Studies in First John - Message Four
Love not the world 1 John 2:15-17
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. KJVDon't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world-wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important-has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out-but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. MSG
John is writing here to mature and faithful Christians - who have overcome the evil one, who are walking in unity and remaining true to God. But bearing in mind how intensely practical this epistle is, he takes time to warn them of a secret spiritual danger that can still overtake them if they're not careful - the love of the world.
Just as Murphy's Law states the amount of work always expands to fill the time available so the love of the world will, says The Message, squeeze love of the Father out of our lives.The World
We need to first of all clarify what John means here by the "world". The Greek word Cosmos means "world" but has different connotations depending on context. Of course God so loved the World that He gave….in that instance the word is obviously referring to the people in the world. Then there's the physical world of creation and obviously John is not saying that we mustn't appreciate creation. No, in this context "world" means the things in the world that motivate us - our appetites and passions. In the NT the apostles often use the word Cosmos to denote the corruption and schemes of Satan that are resident in the world that oppose the love of God. As John puts it here, these schemes and corrupt ways will squeeze the love of God out of us, drain us of time and energy and distract our attention and affections until we have nothing left for God.
Just as Paul writes to Timothy and says that it is the love of money, not money per se, that is the root of all evil, so John here is saying it is not the world per se, but the love of the world that will insidiously squeeze the love of God out of your life.All that is in the world
In V.16 John goes on to tell us exactly what it is in the world that secretly tugs and pulls us away from the Father: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Whether you call these three motivations or temptations - the truth is that they are not from the Father, but from the world, and they pull us away from the Father and towards the world.
They are not new - but made their first appearance in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:6 When Eve succumbs to the serpent she sees that the fruit of the forbidden tree is good for food (lust of the flesh) pleasant to the eye (the lust of the eyes) and desirable to make one wise (pride of life).Jesus overcame the world
In Jn 16:31 Jesus said "be of good cheer - I have overcome the world". Jesus spoke that in the context of the tribulation we have in the world. He was speaking before Calvary but in the past tense, so when did Jesus overcome the "world"? In the Wilderness. In Matt 4 and Luke 4 we read that the very first thing that happens to Jesus after He announces himself is that he goes into the wilderness to be tempted and tested by Satan.
If you take a closer look at the three specific temptations named - they are the same three that Eve succumbed to and that John is warning us about.· Turning stones into bread - that's the lust of the flesh
· Showing him the kingdoms of this world - that's the lust of the eyes
· Throw yourself down and the angels will catch you - the pride of life.And in each of these three temptations Jesus in his answer to Satan gives us the clue to how we can overcome. Let's examine these three slow acting poisons and Jesus' antidote
The lust of the flesh
Genuine appetites that have got out of control - things that we need but have become obsessive about. You see we do have basic appetites in life - but when those appetites become cravings and begin to control us and drive us, they destroy the love of the Father in our lives.
The sex drive for instance is a valid desire - but taken out of God's guidelines, it destroys the love of the Father in us. When we take the gift of sex out of it's protective wrapping it becomes hazardous material. There was a big time American evangelist who was known the world over and who publicly lambasted and criticised other preachers whom he accused of being corrupt. But secretly he was visiting strip shows and sex clubs. The lust of the flesh destroyed the love of God in him, pulled him away from the Father.
The World is so deceptive - the cravings of the flesh never lead to satisfaction. The lust of the flesh entices you but never fulfils you - it only creates a greater hunger and emptiness. INDULGENCE NEVER SATISFIES - IT ONLY WHETS THE APPETITE FOR MORE That's why the vices of this world are so addictive - their promise is an illusion. Pornography just creates a greater hunger - that's why the TV gets worse and worse. What satisfies today is boring tomorrow.
It's fine to have possessions but when the possessions have you, you're in trouble. The man who has made his first million is too busy making his next to enjoy it. We should be working to live not living to work. My brother Keith told me this week of a man whose house he worked on in Knightsbridge. His house had marble floors and a three storey glass staircase. He spent £60,000 on the kitchen. He died of a heart attack at the age of 44 before he even saw the house finished.
What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world but suffers the loss of his own soul.Money can buy you a house, but it can't buy you a home
Money can buy you insurance, but it can't buy you security
Money can buy you entertainment, but it can't buy you happiness
Money can buy you medicine, but it can't buy you health
Money can buy you a bed, but it can't buy you sleep
Money can buy you companionship, but it can't buy you friendship
Money can buy you sex, but it can't buy you love
The antidote?
