Pleasure is the engine that drives our entire species.
Honor, power, recognition, wealth, success, genius, strength, beauty, fellowship, companionship, physical attraction, sexual passion, happiness, joy…these are the pleasures we work so hard to achieve and strive with all our might to obtain. And when we fail to obtain these pleasures in sufficient quantity (or at all), we consider ourselves failures and question our value as human beings.
To wit: in our hearts we really believe that our highest, most transcendent state IS that of Pleasure…
…and the Bible agrees!
“If they hear and serve Him [God], They will end their days in prosperity And their years in pleasures.” – Job 36:11 “You [God] will make known to me the Path of [Eternal] Life; In Your Presence is fullness of joy; In Your Right Hand there are pleasures forever.” – Psalms 16:11 “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” – Psalms 149:4 “All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.” – Solomon, Ecclesiastes 2:10 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” 1st Timothy 6:17 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” – Revelation 21:4
It may surprise you to know that GOD is capable of experiencing pleasure…yet He does!
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” – Revelation 4:11
Everything that exists IN THE STATE THAT GOD CREATED IT was created for God’s own Pleasure.
And, of course, being made in God’s own Image and Likeness (Genesis 1:26, 27), we also take pleasure in the works of our own hands and in each other’s company.
This all may be somewhat of a revelation to some of you that believed Christianity consists entirely of avoiding any pleasure at all costs…I am glad to say that you are mistaken. In fact, there is a poem in the Bible devoted entirely to sensuality.
What the One True God (described in the Bible) takes issue with is pleasure without purpose…pleasure for its own sake.
Those of you with little or no exposure to religion are probably thinking “pleasure IS the purpose…there’s nothing wrong with pleasure for its own sake, as you yourself said at the beginning of this blog entry.”
What I said at the beginning of this blog entry is that Pleasure is our most transcendent STATE…not our most transcendent purpose. Our most transcendent PURPOSE is TO GIVE GOD PLEASURE in the way we live our lives; God, in turn, gives us THE HIGHEST PLEASURE that has ever existed or ever will exist…
…Himself…His Fullness, His Glory, His Wisdom, His Enormous and Unconditional Love and Character.
I know…I probably lost more than a few of you on that one, BUT I AM TELLING YOU THE TRUTH.
The problem with being a sinner is that I would prefer to engage in immediate, inferior pleasures rather than exhibit the patience necessary to hold out for the Greatest Pleasure.
The Lake of Fire (the Ultimate Pain and Terror…devoid of any pleasure entirely) will be the destination of many a poor soul–not because they didn’t know how to avoid it, but because they didn’t have the patience to wait for the Real, Eternal Pleasure…
…it’s an extremely difficult choice for some to make (and it’s a choice we’re called on to make several times a day), but the consequences are stark and unavoidably real.
What choices are you making?
Need some help?
Pray to Jesus Christ…He is MORE THAN WILLING to share with you FREE OF CHARGE His own Patience, Perseverance and Endurance!
Amen.
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