Lovers of Pleasure Are Most Likely To Reject the Gospel!

2 Timothy 3:1-8 warns of last day perils and one of type of perils listed are people who love pleasure more than themselves.  I have observed how some people refuse to leave their religion because they love pleasure.  What I have observed with pagan religions especially Roman Catholicism is how people are obsessed with feasting.  Look at a lot of countries that were formerly Spanish colonies and predominantly Roman Catholic and you will find people who are lovers of pleasure.

Reading the history of Spanish colonies, one of the many ways that Spain has kept people under control was not always by force.  The use of feasts were used by the Spanish friars to keep people distracted while the Vatican collected its loot.  I am really surprised that by simply look at the Roman Catholic pantheon of saints, it's very easy to find there's a lot of feast days in just one month!  While classes may go on but from what I remember, each village in a predominantly Roman Catholic country has a patron for each place.  In the ancient times, every city has a patron god or goddess like the Ephesians adhered to Diana as their patron goddess.

If you recall the parable of the sower, there were seeds that fell on the thorny ground.  Now a lot of people have a poor misunderstanding especially between Antinomians and Arminians.  Arminians think the parable warns of a loss of salvation while Antinomians think it's possible to be saved and not bear any fruit at all.  Both views are very misguided and unbiblical.  When you think of the thorns, it symbolizes worldliness and how people care too much about the world.  Just like the rich young ruler who tried to justify himself, he was shown to love money more than God.  A lot of rich people though not all tend to reject God that's why it's easier for the camel to enter the eye of a needle but hard for a rich man to enter Heaven.  If you really worry too much about money then you can't see your need for Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior nor would you want His providence because of high pride and loving pleasure.

An example I can give is how somebody can be so happy attending in a Jesuit parish or academy.  Just go to any Jesuit-ran school or parish you will find it to be very popular with the world.  It just reminded me of how some people wanted to transfer to a Jesuit school because that's where the children of the rich go to.  When I think of Jesuit universities, most of them have a very ridiculously high tuition fee and lavish events like a PHP 5,000.00 worth of a Christmas party per student or they have their elaborate graduation balls.  When it's time to talk about the Gospel with such people, I can hear something like, "You Protestants/Baptists/Evangelicals (take your pick) are so low class.  I enjoy my Jesuit parish with all the rich people, my Jesuit education which gives me a good resume and of course, the prestige because the Jesuits are the most well-known educators.  The most expensive school is the best school and the Jesuits prove it." from their mouths.  So much for accusing born again Christians of profiteering others when in fact, their religion makes them pay money for almost every ritual and even after death, they still have to pay money via their surviving relatives.  Martin Luther did the right thing to burn those indulgences in public because Rome indulged in the money of the gullible masses.

Does that mean that a lover of pleasure is already going to automatically reject the Gospel?  Not always as some converts to Christ used to be lovers of pleasure themselves.  Evangelism itself requires a lot of cultivating before planting.  When a person is still worldly, that person may not be ready to receive the Gospel.  What might be needed is to really address the Book of Ecclesiastes as a way to remove the thorns.  Showing them verses like about how the love of money (and not money itself) is the root of all evil in today's modern society or how they are not satisfied deep within may also be a good strategy to remove the thorns.  It takes a lot of patience when it comes to witnessing to worldly people.