To this temptation Jesus said man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We are not merely physical beings - we are spiritual made in the image of God and there are needs in our life that run deeper than just appetites. You see, instead of feeding the flesh, we need to feed the spirit man within us. When we feed our spirit (reading the Word, praying, fellowshipping with other Christians, going to Church) our flesh will be kept in check.The lust of the eyes
The things we don't need - but want. Covetousness. Idolatry. When we worship the creation more than the creator - spend more time chasing after the things of the world than the things of God. Jesus said "Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you.
A Sunday newspaper carried a story in January of 1999 concerning a man called John McGuiness, who won £10 million on the Lottery. Before that, he'd been earning just £150 per week. After the win he could afford anything he wanted - so he spent a million on a house, and over a million on cars and nearly a million on jewellery for his girlfriend, half a million on holidays and gave over a million to his local football club. But because of interest, he's still got almost 10 million in the bank. But the really amazing thing is that he says the money hasn't made him any happier at all. He said:
"It hasn't brought me any real contentment. I'm no happier since I won the lottery. The only time I really got a buzz was the night I won. Then everything started to come down bit by bit. When I buy something new it does give me a fifteen second buzz. But it's a high that doesn't last. A house is just a house and a car is just a heap of metal. When I was working at least I felt as though I was achieving something. I know £10 million is a lot of money, but if I'd stayed as I was I'd be just as happy."
And in one area of John's life, the win has actually made things worse. Although he's given a lot of money to his family, it has only caused problems. He said: "The money has caused so much hassle within the family. No matter how much you give them it's still not enough. We were a very close family before the lottery, but the money has caused a lot of heartache, and in the backs of our minds we know something has gone. A gulf has opened up"Jesus said in Luke 12:15 "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Like the prodigal son, who thought he was missing out and lusted after what others had, until one day he woke up and found himself in a pigsty - far from his father's home. The love of the world will drive you from the love of the Father.
In 1923 nine of the richest men in America met at Chicago's Edgewater Beach Hotel. Their wealth and influence made them among the most powerful men in the nationa. They were: the president of the New York Stock Exchange, the most influential financier on Wall Street, the head of the world's biggest monopoly, the presidents of America's biggest steel corporation, electricity company, and gas company, powerful wheat baron, the president of an international bank and the Secretary of the Interior. Such men would have been the envy of America at the time, but just 25 years later the picture was dramatically different. By 1948, one of the men was insane, 2 had recently been released from prison, 3 others were bankrupt and the remaining 3 had committed suicide.The antidote?
To the lust of the eyes, Jesus said the antidote is the Worship of God. The first commandment is that we should love God with all that is within us. Idolatry puts other things before our eyes, but worship of God puts the Lord before us and keeps us on track and full of the love of the Father. Your eyes will see the King in His beauty (Is 33:17).The pride of life
Ultimately - the sin of thinking more of myself than I ought to - thinking that I am better than others. Eve wanted to be superior, to have wisdom, to be like God. The pride of life is so subtle. It is an abomination to God when I begin to think that I am better than the next guy because of how much I earn, or where I live, or the car I drive, or the clothes I wear, or the colour of my skin or the education I had or where I was born etc.
The Bible says what do I have that wasn't given to me? God is no respecter of persons - He has no favourites. James 2:1-9
Beware of the critical spirit - it is a manifestation of the pride of life - when we continually find fault with those around us. What we're really saying is that I am better than you or I can do it better than you.The antidote?
To the pride of life temptation Jesus said "don't tempt the Lord your God". Remember God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humility cures pride and worldliness. (James 4:6-8)
James goes on to say in 4:10 "humble yourselves in the sight of God and He will lift you up" - that's far better than having God humble you.
Humility - preferring others, esteeming others. Listening to others. Trusting God rather than self.The Conclusion
In v.17 John says the world and all its ways will pass away. But the man who does the will of the Father lives forever, has eternal life. The world and its desires will pass away - our cars will rust, our houses will fall down, our clothes will crumble, our fortunes left to others, out bodies will rot. Even worse, there is the very desires of the world pass away - they leave such a gnawing emptiness, a gaping chasm that never is fulfilled.
But that quality of abundant life that only comes from God is ours when we love not the world, but have the love of the Father in us instead. The man who loves God goes from strength to strength, from glory to glory. Not slipping into senile oblivion but through relationship with God building a life that lasts forever and satisfies.Psalm 107:9
He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good things.Mark 10:21-23
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"Matt 6:19-21
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.