A man needs to control his impulses, without doing so there would be chaos across the planet. Even the wicked do so, but only out of a fear of retribution if they are caught.
“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” (Eccl. 8:11)
They perform their evil deeds in the dark, out of the sight of others so that the punishment they should reap is not brought upon them, but many do now, and always have, in the light of day, boldly and without fear in the sight of all. There will be no punishment for some of them in this life, and it is foolish to believe there will be, they are above the laws set in place for others, the rules for them do not exist, their impulses can go unchecked, they have gained the whole world at the cost of their immortal soul.
You must ask yourself this question today, and it is vitally important that you answer yourself honestly, do you control your impulses, those traits of your old sinful nature because of the fear of man, the fear of God, or a love for the Savior? Do you still perform deeds in the dark that you know are dishonoring to the Lord, returning as the dog to his vomit while begging forgiveness from the Almighty, and at the same time, after the shame once again envelopes you, wondering why He does not remove those impulses from you?
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1st Peter 1:16)
Perhaps the occurrences become separated by time a little more, perhaps the impulse draws you just a little less than it once did, but it is still there, and the battle has yet to be won. And you hate yourself in these moments because of it.
There is a part of us that we hide from even those that we love and cherish the most, from those we trust above all others, for to bring them into the light would cause unbearable shame, yet we are to confess our faults to each other because these temptations, these impulses, are common to all men.
And your Savior knew them as well.
Sometimes my friends, love is not enough, it is not enough to know that there are those who love you deeply who are willing to bear this burden with you, who will hold you accountable, who will be there when the impulse draws you into that sin again. Is it enough for you to know that every moment of your life, every thought is known to the Lord? Do you fear His chastisement, is that why you attempt to keep your body under subjection? Is that why you try to keep your thoughts from wandering back to those desires?
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1st Cor. 15:52)
But you will still give your account to God.
Those temptations are your responsibility, the Holy Spirit is willing to assist you in them, but He is not going to remove them from you, not until you are glorified.
If you fear the loss of your heavenly rewards, good, for if you continue in these sins and are truly saved, you will lose them.
If you fear the loss of love and trust of those you hold dear if they find out, good, for most will not help you in this battle, even as they will not seek your help in theirs.
If you fear dishonoring the Lord, good, remember it is Him that you represent here.
Punishment should always be on your mind if you will not control those impulses, but at the forefront of all should be the love you have for the Savior.
