Who Do You Love?
1 John 2:15-17
March 14, 2004
1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Do Not Love The World…
Love
• Consuming passion
• What you would give your life for
The world
• Referring to culture that has alienated itself from God and is contrary to who God is
• Values
• Morals
• Actions
If Anyone Loves The World…
The love of the Father is not in him
• No man can serve two masters
• Intimacy with one creates exclusion of the other
The values, morals and ideals of God do not match up with those of society
The Cravings of Sinful Man…
Cravings – the part of human nature that demands gratification
• Sexual pleasure
• Luxury
• Possessions
The Lust of His Eyes…
Greed aroused by sight
• Wanting what you see
• Genesis 3:6
• Joshua 7:21
• 2 Samuel 11:2-4
Genesis 3:6 (NLT)
The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too.
Joshua 7:21 (NLT)
For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, two hundred silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest."
2 Samuel 11:2-4
Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. [3] He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite." [4] Then David sent for her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. (She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period.) Then she returned home.
The Boasting of What He Has..
Boasting – Pride in one’s possessions
• Refers to a man who claims to be important because of his achievements, even though he really has done very little.
Comes Not From The Father…
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (NLT)
God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. [4] Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honor— [5] not in lustful passion as the pagans do, in their ignorance of God and his ways.
Comes Not From The Father…
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
Colossians 3:5
Colossians 3:5 (NLT)
So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don’t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry.
The World and Its Desires Pass Away…
The body wears down
Possessions are temporal
• They break
• They get stolen
• They rust and decay
Today’s gratification is only momentary
The Man Who Does The Will of God Lives Forever
The flesh dies, but the soul continues on
Your legacy will outlive you
Your faith will outlive you
**Powerpoint available on request
