“A Dangerous Love” Pt 1
(Fatal Attraction)
1 John 2:15-17
Review/Introduction
I. GOD IS LIGHT
A. THE MESSAGE: God is Light 1:5
B. THE IMPLICATIONS 1:6-4:6
1. Continually walk (live) in the Light 1:6-7
2. Continually confess sin 1:8-10
3. Rely on your advocate 2:1-2
4. Give attention to His instructions 2:3-6
5. Love one another (don’t hate) 2:7-11
6. Keep growing in your relationship with Him 2:12-14
As in any relationship it is possible to grow deeper or more distant.
John assumed that his readers were at varying levels of relationship and addressed them as such.
Each level of intimacy focused on a particular characteristic.
Babyhood – the self centered but hungry level.
Childhood – the awareness of Sonship and forgiveness.
Youthhood – strong in the word, confident and victorious over the enemies attacks.
Fatherhood – more intimate of the eternal nature of God and Christ.
The assumption is that we continue to grow deeper in our relationship with God.
Today we explore a seventh implication of relationship with the God who is light. Failure to break a love affair with the world system becomes a serious hindrance to growth. John warned these believers to beware of a destructive attraction and attachment to the world.
Look at the passage as a whole (only three verses) and then look at the specifics.
First, John pronounced a warning – stop loving the world and its ways!
Second, John presented four specific reasons why we should seriously consider this command.
1. Since the world system is totally incompatible with the nature and will of God, you cannot love God and the world.
2. The world and its ways are not from God.
3. The world and its promises are only temporary.
4. Only the one following God’s will, discovers lasting life experiences here and hereafter.
To best understand this command and apply it we need to explore some basic questions.
What is the world?
What are the things “in” the world? (Desire of the flesh, desire of the eyes, pride of life)
What does love of the world look like?
Why should I avoid this fatal attraction?
How can I break this fatal attraction?
7. Stop loving the World
a) The command “Do not love the world!”
The subject of this command is all believers just described who are at some level of maturity in their relationship with the God who is light and love.
The object of this command is “the world and the things in the world”.
“world” (kosmos)
John used this term 23 times in this letter alone; six times just in these three verses. In all, John uses the term 105 times in his writings. It can be found only 85 times in the rest of the entire rest of New Testament. It literally means “that which is ordered or arranged, adorned”; hence, we get our English word “cosmetics” from kosmos. It communicated the idea of order, adornment, beauty, the universe. Three main concepts emerge from the usage of the word each breaking down into further sub meanings.
1. The world of matter
• Reference to the universe or the whole divinely created world.
35 This fulfilled the prophecy that said, "I will speak to you in parables. I will explain mysteries hidden since the creation of the world."[ Ps 78:2.]Matt 13.35
24 Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began! John 17:24
24 "He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples, Acts 17.24
• Reference to the earth as the habitat of men.
It will be like a woman experiencing the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives place to joy because she has brought a new person into the world. John 16:21
The original creation perfectly reflected the base meaning of the word.
God’s original design was perfect, beautiful, wonderfully adorned with His creativity, beauty and majesty.
His glory could be seen in every aspect of creation; habitation and inhabitants.
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. Psalms 19:1-2
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20
"For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' Acts 17:23-28
Sin thoroughly disrupted the order and beauty of God’s creation.
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. Romans 8:19-22
For now, the 2nd law of thermodynamics and decay rules all of life in this world. God has a purification, restoration, renovation plan for His creation. He will renew this earth to its original God-glorifying state. John wrote of a new heaven and earth in Revelation that will once again reflect the glory of the Creator with no sign of corruption or corrosion.
2. The spirit world
This is the unseen world of angelic beings which can be further divided into the world of elect and evil angels. Each lives by an established way of life dictated by a ruler complete with lines of authority, modes of operation, tasks, experiences, feelings, way of thinking, agendas, expressions.
3. The world of mankind
Scripture uses the term “world” in reference to the inhabitants of the habitat
“World” refers to a human social order, government, human influence including education, entertainment, expression, thought, communication, philosophies, ideas, events, experiences and practices of those inhabitants. The concept applies to many different aspects of our life.
We all live in our own “world”. The use of the term world refers to our “way of life.” The statement “Welcome to my world!” invites someone to experience all the things that make up my life and existence; to adopt my way of life. Work world, church world, family world, entertainment world, political world, world of my youth…
In this sense, “world” means all the things that define a way of life with all its experiences, expressions, ideas, events, relationships and possessions as it is lived in time and space.
Ultimately, there are only two basic human worlds.
1. The Christian world characterized by adoration of God and adoption of His ways fueled by selfless service to Him and each other resulting in the peaceable fruit of righteousness.
Otherwise know as the “Kingdom of God”; a “world” that embraces God and His way of life.
