You can listen to this sermon at https://www.npbc.org.au/podcasts/media
1 John 2:12-17
“Incompatible Identity and Actions”
A few years ago I brought a USB router off ebay – it was really cheap. I made sure it was being sold by a seller based in Australia. It turns out that sellers can pretend they are based in Australia even when they are not.
When the router came the plug was the style they use in America.
American plugs don’t fit into Australian electrical sockets.
That is why the router was so cheap – it was incompatible.
Incompatible means that two things are so different they cannot go together.
Sometimes you can come up with ways to make them go together. In my case I brought an adapter and it all worked fine.
But there are other times where, no matter what you do, you cannot get the two incompatible things to go together.
In our text today, which is 1 John 2:12-17, John talks about actions which are incompatible with our spiritual identity.
12 I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know Him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world
—the lust of the flesh
—the lust of the eyes
—and the pride of life
comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
In verses 12-14 John talks about our spiritual identity.
In verses 15-17 John talks about actions which are incompatible with our spiritual identity.
John has written in the past about these issues. John writes again to remind them of the significance of this teaching.
As we read through these verses two questions immediately stand out.
Firstly … who are the “children”, and the “fathers”, and the “young men”?
Secondly … what about the “mothers” and the “young women”?
These two questions are linked.
Let’s start with the children.
When John talks about children John is not specifically thinking about Benji, or Chloe, or Xander, or Mia, or Luke, or Jude, or Melody … or any of the many other names of the many children we have at our church.
Don’t get me wrong … all our little people are important and loved.
But, when John talks about children in his letter, John doesn’t have in mind a specific age group. He does the same thing in other parts of the letter.
28 And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.
1 John 2:28
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18
“Children” isn’t a specific age group. “Children” is the name John gives for a group of people who know their sins have been forgiven. And, who know the Father. They will be confident and unashamed when Jesus returns. They love with actions.
They can be male or female. Young and old. “Children” is a collective word.
“Fathers” is also a collective word.
This time it is a collective that describes a spiritual stage of life.
The ones who are in the spiritual stage of being “fathers” where they have a more mature faith that enables and equips them to speak spiritual direction and wisdom into the lives of others.
Which means the term “fathers” include males and females, as well as those who are married and those who are single.
It also means the term “fathers” may not necessarily refer to people who are older.
There are some men here who first became fathers when they were 20, others were closer to 40. In the same sense there are those who are in the spiritual stage of being fathers, who are quite young. Yet they can give wise spiritual direction and training. Equally true is the fact that there are some older people to whom very few would turn to as “father” – they just don’t have the maturity.
What about the “Young men”?
We now are seeing the pattern so we know “Young men” is also a collective.
A collective which refers to the spiritual stage of life when you have come to know Jesus and you are growing and developing as a Christian. It is often a time of enthusiasm and feeling that the Lord is really giving you strength and development.
The “young man” stage includes males and females and is also not defined by age.
John tells us that an important identifier of “the young men spiritual stage” is that they know they are overcomers. What makes someone an overcomer?
4 (E)veryone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 5:4-5
When you believe Jesus is the Son of God that puts you into the “young man” stage.
“Children.” “Fathers.” “Young Men.”
They are all collectives which describe believers.
When you see it this way you get a sense that John isn’t really making a sharp distinction between the groups. We might even find that we fit into different groups depending on which area of our spiritual life we are focussing on.
So we might be sitting here thinking, “Which group am I in?”
“Child.” “Father.” “Young Man.”
And that is a good question to ask. But it is not the main question.
The main question is … do I meet the qualifications to be a part of one of these groups?
Do I know my sins have been forgiven because of Jesus?
Do I know God the Creator who is from the beginning?
Am I an overcomer who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
“Child.” “Father.” “Young Man.” Is that my identity?
It is important to be sure about our identity. Because, if we are unsure about our identity, we will not be able to know if we are living in a way which is spiritually incompatible to God’s kingdom expectations.
However, once we are sure about our identity, then we can have great clarity about that which is incompatible with our identity as citizens of God’s kingdom.
How do we know when our actions are incompatible with our identity as citizens of God’s kingdom?
John tells is in 1 John 2:15
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world.
Which could be a bit confusing because John also writes in John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.
Why is it OK for God to love the world, but not us?
It comes down to what the purpose for such love.
