³For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.

Peter is a realist, and although he has been a follower of Jesus Christ for probably over thirty years, he can remember his pre-conversion days well. Not that he is guilty at this point of all the things he is writing about, but he is familiar with them. In a kind of odd way, he tells us, “Enough is enough.” He admits that these things, these temptations, bring a certain fleshly satisfaction. People don’t usually do things that bring little or no enjoyment or satisfaction of some sort. The problem with sin is that such pleasure is short-lived. Sin needs to repeat itself to continually bring the same or greater enjoyment.

Of course, this enjoyment of sin is a lie, as sin ultimately brings death, but the fleshly man is blind to this truth until it is too late. But for Christians, it is possible to continue pursuing the insatiable enjoyment of sin, but for no other purpose than to satisfy the flesh. At this point, Peter is stark; his list is fodder for enticing novels or movie themes today. He writes of what seems the coarser kinds of sensual sins. One pictures wanton, unleashed orgies and related activities. We must be careful that we do not think we are immune to these kinds of temptations. The apostle Paul writes, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man . . .” (1 Cor. 10:12–13a). You and I are perfectly capable of sinning as Peter describes; don’t let arrogance tell you otherwise! The appeal of Las Vegas in all its lights and shimmering, glimmering sensuality may very well capture what Satan tempted Jesus with when he showed Him the kingdoms and glory of the world (Matt. 4:8).

This consummate picture of sensual worldliness comes in subtler forms as well; in fact, it permeates our world—advertisements using sex-appeal draw our eyes daily either to lust or envy. Appeals to self-fulfillment or experiencing the “gusto” of life are all temptations of the flesh. Even the desire to be fashionable, attractive, or “cool” is easily tainted by self-serving motives.

The battle is constant, but Peter tells us to make a definitive decision. The flesh will never be satisfied—we should know that by experience! It hasn’t yet, and it never will. As Christians, we know this with our minds, but we need to take control with our will and say “no” to the fleshly desires we enjoyed in the past. It begins today, right now. Today is the first day of the rest of our Christian life, and we need to put our sin behind us.

Lord, I resolve to stop committing the sin that comes to my mind right now.