satisfaction, pleasures, plans for the future

SATISFACTION

Planning for the future without regard for God and eternity is madness

There are many things in this world from which we can seek pleasure. These things can be, for example, sex and pornography, spirits, homosexuality, witchcraft, sports, or other similar things. We may do them just to get satisfaction; we may feel that our lives are empty and worthless if we do not have some “pleasant things” in it to enlighten our lives.

So for example, a man who has a passion for pornography can think about naked women, sex scenes, and practice masturbation throughout the day to satisfy the lust. He cannot be without these daily thoughts because they give him satisfaction and otherwise, his life would feel empty. Satisfaction and his own evil desire, about which James wrote, force him to do these things.

- (James 1:14,15) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

PLEASURE

When we search for satisfaction, we may also have great plans and dreams for this life – dreams that are good as such and that we wait to come true and happen in the future. For example, the following can be such issues we are waiting for:

- When I finish school

- When I get my driver’s license

- When I pass the matriculation examination

- When I finish the army

- When I get into a good place to study

- When I find a lovely and loving spouse

- When I get the job of my dreams

- When I get a house at the lakeside

- When I win the world championship

- When I win a lot of money in the lottery

- When I get a summer cottage and a new boat

- When I see my children succeed and prosper in their lives

- When I can retire and travel

THE SHORTNESS OF OUR LIFE AND ETERNITY

To have dreams for this life is not wrong. Neither is it wrong to satisfy sexual needs with your spouse, even every day. Many of these things are actually good, necessary, and essential in this life and can be pursued.

The problem, however, is that many people have a too short-term plan for their lives. As our present life on the Earth is like “a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away” (James 4:13,14 Go to now, you that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.), many people invest only in this short life but not in eternity. Their plans only cover the following few years or decades, but they do not think about eternity and the possibility of Heaven. Their treasures are only in this life, in its pleasures, and in what they can achieve, not in what will happen after it. This is what Jesus said about this:

- (Matt 6:21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

- (Matt 16:26) For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

We should so pay attention to eternity. If we look at the next verses, they tell us about the eternal life and comfort that we can receive. When compared to them, many good things in this world are, after all, quite small and insignificant:

In the Bible there are also other verses about the destiny of a person who does not bother with eternal life and rejects it. According to these verses – if we are only interested in the pleasures of this life, sensuality, and lust – we will loose our soul, in other words we will be faced with eternal damnation. The thing is that we have been given only this short life – maybe for about 70–80 years – and after that, we can no longer change our eternal destiny. If we now (maybe at this very moment) choose the wrong thing, it will influence our eternal life. Therefore choose the right, so that you would not have to regret later.

John 6:27 Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give to you: for him has God the Father sealed.

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began

Rev 21:5-7 And he that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said to me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Rev 22:1-5 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the middle of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bore twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life.

Gal 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, jealousies, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Contentions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Matt 25:41,46 Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Rev 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 21:7,8 He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Rev 22:14,15 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie.

ALL THINGS CAN BE FORGIVEN

As we have been given only this short life, it is so important that we do not waste it, or forfeit our soul and go to damnation. It is better that we spend eternity with God and experience “heavenly satisfaction”, because it is certainly better than anything we have experienced in this life. Many of these things may be good, but they certainly cannot replace Heaven.

But how can we get to Heaven and get the forgiveness of sins? We look at this issue in the light of the next examples:

Turn to God

Firstly if we have filled our lives with the pleasures of this life, fornication, playboy life, witchcraft, or sins in general when looking for satisfaction, it is good to understand that all things can be forgiven and we can receive eternal life, about which the previous verses talked. Even though these things, such as sin in general, lead to damnation, things will immediately change if we turn to God through Jesus Christ, confess our sins and confess that we have been away from Him. We can receive forgiveness of our sins in the same way as the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 who squandered his wealth on a reckless life but who later turned to his father. Do therefore in the same way. Turn to heavenly God and give Him your life. Tell Him that you want to follow Him with all your heart and that His will would come true in your life:

- (Luke 15:13, 18-20) And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you,

19 And am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

Life in Jesus Christ

The second important issue to understand is that the foundation for the forgiveness of our sins is that Jesus died for us. The Bible clearly tells us that only He is the way to Heaven, to God, and through Him we can receive the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. If we turn to Him, we will receive these wonderful gifts immediately. Turn therefore to Him and do not reject the gift of eternal life that is offered to you. Then, you may spend eternity with God, and the “heavenly satisfaction” and life in Heaven will certainly be better than anything you have experienced in this life:

- (John 14:6) Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

- (John 5:40) And you will not come to me, that you might have life.

- (Acts 10:43) To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins.

- (Acts 13:38,39) Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:

39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION:

Lord, Jesus, I turn to You. I confess that I have sinned against You and I have not lived according to Your will. However, I want to turn from my sins and follow You with all my heart. I also believe that my sins have been forgiven by Your atonement work and I have received eternal life through You. I thank You for the salvation You have given me. Amen.