“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.” (Galatians 5:24, NLT)
James 4:1 explains that the origins of conflicts and fights among humans lies with “passions” that wage war in people. When these human passions get out of control or take control, the inevitable results include quarrels and fights and conflict and war and damage and death. Human passions have the ability to cause tremendous upheaval not only in the world but in your life.
What is very interesting about James 4:1 is that the Greek word used in this verse for “passions” that wage war in human conflict is directly related to the word for “Hedonism”. According to the Oxford dictionary, Hedonism is “the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.” Hedonists live in search of all possible human pleasures that feel good to them. They do not put anything in life above this pursuit. Their goal is to live life with as much pleasure in it, no matter the cost to others, to their body, or to their soul. When James 4:1 teaches that hedonistic passions are the source of much misery in the world, you can understand why. Hedonism is “every man for himself”. Hedonism doesn’t care about others, only self-pleasure.
The scripture for today from Galatians 5:24 adds to this understanding. It too points to the “sinful nature” of passions and desires as dangerous for the spiritual life. Paul urges followers of Christ to “crucify” these passions and desires at the cross; to give them up for Jesus. If not, they will in time destroy body and soul. The Greek word used in this verse for “passions” is different than the one used in James 4:1. It is a relative of the Greek word, “πάθημα” (pathama), which means “impulse” or “tragic emotional desire”. There are many people who feed their “impulses”, “passions”, and “desires”. Some go through life searching for their next high, addicted to dangerous behaviors, or hooked on a person or thing. They are “impulsive” in their actions. They do not think before they act, because they are driven by the desire to pursue what the body desires.
Addictions of all sorts have their roots in “πάθημα”. Those who are addicted to alcohol have the “impulse” to drink more. Those who are addicted to drugs have the “impulse” to be a user. Those who are addicted to power have the “impulse” or craving to gain advantage over others. Those who are addicted to sex are driven “impulsively” to more or greater sexual experiences. However, it's not just addicted persons who suffer with “πάθημα”. Anyone who has an overexaggerated impulse to shop, to hoard, to exercise, to overeat, and so much more suffer from an “impulsive” behavior to fulfill a desire. These types of impulsive passions can control and ruin your everyday life.
When Norma was just a young girl of eight, she was sexually molested. Because the molestation came from a close relative, she suffered for several years from the person’s closeness. She learned that this relative craved her body and Norma learned to use this to her favor. Threatening to tell on the relative, Norma was given gifts to keep her quiet. When Norma became a teenager, she found that using her body sexually gave her favor with boys. From then on, she continued to use sex as a method to fulfill her own desires, getting her the boys she favored and the attention she craved.
However, through all these sinful interactions, Normal didn’t realize that the boys she manipulated in her favor and the sexual desires she plied skillfully were eating away at her soul. They were distorting her values. She was seen by other girls as “loose” or worse. She was not desired by other boys as wife material but more so as a “fun time”. Not finding love, Norma began an Only Fans site online and earned good money. But all the while, Norma didn’t realize how this X-rated life was ruining her reputation and co-opting her future. When Norma turned thirty-two, she realized that all her dreams were dying. As a child, she longed for a loving husband and children. She dreamed about a loving home with a picket fence and a dog and cat. She had traditional dreams that were dying because she had plied her impulsive passions for money. Men did not envision her as a wife or mother. She felt more and more isolated until she took her own life by hanging herself in a city park.
When you let your impulsive human passions and desires control your life, they will slowly but inevitably destroy all you hold dear. That is why the scripture for today claims that as a follower of Christ, you must nail these desires and passions to the cross. You need to place them at the feet of Jesus. You need to let God teach you how to live your life, dealing with these earthly passions and desires.
During this month of December, you will hear in worship of the birth of Jesus. One of the scriptures that is often cited is from Matthew. It not only mentions the birth of Jesus but also of the desire of Herod to kill Jesus (Matthew 2). What is often not mentioned in worship is that Herod suffered greatly from his impulses, desires, and passions. Herod was obsessed with his kingship. He became so engrossed in keeping power over Judah that he murdered three of his own sons and other political rivals. Emperor Augustus of Rome even commented that “it is better to be Herod’s pig than his son”. Augustus knew that, as a Jew, Herod would not eat pork. And Augustus also knew that Herod would kill anyone who got in his way politically. Herod would kill at a whim, impulsively, to fulfill his own lust for gain. Not surprisingly, Herod died a painful, horrific death himself. However, this is long after his soul was consumed with evil.
If you let sinful passions and desires have their way in your mind, heart, and soul, they will bring destruction and death upon you. If you do not crucify these desires in your life for Jesus’ sake, they will find a way to control your emotions and future potential. How you deal with sinful passions and desires tells oh so much of what you value, what you believe, and what your future holds. Out of a love of Jesus, treat your passions and desires with holy scrutiny.