The world is the place where darkness lives. It is a place where people thrive on being in rebellion against God. The world represents everything that is opposite to God. In this world we find “the spirit of the antichrist who is now is already in the world” (1 John 4:4).
God looks at that world – a world that is under His judgement – and God has compassion. Out of love. Out of an incredible act of grace and mercy.
God sends His One and Only Son into the world to bring salvation and forgiveness.
God does this so that the world which is in rebellion may turn back to Him.
Certainly, we also are called to show compassionate love to the world.
However, a problem arises because, even though we are saved from the world, we also live in this world.
We know that Jesus has come and forgiven us … and we are transformed.
But … there are aspects of the world that are attractive.
And, we can look at that world
… with affection.
… with infatuation.
… with … love.
A love that is incompatible with the love we should have for God.
This infatuation love … it is a love which God hates.
That is why John issues the command.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world.
1 John 2:15
Now our impulse at this point might be to start compiling a list of all of the evils of the world.
Materialism. Social Media. Gambling. Alcohol. The full sexualization of society. Surely these are on the list!
Should we avoid buying expensive designer clothes?
Should we play violent video games, or listen to rock music?
Should we avoid the pub and hanging out with not-yet-believers?
That feels like a good list.
The problem with lists is … well they can become unwritten laws as to what is godly and what isn’t.
For some people there was a time when dancing was on “this is evil” list. So was buying things on Sunday.
And if you saw movies that were more than G-rated – that was evil.
And don’t get some people started on the evils of tattoos.
We really want to avoid evil … it is a godly goal.
But to just make a list …
That is how the Pharisees lived, and Jesus called them “hypocrites”.
The Pharisees were hypocrites because they were using the list as a way of determining who was spiritual … and who wasn’t. Through their lists the Pharisees would compare themselves to others and come to the conclusion that “We are much better at obeying the list”. “We have not been taken in by the evil of this world”.
The lists were written so comparisons could be made.
When John defines what it means to not love the world he doesn’t make a list.
John doesn’t give us a process to point and compare.
Instead, John gets us to look at the source.
The lust of the flesh.
The lust of the eyes.
The pride of life.
Our incompatible love affair with the world will not be revealed by looking at a list.
Our incompatible love affair with the world is revealed by looking within and being personally challenged to recognise that which is incompatible with our identity as kingdom citizens.
The lust of the flesh.
The world tells us, if it feels good, do it. So, what feels good?
Pornography. Sexual Fantasy. Adultery. Homosexuality.
Drugs. Alcohol. Gambling.
It is all about satisfying a physical appetite.
Trying to find purpose and satisfaction by letting the physical cravings make us addicted to all kinds of vices and desires. Seeking to fulfill our desires in ways that God has not commanded.
That is the lust of the flesh.
The lust of the eyes.
This is where we allow ourselves to become distracted or captivated by outward appearances without looking at the real value.
A new toy comes out and the toys we thought we needed now sit in the corner and are no longer important. Chasing after a status symbol that, next year, will not be enough to satisfy.
We see it. We want it. Because we think it is going to finally satisfy. Making our life decisions based upon how it looks. Accumulating … for what purpose?
The lust of the eyes.
The pride of life.
This is an attitude of arrogance which is based on the false confidence that comes because of my wealth, or my achievements, or my status in society. Effectively the pride of life causes us to turn towards God and say “I don’t need you and I am certainly not dependant on you.”
My way … my life … that is what I am proud of.
We put our security here and our value here – and tell ourselves we have made it.
The pride of life.
“The lust of the flesh.” “The lust of the eyes.” “The pride of life.”
When we see this love for the world working in our lives, we can be sure that we are living in a way which is incompatible with our identity as Kingdom citizens.
And when we see
… not if we see.
… but when we see it because we have the spiritual insight to know that, even when I am in Christ, I will still find this world to be a very attractive place.
Which is why it is essential that we are sure of our identity in Jesus.
When we see those ways of living which are incompatible we come back in hope to Jesus who has given us our identity.
There may be “lust of flesh” … but we are still “children”.
There may be “lust of the eyes” … but we are still “fathers”.
There may be “the pride of life” … but we are still “young men”.
We will live an incompatible life … we will love the world.
But the love of God in Christ for the world … that will never pass away.
We are in the world.
We are not of the world.
Because God so loved the world. God so loved us. God so loved me.
That is our secure foundation.
An incompatible life will not take away the sure hope that we have of eternal life.
As long as we have our identity in Jesus.
Prayer
