesh. Besides, if we indulge in the pleasures of the flesh, we are not fulfilling our duties of justice, charity, and self-preservation.

Exodus

The pleasures of the flesh can be good for you, but they can also hurt you. They feed your filthy lusts and other sins, and they can degrade your body and render it unfit to do its duties. Besides, they can hinder your piety and justice, and they can even hinder your self-preservation. If you want to save your soul, you must stop pleasing your flesh.

Ultimately, all sin is motivated by the desire or interest of the flesh. Therefore, all sins are designed to appease these desires. And since flesh-pleasing is a common root cause of all sin, curing it is the first step towards reclaiming the poise of your life.

Pleasures of the flesh were not the only pleasures of the flesh. Apes spend all their time pursuing these desires, and they would even spend a thousand years more. This is because of their natural desire for flesh, and if they could choose to give up their souls, they would do it.

In contrast, the pleasures of the flesh are inferior to the pleasures of the spirit. A good person should aim for more pleasure and greater sense than the pleasures of the flesh. These pleasures are in the form of health, friends, food, and convenient housing. While these things are more satisfying than the heavenly delights, they are far inferior to the joys of God.

Worldly pleasures

Throughout the Bible, we see that the pursuit of worldly pleasures is ultimately the cause of suffering and death. People who seek only worldly pleasures are often fools, because they think only of having a good time. Likewise, those who seek spiritual satisfaction are wiser than those who seek worldly pleasures.

Hypocritical worship

Hypocritical worship means expressing the certainty of faith in God using the tongue and heart, while at the same time making other people his partners in worship. Those who commit hypocrisy will spend their life in Hell, although their punishment will be lesser than those who totally deny their faith and turn their backs on God.

For instance, some people who claim to be children of God may attend Sabbath services and holy days, but their heart is full of greed, covetousness, anger, and hatred. Such people are hypocrites because their hearts are filled with these pleasures. They cannot earn praise and glory from God.

Forsaking God for the flesh

Paul describes living in the spirit as walking by the Spirit, not by the flesh. He also says that we must not gratify the desires of the flesh. If we do, we will be living in sin. So, the best way to overcome sin is to become like Christ and live by His example.