Holiness: For the Will of God Is Your Sanctification – 1 Thessalonians 4:3 [Annotated, Updated]

by J.C. Ryle

Even more than this, Moses refused pleasure. Pleasure of every kind, no doubt, was at his feet, if he had wanted to take it up – sensual pleasure, intellectual pleasure, social pleasure – whatever he could imagine. Egypt was a land of artists, a residence of intellectual men, a resort of everyone who had skill or science of any description. There was nothing that could feed the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life that someone in Moses’ position might not easily have commanded and possessed as his own (1 John 2:16). Let us think again how great this temptation was also. Sadly, pleasure is the one thing for which millions live. They differ, perhaps, in their views of what makes up real pleasure, but all agree in seeking first and foremost to obtain it. Pleasure and enjoyment in the holidays is the great object to which many school children look forward. Pleasure and satisfaction in making himself independent is the mark on which many young men and women in business fix their eyes. Pleasure and ease in retiring from business with a fortune is the aim that the businessman sets before him. Pleasure and bodily comfort at his own home is what the poor man desires. Pleasure and fresh excitement in politics, traveling, amusement, friends, and books is the goal toward which the rich person is striving. Pleasure is the shadow that all alike are hunting – high and low, rich and poor, old and young, one with another – each, perhaps, pretending to despise hi...