2. The pagan world characterized by antagonism toward God and adoption of what is right in our own eyes fueled by jealousy and selfish ambition leading to chaos and disorder, strife, corruption and evil desire.
Otherwise known as “the kingdom of Satan”.
The “world” (kosmos) in that context represents the system of values, priorities, and beliefs that unbelievers hold that intentionally excludes and resists God. It is a “world” that embraces self or Satan and His way of life. It is this world that John warns us to stop preferring.
• It is a way of life designed, directed and energized by Satan.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Eph 2:1-2
• It is completely under Satan’s control
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19
"I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; John 14:30
"Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. John 12:31
Man was originally in charge of God’s world but abdicated his charge through defying God.
Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Romans 5:12-13
• It blinds and binds unbelievers.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
• It cannot and does not receive Christ or His truth
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. John 1:10-11
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:20-21
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world (which blinds to the things of God), but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 1 Corinthians 2:12
• It is openly hostile to God, Jesus and the followers of Jesus
If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. John 15:18-19
I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. John 17:14
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4-6
• The ways of the world are foolishness to God.
For the wisdom (way of life) of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS"; 1 Corinthians 3:19
• It cannot give true peace.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27
And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19
• It is ignorant of the true nature of God’s children
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1
• Its followers are the object of God’s wrath and under judgment.
Among them (world dwellers) we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Ephesians 2:3
Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. John 12:31
• It is the staging area for unbelievers, false prophets and antichrist.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:1-6
• It is not of God or from God
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16
• It is temporary
The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17
• It is fueled by evil self-centered and ambitious desire
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom(way of life) is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly(Worldly), natural (soulish), demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. James 3:14-16
For by these (Christ’s glory and excellence) God has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2Pet 1:4
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16
I saved this passage for last not only because it is the section we are considering but because I believe it holds a foundational key to the whole Christian life. By understanding the function of these three things in Satan’s system and God’s system we will discover an essential key to actually living victorious over the lure of Satan’s way of life. I believe that John identifies three basic drives resident in every human being and perhaps even angels. The word translated “lust” is actually a morally neutral word with reference to desire or longing. The desire could be evil or good depending on the context or the object of desire.
Every person has a desire to feel something; pleasure.
Every person has a desire to own something or experience something; possessions
Every person has a desire to be something; power, prestige, prominence.
I thought a great deal about these desires and came to an interesting conclusion. I believe God designed us with those desires and capacities.
He promises pleasures evermore. Joy, peace, food, loving relationships
He promises an inheritance, a mansion, inherit the earth; given us ALL things to enjoy.
He promises recognition, worth, responsibility, gifts, authority; we will BE like Jesus.
He promised Abraham and us -- Land (possessions) Seed (posterity/power) Blessing (pleasure)
Have something, feel something, be something.
The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life. Proverbs 22:4
However it is promised in conjunction with intimate connection with Him. It is through Him and by His means.
The pleasures are from His right hand.
The possession are a gift from Him; His inheritance.
The prominence is through His appointment.
Here is the vast difference between the “ways” of Satan’s world/kingdom and God’s.
Satan urges people to fulfill these God-given desires apart from God’s will or ways.
He convinced Eve that the one forbidden fruit in the entire huge perfect garden filled with hundreds of other culinary choices would fill her God-designed desires apart from God’s provision in fact, contrary to God’s direction.
• Saw it was good for food –pleasure to the palate. (Desire of the flesh/ feel something)
• Saw it was a delight to the eyes – visually pleasing; good to have (Desire of the eyes/ experience or acquire something)
• Saw that it was desirable to make one wise – profitable for prominence (pride of life / be something)
It worked! We have been trying to fulfill these desires apart from God ever since.
He tried the same tactic on Jesus.
• Fulfill His God-given hunger for food by a self-serving act apart from God’s provision which he did later through angels; a focus on fleshly passion over spiritual passion
• Fulfill His God-given dream of ruling over the kingdoms of the world but through serving Satan rather than obedience to the Father’s will.
• Fulfill His God-given destiny to be someone by exalting Himself rather than humbling Himself to the point of death when God would exalt Him and give Him a name above every name.
In Satan’s world, these natural desires are pursued apart from God.
Pursuit of pleasure apart from God’s will and way is only temporary and drives us further away.
God’s way is through self-control and suffering.
Pursuit of possessions and experiences apart from God’s will and way is empty.
God’s way is through sacrifice and generosity; give and it shall be given.
Pursuit of power apart from God’s will and way is futile.
God’s way is through service.
The world promotes selfishness.
God requires self-control.
The world promotes greed.
God requires sacrifice.
The world promotes tyranny.
God requires service.
