Hello, and welcome to Saturday Scripture Gold. Thank you for taking time out of your busy weekend to drop by!The Bible defines worldliness by centering morality where we intuitively know it should be. Worldliness is the lust of the flesh (a passion for sensual satisfaction), the lust of the eyes (an inordinate desire for the finer things of life), and the pride of life (self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done). Worldliness, then, is a preoccupation with ease and affluence. It elevates creature comfort to the point of idolatry; large salaries and comfortable life-styles become necessities of life.
Worldliness is reading magazines about people who live hedonistic lives and spend too much money on themselves and wanting to be like them. But more importantly, worldliness is simply pride and selfishness in disguises. It's being resentful when someone snubs us or patronizes us or shows off. It means smarting under every slight, challenging every word spoken against us, cringing when another is preferred before us. Worldliness is harboring grudges, nursing grievance, and wallowing in self-pity. These are the ways in which we are most like the world. -Dave Roper, The Strength of a Man, quoted in Family Survival in the American Jungle, Steve Farrar, 1991, Multnomah Press, p. 68.
A very simple imperative is given to us in the Bible: "Love not the world..." But do we understand the meaning of this command? Do we appreciate the importance of this command?
In today's message, I hope to:
a. Shed some light on what John is saying in 1 John 2:15-17;
b. Provide some motivation to seriously obey what he commands in this passage.
Let's begin by answering the question, "Why should Christians not love the world?"
One could safely answer, "BECAUSE OF WHAT THE WORLD IS" (1 John 15a,16) When we talk about the "world" in this passage, it is NOT the "physical world." It is NOT the "human world." Rather, it is the world of "sin", the world of "evil"!
Three things in particular make up this world. They are:
1. "The lust of the flesh." This phrase refers to unbridled desires of the flesh (cf. Galaltians 5:19-21). Note that these desire can be expressed both: 1) Sexually (fornication, adultery, licentiousness) and; 2) Socially (hatred, contentions, jealousies).
2. "The lust of the eyes." This refers to the unlawful longing for things which we can see. It can be summed up in one word: "covetousness," or in our modern day expression, "materialism." How serious is this? Consider Ephesians 5:5-7; Colossians 3:5-7!
3. "The pride of life." This would include pride based upon such things as:
1) Age
2) Experience
3) Ancestry
4) Past accomplishments
5) Money, position, power
The foolishness of trusting in such things is seen in (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
If I may, I would like to make a few passing observations at this point. Each of these three things often strike harder at different times in our life:
a. The YOUNG are most often affected by the "lust of the flesh"
b. The MIDDLE-AGED are usually afflicted by the "lust of the eyes"
c. The AGED are likely to be plagued with the "pride of life"
There seems to be a tendency to consider one more serious than the others. We seem more concerned about sins involving the "lust of the flesh" than sins in the other categories (e.g., which is worse, fornication or covetousness? Which do we consider more serious, adultery or jealousy?) If we are not careful, while fighting strong against immorality, materialism and pride may "sneak in" the back door!
Whether it be immorality, materialism or pride, it is still part of the "world" we are not to love! But why? There other passages which say why we shouldn't (cf. Galatians 5:19-21), but 1 John 2:15 gives another reason.
That is "BECAUSE OF WHAT LOVING THE "WORLD" DOES," it makes it impossible to love the father! "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." I understand "the love of the Father" means "love for the Father," instead of "the Father's love for us", for He loves us even as sinners (Romans 5:8).
John is not the only person to say that if we love the world, we cannot love God:
a. James taught that "friendship with the world is enmity with God" (James 4:4);
b. Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
Our sinful pride may rebel against this thought, but we simply aren't able to love the world and God at the same time!
To see why this is so, let's define "THE LOVE OF THE FATHER." What does it really mean for me to love the Father? According to John, it means that I keep His commandments (cf. 1 John 5:3). To this Jesus agrees (John 14:15,21; 15:10).
If we love the world, we can't keep God's commandments! For example, if you are driven by "the lust of the flesh" (i.e., to commit fornication, adultery, etc.) then you can't keep God's command not to defraud your brother (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6). This could also be the case if you are overcome by "lust of the eyes" so that you always want more, and to hold on to what you have!
So it is impossible to faithfully serve God and Jesus, thereby showing our love for them, if we allow ourselves to "love the world"! But, John gives us another reason why we should not "love the world."
This is "BECAUSE OF WHERE THE "WORLD" IS GOING (1 John 2:17). It is said, in 1 John 2:17, that the world is passing away. This is true in regards to our individual lives (cf. 1 Peter 1:24; James 4:13-14). It is also true concerning everything that we leave behind (cf. 2 Peter 3:10).
In contrast, "HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF GOD ABIDES FOREVER." This is because he will be blessed to enter the heavenly kingdom (Matthew 7:21). Even his "works" will follow with him (Revelation 14:13).
In closing, Isn't this what we all want? To one day hear these wonderful words..."Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." (Matthew 25:21)
Even if we could gain the whole world in this lifetime. Is it worth it? (cf. Matthew 16:26) Yet most people are selling their soul to the devil and this world for a whole lot less!
Let's give serious attention to John's admonition, and make sure that our affection is in the right place: loving the Father by keeping His commandments! Are you keeping the commandments of God? (cf. Matthew 28:18-20).
Now, let's pray...
O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask for thy name's sake. Amen
Until next time...
Have a blessed week!
Bibi
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