What is very interesting about James 4:1 is that the Greek word used in this verse for “passions” that wage war in human conflict is directly related to the word for “Hedonism”. According to the Oxford dictionary, Hedonism is “the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.” Hedonists live in search of all possible human pleasures that feel good to them. They do not put anything in life above this pursuit. Their goal is to live life with as much pleasure in it, no matter the cost to others, to their body, or to their soul. When James 4:1 teaches that hedonistic passions are the source of much misery in the world, you can understand why. Hedonism is “every man for himself”. Hedonism doesn’t care about others, only self-pleasure.
The scripture for today from Galatians 5:24 adds to this understanding. It too points to the “sinful nature” of passions and desires as dangerous for the spiritual life. Paul urges followers of Christ to “crucify” these passions and desires at the cross; to give them up for Jesus. If not, they will in time destroy body and soul. The Greek word used in this verse for “passions” is different than the one used in James 4:1. It is a relative of the Greek word, “πάθημα” (pathama), which means “impulse” or “tragic emotional desire”. There are many people who feed their “impulses”, “passions”, and “desires”. Some go through life searching for their next high, addicted to dangerous behaviors, or hooked on a person or thing. They are “impulsive” in their actions. They do not think before they act, because they are driven by the desire to pursue what the body desires.
Addictions of all sorts have their roots in “πάθημα”. Those who are addicted to alcohol have the “impulse” to drink more. Those who are addicted to drugs have the “impulse” to be a user. Those who are addicted to power have the “impulse” or craving to gain advantage over others. Those who are addicted to sex are driven “impulsively” to more or greater sexual experiences. However, it's not just addicted persons who suffer with “πάθημα”. Anyone who has an overexaggerated impulse to shop, to hoard, to exercise, to overeat, and so much more suffer from an “impulsive” behavior to fulfill a desire. These types of impulsive passions can control and ruin your everyday life.
When Norma was just a young girl of eight, she was sexually molested. Because the molestation came from a close relative, she suffered for several years from the person’s closeness. She learned that this relative craved her body and Norma learned to use this to her favor. Threatening to tell on the relative, Norma was given gifts to keep her quiet. When Norma became a teenager, she found that using her body sexually gave her favor with boys. From then on, she continued to use sex as a method to fulfill her own desires, getting her the boys she favored and the attention she craved.
However, through all these sinful interactions, Normal didn’t realize that the boys she manipulated in her favor and the sexual desires she plied skillfully were eating away at her soul. They were distorting her values. She was seen by other girls as “loose” or worse. She was not desired by other boys as wife material but more so as a “fun time”. Not finding love, Norma began an Only Fans site online and earned good money. But all the while, Norma didn’t realize how this X-rated life was ruining her reputation and co-opting her future. When Norma turned thirty-two, she realized that all her dreams were dying. As a child, she longed for a loving husband and children. She dreamed about a loving home with a picket fence and a dog and cat. She had traditional dreams that were dying because she had plied her impulsive passions for money. Men did not envision her as a wife or mother. She felt more and more isolated until she took her own life by hanging herself in a city park.
When you let your impulsive human passions and desires control your life, they will slowly but inevitably destroy all you hold dear. That is why the scripture for today claims that as a follower of Christ, you must nail these desires and passions to the cross. You need to place them at the feet of Jesus. You need to let God teach you how to live your life, dealing with these earthly passions and desires.
During this month of December, you will hear in worship of the birth of Jesus. One of the scriptures that is often cited is from Matthew. It not only mentions the birth of Jesus but also of the desire of Herod to kill Jesus (Matthew 2). What is often not mentioned in worship is that Herod suffered greatly from his impulses, desires, and passions. Herod was obsessed with his kingship. He became so engrossed in keeping power over Judah that he murdered three of his own sons and other political rivals. Emperor Augustus of Rome even commented that “it is better to be Herod’s pig than his son”. Augustus knew that, as a Jew, Herod would not eat pork. And Augustus also knew that Herod would kill anyone who got in his way politically. Herod would kill at a whim, impulsively, to fulfill his own lust for gain. Not surprisingly, Herod died a painful, horrific death himself. However, this is long after his soul was consumed with evil.
If you let sinful passions and desires have their way in your mind, heart, and soul, they will bring destruction and death upon you. If you do not crucify these desires in your life for Jesus’ sake, they will find a way to control your emotions and future potential. How you deal with sinful passions and desires tells oh so much of what you value, what you believe, and what your future holds. Out of a love of Jesus, treat your passions and desires with holy scrutiny.