Ephesians 2:1-7 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Did the desires of the flesh stop when you were born again? No, flesh is flesh and the appetites remain. So how can we eat and be satisfied without sinning? As I pointed out yesterday moderation is key and not allowing those appetites to dictate not only behavior but also your very thoughts.

Psalm 36:1-4 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

Your heart’s desire is not to be wicked, yet within us is the capacity to sin, not the inclination. We must remember that love is a choice. Do you choose to love the Lord more than the desires of the flesh?

Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

If you want more of Jesus, God will give you more of Jesus.

If you want the things of this world, you are on your own.

The epistles that Paul wrote can be considered a body of work. The sonnets and plays of William Shakespeare are considered his body of works.

What I did to serve my own selfish desires before I surrendered to Christ is my body of sin, the works of sin in my life. Christ did away with that body of work at the cross. Now I live for Christ.

Do I still sin? Yes, because I have not been translated into that incorruptible form yet. Do I serve sin? No. I am called to repent, turn back to God, and find forgiveness for the bad choices I make in this world. Forgiveness keeps me from building once again a body of work built on worldly desires. That is an ongoing process, my daily salvation.

Leviticus 25:14 And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another:

Those in the world want to oppress you. They make their living off your desires. Whatever the market will bear is their motto.

Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Do we control our appetites or give in to them?

1 Peter 2:2-3 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

That is a Kingdom desire not a worldly desire. Kingdom desires are meant to cause you to grow and get stronger. Worldly desires are meant to weaken you and cause you to die in despair.