“The Christians & The World” 1 John 2:15-17

Ps Dr Ng Swee Ming

This is an ordinary glass

water jar.

Question :

HOW DO YOU GET THE AIR OUT OF THIS WATER JAR ?

The Christian &

the World

1 John 2:15-17

Series on 1 John Last Sunday .... Different Generations :

“Forgiven” Generation “Overcoming” Generation “Knowing” Generation

Satan have two main weapons :

1. Accusation 2. Temptation through Lies Testing – ‘God is Bad’ Tempting – ‘Sin is Better’

1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV)

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.

1 John 2:15

v15 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.

Love – Gk : ‘AGAPE’ World – Gk : ‘kosmos’ • Cosmonauts • Cosmopolitan • Cosmetics ??

• Storge – affection • Phileo – friendship • Eros – romantic • AGAPE – UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

The “WORLD”

1 John 2:15

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.

John 3:16

"For GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD that he

gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

So – is there a contradiction ?? Should I love the world or not ?

The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15

The word “World” has 3 possible meanings..... a. John 1:9

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into THE WORLD..... Acts 17:24 "The God who made THE WORLD and everything in it...”

World here refers to the created universe with planets, sun, moon & stars but with special ref to planet EARTH.

The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15

b. John 3:16

"For God so loved THE WORLD that he

gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“World” here refers to mankind or humanity and not the entire planet.

Jesus died to save humanity – people and not the animals, plants, nature etc.

The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15

Consider John 1:10

He was in THE WORLD,

and though THE WORLD was made through him,

THE WORLD did not

recognize him.

The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15 c. 1 John 2:15

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.

“World” here refers to a ‘system’ that is at work controlling the world at present,

aligned with satan against God

The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15

1 John 5:19 “... that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

John 12:31 “ the prince of this world...”

Eph 2:2 “the ruler of the kingdom of the air,...”

This is the WORLD that John is referring to....

“GOD” or “THE WORLD” 1 John 2:15 is very clear : Either or .... Jesus himself said in Matt 6:24 (NKJV)

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

James 4:4 “... friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

The Christian in the world

the Ways of the World

or Worldliness...

‘Anything that keeps me from enjoying

God's love

and wanting to do God's will.’

The “WAYs” 1 John 2:16

NIV 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.

NKJV 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.

The “WAYs” 1 John 2:16

Definition of ‘lust’

Excessive craving for the pleasures of the body.

Desire for something or someone that is not yours.

A desire to possess, to own, to consume without caring about the needs / feelings of others or the will of God.

Need not always be ‘physical’

Unholy

Trinity :

I, Me &

Myself

The “WAYs” 1 John 2:16

a. Lust of the flesh: ‘Feel’ Good

b. Lust of the eyes: ‘Look’ Good

c. Pride of Life: ‘Think’ Good

satan’s “WAYs” have not changed since...

1 Jn 2:16

• Lust of the Flesh

• Lust of the Eyes

• Pride of Life

Gen 3:1-6

• “... good for food...”

• “...pleasing to the eye...”

• “desirable for gaining wisdom”

1 Jn 2:16

• Lust of

the Flesh

• Lust of

the Eyes

• Pride of

Life

Luke 4:1-12 • “tell this stone to

become bread.” • “showed him all

the kingdoms of the world... ”

• “throw yourself down from here...”

satan’s “WAYs” have not changed since...

The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh

• The physical part ...

• “Excessive Cravings for the pleasures of the body...”

• Anything that will make us “Feel Good”

even if it is

–Against God’s Standards

–Hurt other people

–Hurt ourselves

The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh • Sexual sins eg: Adultery Fornication Pornography

• Addictions eg: Alcohol Smoking Drugs Shopping Games ? Eg INTERNET

? Eg GOLF

The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh

• Materialistic

–What we buy

–Where we buy

–Latest, best, newest

• Hoarding...

• Gluttony...

The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh

• Even in church settings

– Need for “Feel Good” sermons ....

NB: There is a place & occasion to encourage and comfort ...

The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh the small voice within telling us ...

It’s OK no one will know ...

Only once, no harm done, just once...

Everyone is doing it, it’s OK

Something that feels so good, cannot be wrong ...

Do not worry, God understands, He will forgive...

The “WAYs” : b. The lust of the eyes • Need to “LOOK GOOD”

“mesti ada gaya” Preoccupation with status, reputation, social

position, academic level, image, glamour -- sometimes subtle sometimes not.

Concern over appearances

Keep up with the ‘Jones’

Need to flaunt your success

• COVETOUSNESS

– “Thou shall not covert”

• 1st published 1951

• 300 pages

• 12,000+ products

• 55 different editions

• 27 Languages

• 35 countries

• 197 million copies/year

The “WAYs” : b. The lust of the eyes

• If ‘others’ have it – I must also

• If only ....

• Affect all ages, both sexes ...

• All social class

• All educational classes

even the ‘blind’...

The “WAYs” : b. The lust of the eyes

• Can be “Inter-related”

eg King David 2 Sam 11

Jesus’ teaching Matt 5:27

Consider Job 31:1

"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.”

The “WAYs” : b. The lust of the eyes In Church settings

• Need to guard against this...

• What values are we teaching our children...

The “WAYs” : c. The pride of life • Need to not only Feel Good, Look Good

but others must THINK GOOD of me

• Craving for honour and compliments

• The need to be acknowledged

• To have a Position of importance ...

• Fear of ‘losing face’

• Tendency more in the ‘older people’

The “WAYs” :

c. The pride of life

• NIV “the boasting of what he has and does”

• NET “the arrogance produced by material possessions.”

• The person who thinks he has enough wealth and property ...

to protect himself and insure his security

frankly hard to see the need for God...

The “WAYs” : c. The pride of life

• Happens even in the Church ...

Position & Power ...

Admit a wrong ...

Decision making ...

• Parable of Pharisee &

Tax Collector Lk 18

The “WAYs” : c. The pride of life

“Hi, Let me show you something several of your neighbours said

you couldn't afford..."

The “WILLs” : 1 Jn 2:17 1 John 2:17

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

God’s Will must be done.

Rom 12:1-2...

“... his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

The “WILLs” : 1 Jn 2:17

Man’s Will - James 1:22-25

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.

The “WORK”

“Knowing the TRUTH do not change lives

It is TRUTH APPLIED that changes lives.”

TEMPTED BY SIN

WANT TO SIN YIELD 2 SIN

2 STEPS ARE OURS TO MAKE

Fle

e

Re

sist

Jesus high priestly prayer in John 17...

“to be in the world and yet not of the world ...”

The “WORK”

a. 1 Cor 6:19-20

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

Therefore HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY.

The Question :

How Then Do You Get The Air Out Of

This Water Jar ?

The Answer :

By Filling It With Water.

Question : How Do You SIN Out Of Your Life?

Answer :By Filling Your Life With The HOLY SPIRIT

The “WORK”

The “WORK”

b. Matt 6:8b “... your Father knows what you WANT before you ask him.”

Is that how your Bible read ?

Jesus asked in Matt 16:26

“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

NEED

The “WORK”

c. 1 Peter 5:5b

.... "God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble."

“Actually the pains are just God’s way of keeping you humble”

The “WORK” 1 Tim 6:6... 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can

take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be

content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation

and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

The “WORK” 1 Tim 6:6...cont

11 But you, man of God,

flee from all this,

and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

“God owes us NOTHING Yet gives us EVERYTHING”

CONTENTMENT IS A CHOICE