Love of the World
1st John 2:15 - 17
Jeff Hughes
I. Introduction
a. By way of introduction, let’s briefly look at our study last time, if you’ll remember, it concerned loving one another.
b. First, we saw that John talked about what appears to be two commandments, an old one and a new one.
c. We saw that the old commandment was one that they had from the beginning; this was to love your neighbor. But, we also looked at the new commandment, a continuation of the old one, which was to love one another, as Jesus has loved us. (John 13:34) This indeed is a tall order!
d. Moving on from the commandment, John begins a discussion of spiritual maturity in verses 12-14. He addresses three groups – children, or those new in the faith, young men, what I like to call journeymen Christians, who have know what it is like to server the Lord, and the adults, or fathers, who are characterized by a deep abiding faith and love for the Lord.
e. Moving on from the topic of spiritual maturity, we will look at 3 verses tonight that address the love of the world. Let’s turn in our Bibles to the 1st Letter of John, chapter 2, verses 15-17.
II. Illustration
a. Some years ago, musicians noted that errand boys in a certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The boys did not know there was anything wrong with the peals, and quite unconsciously they had copied their pitch. So we tend to copy the people with whom we associate; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs to which we listen, almost without knowing it. God has given us His Word, which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the false in all of the music of the world.
III. Study
a. Text - 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
b. The Admonition – v. 15
i. If we look at verse 15, we see that John tells us here first not to love the world, or the things in the world.
ii. So, what does John mean? Let’s look a little closer in the text.
iii. The word for love John uses here in the Greek is agapao, which we saw last time, was a new word that did not exist in Greek literature before the early church, it is a compound word, a combination of the Greek word for much and the Greek word for brotherly love. It is a deep abiding love that was a trademark of the early church.
iv. We saw earlier in the chapter that John tells us to have this kind of love for the others in the Body of Christ. But it is obvious here that this is a direct command – Do not have the same love that you have for each other with the world.
v. What really struck me when I read this is that we see several times in Old Testament scripture that God is a jealous God, who will not share our love with any other (false) gods.
vi. If you look at this commandment, it seems to me that God is not only jealous of our love, but he is jealous for us, to have the love of one another.
vii. So, what is the world John is talking about here? Well, from scripture, we find that there are two words in the Greek that are translated world. One is Oikoumene, which means land, or a region, like the Roman Empire. Another is Kosmos, which is the word used here.
viii. It means the circle of the world, or the universe, or it can mean, and what I am confident John was referring to here, the mass of sinful humanity which is united against God.
ix. The things of the world, are the worldly system. We buy, we sell, we consume. We here in America are a consumer society. We have to have the latest gadget, or new car, or new outfit.
x. I am sure glad I don’t struggle with this! ?!?!?!?
xi. Practical – over the past two years, I have learned to play the guitar. I have pretty nice guitars not like thousands of dollars, but ones I am real fond of. Stacie will tell you that I am always wanting another, different, supposedly better guitar. I try to justify it – I say – I’m using it for ministry, which is true, but it does not take away from the fact that I am attached to them. Which is a struggle for me. Like when I walk into the room, and Jonathan is standing on one of my guitars or knocking one over, while Stacie is cleaning the room, I tend to have some real intense fellowship over that whole episode. I struggle with myself because God says “It’s gonna burn, man!”, and I say something like, “But God, I really love that guitar!”.
xii. So, who is right? Obviously, He is still God, and I am still Jeff. Let’s continue and finish verse 15.
xiii. 15b – If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
xiv. John is continuing his thought from earlier in the letter. We saw in chapter 1 that if we walk in darkness, we cannot have fellowship with the Father. We saw in chapter 2 that if we do not keep His commandments we are not in Him. We also saw in chapter 2 that if we don’t have a love for others in the body, we are blinded by darkness. John is giving us another warning, another test for true discipleship, an admonition – to follow this or wreck our Christian walk. Do not love the world or the things of the world.
xv. In conclusion, I always thought it odd that God commanded the children of Israel to kill all of the inhabitants of the promised land. Many people think that it was cruel. But He told them, that they would defile themselves if they did not do it. History tells us that they did not follow His command, and fell into sin, and went into captivity twice because of it. Love of the world or the things that are going to burn is our Amalekites, our Jebusites, and our Amorites. If we do not kill it, and cut it off from our lives, it will at the very least defile and pollute our walk, at the worst, it will carry us away into bondage to sin, and kill our witness, and our walk.
c. The Definition – v. 16
i. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
ii. Here, John defines three characteristics of the sinful world. He says “all that is in the world”. All of our sins spring from this deadly three. We’re going to look at them as much as time permits.
1. First we look at the lust of the flesh.
a. The word for lust there means a deep desire, craving, or longing for something that is forbidden.
b. The word flesh there means our natural proclivity to sin, and to resist divine influence. It is either translated flesh or carnal in the Bible. Paul uses this word a lot in Romans chapter 8, describing human nature and how we are saved from it.
c. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal (fleshly) mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
d. People have many different things that they want and desire, if it is of God, it is a good thing to desire, we see here, if not, it is sin.
