39 Do Not Give In to Lusts
The fruits of resisting and offending lusts and desires are peace to the soul and tranquility to the spirit.
Subject and discipline your desires, to subdue it to accept simple matters. Teach it not to revolt and be angry against what does not seem fit, for our lusts deceive us, our passions cause us to be restless, and our senses can seduce us.
The worst punishment, man can receive, is that God leave him to his lusts and deliver him to his-self! The Lord said; “But My people would not heed my voice, and Israel would have none of me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels” (Psalm 81:11, 12). And the apostle Paul said; “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28). So, if man is delivered to his-self, and the grace of God departed from him, eventually he will fall into the hands of a vicious enemy, which in turn will let him taste wrath and woe, for when the grace of God departs the person, it is a terrible hell, which brings the worst fear.
Beware, O beloved, that the divine care does not leave you, and do not calm down until you walk in the path of grace.
Come close to Jesus’ feet, and weep and sigh fervently, till He takes you unto Him, and pulls you away from your desires and lusts, which can throw you into Hades.
Those who follow their fleshly desires and lusts, are likened to the run-away horse, which is out of control, thus taking them from corruption to another worse than the first, till it put them into eternal punishment.
Do not obey, O beloved, your lusts, and do not allow your desires to control you or push you around, otherwise the divine grace will despise you, and if God’s grace and His mercy left you, who do you have to run to or depend on?