Every aspect of humanity and society revolves around these three things. Everything in our world in some way relates to the pursuit of or reaction to the failure to realize those desires through our own efforts. I evaluate my life by how I feel – good or bad, comfortable or uncomfortable. I spend my life acquiring things or experiences that make me feel good and protect me from feeling bad. I expend energy trying to become somebody and get the respect and recognition that makes me feel good or worthy. If God cooperates, I may even acknowledge Him. If God denies me or people block my personal pursuit I have nothing to do with them
James revealed the source of conflict even among believers.
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? James 4:1
It is the self-centered pursuit of pleasure, possessions or prominence.
Selfish ambition drives me resulting in disorder and every evil thing.
Bitter jealousy controls me resulting in disorder and every evil thing.
Even my prayers focus on the pursuit of pleasure, possessions or power.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:3
The subject of this command? Believers!
The Object of this command? The devil-directed way of life and its stuff intended to keep us from being fully devoted to God.
Listen to Paul’s concern for the Corinthian believers.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3
The action or prohibition of the command? Stop loving the world and its things!
The Greek negative prohibition “me” with the present active imperative verb means either stop doing something or do not have the habit of doing it.
Stop doing something you are presently doing. Don’t allow it to become a habit. John used the word for love that communicates a committed devotion, allegiance, attachment, willful connection. One use of the word brings a helpful understanding in our present context.
Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. John 12:42-43
This communicates the idea of preference. They preferred the approval of men over the approval of God. They valued the approval of men over the approval of God. The approval of men provided more immediate or tangible sense than God. The approval of me was more important. John told the readers of his day to stop preferring the ways of Satan’s kingdom (seek life apart from God) over the ways of God’s kingdom (seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness). The Holy Spirit tells us today to stop preferring the world and its stuff over intimate fellowship with the God who is light and love.
Good exercise / test.
Put the things of God in one column and the things of the world on the other.
Prayer, study the word, service, meditation, spiritual enrichment, worship, suffering for Christ
Entertainment, games, comfortable life, do my own thing without God’s interference.
Given a choice, which would I choose? The average believer today hardly stands out from the average pagan in lifestyle. Survey demonstrated the majority of people put “a comfortable life” as the #1 priority and goal.
There are four reasons why we should do whatever we can to break any love of the world.
b) The logic
1 – The world system is incompatible with God’s nature and will so you can’t love it and God at the same time.
“love of the Father” can be interpreted two different ways.
Our love for the Father or the Father’s love for us.
“in Him” refers to our love for the Father and the love of the Father for us as a life controlling influence. You cannot pursue relationship with God and a system that directly opposes God and promotes life divorced from God at the same time. You cannot be friends with a world hostile to God and friends with God at the same time. You cannot engage in activities or entertain thoughts intended to keep God out of your life or distract you from intimate relationship with God and expect your love for God to deepen. John says love for God is not the driving force in one who loves the world and its stuff.
Let’s say that my father is “Jack Daniels” and I inherit my father’s booze business.
My sister is killed by a drunk driver whose trunk was full of my company’s product.
I am so mad I become a member of MADD. It is an impossible position. I cannot be devoted to two diametrically opposed worlds. I must choose one or the other.
Let’s say I am a high government official in a country who persecutes and kills Christians.
I become a Christian. Again, I am in an impossible position. I cannot be devoted to two diametrically opposed worlds. I must choose one or the other.
Finally, let’s say that I fall in love and marry a girl some of my friends hate and continually berate and abuse. I must choose. I cannot maintain friendship with those who are hostile to my wife and expect to maintain a vibrant love from my wife.
I must choose one or the other.
We cannot habitually embrace, be entertained by, invest in, spend time with, be connected to, and practice a way of life that vigorously promotes the idea that life should be pursued apart from God.
Elijah called the people of Israel to get off the fence.
Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word. 1 Kings 18:21
Joshua called the people to be done with the enticements of Egypt.
"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Josh 24:14-15
Paul lamented Demas’ desertion from the ministry team. Early on Paul included him in his greeting to the Colossians and to Philemon along with Luke, Mark and Aristarcus. By the time of Paul’s second letter to Timothy it is a different story.
Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 2 Timothy 4:9-10
Demas abandoned the team for the glitter of metropolitan city life.
Will you find true fulfillment of your God-given desires through deeper relationship with Him or will you continue to seek satisfaction apart from Him. Think over your world! Is He in it or agin’ it? What really lights your fire? Where do you turn when life gets hard? Our first tendency is to fill the void or numb the pain through one or all of Satan’s suggestions.
Find something that feels good. Buy something or do something that numbs the pain.
Become important.
Our first choice must become to fix our eyes on Jesus and to seek first the kingdom of God.
Only when we continually turn our eyes upon Jesus will the enticements, the things of this world grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
Who would other people identify as the “love” of your life?