2. The lust of the eyes –
a. Again same word lust here.
b. The word eye here is the Greek word opthalamos. We get our word opthamology from it. A word I am well acquainted with, since I have been almost legally blind since birth.
c. Here, though, I think John uses it in a metaphorical sense. The eye was a symbol of knowledge.
d. If you recall in Revelation chapter 5, the same John that wrote this letter tells us of a vision he had verse 6 says – And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes,...
e. We know that the Lamb is Jesus. The horns symbolize power, seven being the perfect number, means that He has all power. The same applies for the seven eyes, the eyes symbolize knowledge, seven meaning He has all knowledge.
f. So, what does John mean here – the lust for knowledge?
g. Well, to be honest, I am going against all of the commentators I have read. They believe that the lust of the eyes is covetousness, which I think is covered under the lust of the flesh.
h. So, I’m out on a limb here, this had better be good and make sense in the context of scripture.
i. Well, first we know that John is addressing the Gnostic heresy. Gnostics claimed they had a special knowledge.
j. Second, I think we can have a lust for knowledge. Studying Forestry in college gave me a unique perspective. I know many people I went to school with that were so consumed with knowledge that they discounted God. They believed the lie of evolution, and worship the creation rather than the creator.
k. We also know that the scribes and Pharisees were the intellectual elite of John’s day. They rejected the Savior. He was not what they expected. Today, we see people seeking knowledge through Ms. Cleo, the Jamaican “fortune teller” who recently has had racketeering charges filed against her. They go to Yoga to find their “inner self”. They go to a New Age bookstore to find out about their power crystal.
l. Many intellectual people I know discount God as a sham. They think they are too smart to “just have faith”.
m. This is a lie from the enemy just like any other. But I would contend that I think this is what Jesus meant when He told the disciples in Mark 10:15 -Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
n. If we think we are smarter than God, and His plan, we are sadly mistaken.
3. The pride of life –
a. All the commentators I read on this phrase said that they thought it meant a lust for political or social power. While I think that may be a part of it, I think it goes a little deeper.
b. The word pride there only appears in the Bible twice. It means empty talk or, empty assurance. The other time it is used it is translated boasting, in James in the same passage of scripture where it describes a sinner saying, “today we will go to such and such city, to buy and sell and get gain”. James calls them fools and asks, “What is life but a vapor?” James says in Ch. 4 verse 16 that these people “But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
c. So, it means empty assurance or bragging. Hmmm.
d. Well, if we look at the word life there in the Greek, it can mean the period of life, or it can mean the means by which life is sustained, resources, goods, wealth, or position, which I think is what John was driving at.
e. So, drawing all this together, what John means here is an empty assurance or bragging about the resources by which our life is sustained.
f. I am glad I don’t struggle with this either! !?!?!
g. If we get a raise, or a promotion, or a tax refund, or a bonus, or if I win the lottery, or get elected President of the United States, if I get proud about it, if I forget who it comes from, I have just fallen into sin.
h. I reflected on my life writing this. As a man, I tend to draw my identity from what I do. What is usually the first question men ask one another? What do you do for a living? We want to rank each other, to form a pecking order in our minds. We are to draw our identity from Christ, not the things of this world. This too, is sin.
4. Conclusion – All three of these define the worldly system that we are to walk free of as Christians.
d. The Dissolution – v. 17
i. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
ii. John uses the same word for world here, but I think he means the entirety of the world. We see in 2nd Peter Chapter 3, verse 10 that the entire world will burn up in a fervent heat. But what I think John was also trying to convey is that all of us will die. We will all stand before God to be judged. It all comes down to one question – What did you do regarding Jesus? Did you accept him as Lord and Savior, and inherit eternal life, or choose not to accept Him, and choose eternal torment. When we pass from this life and stand before God, the only things will have is our salvation and our works through the power of the Spirit.
iii. Moving on, the word here for lust is the same as above as well, it means our desire or craving for the things of the world.
iv. Many people are consumed by their desires. They are too busy to make time for God. They are locked in on pursuit of stuff and pleasure. They think that there will always be time for Him. This is their downfall.
v. But John doesn’t leave us without hope. Here we see that if we do the will of God, we will abide forever.
vi. When I think on this, I am reminded about of the parable of the young rich man found in Matthew chapter 19.
vii. 16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "’You shall not murder,’ ’You shall not commit adultery,’ ’You shall not steal,’ ’You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ’Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ " 20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. F102 What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
viii. We get a glimpse here of what the Lord’s will is concerning possessions. I think God wants us to be stewards of what we have, but hold on to them loosely, as He may ask us to give them up for Him. If we hold them too tight, we will wind up being out of His will if we don’t give them up. I would contend that if you are holding on tightly, that He is already asking, He won’t play second to your possessions.
IV. Conclusion
i. In conclusion, I’d like to read a passage of scripture found in Luke Chapter 12.
ii. 15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ’What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ’I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ’ 20 But God said to him, ’Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
iii. Would to God that we would be good stewards of what we have been entrusted with, and not long for more and more. Scripture tells us that “He who hunger and thirsts for righteousness will be filled.” Would that each one of us would desire these heavenly things, and not worldly ones.
