1 John 2:15-17
3 Warnings About the World
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
Kosmos - Means humanity and human systems hostile to God and Gods people…
(Beacon Bible Exposition)
So lets look at 3 things John warns us about:
1. Beware of the System vs 15
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.
Romans 8:5-6 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
We can not love God and World!!!
…for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 15b
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.
2. Be Separate from the World vs 16
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
“Those who aspire to the high standard of Christian living described by John must be done with the world and the things that are in the world. This is because the world is in darkness and God's people walk in the light. There is a seeming contradiction between this restriction and John's own statement that God loves the world. It would seem that we are told not to love the very world which Christ died to save and of which all people are a part. But the world” which the father loves is the whole human race. The world which we are not to love is all that is alienated from Him, all that prevents men from loving him and return. “
-Beacon Bible Commentary-
The word Craving or lust in other translations means longing for what is forbidden…. We see 3 kinds of Cravings or lust here:
I.Cravings of the Flesh
Titus 2:12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,
II. Cravings of the Eyes
Matthew 5:29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
III.Cravings of Pride
Romans 12:3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
3.Be Pleasing to God vs 17
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other…”
Kosmos - Means humanity and human systems hostile to God and Gods people…
(Beacon Bible Exposition)
So lets look at 3 things John warns us about:
1. Beware of the System vs 15
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.
Romans 8:5-6 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
We can not love God and World!!!
…for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 15b
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.
2. Be Separate from the World vs 16
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
“Those who aspire to the high standard of Christian living described by John must be done with the world and the things that are in the world. This is because the world is in darkness and God's people walk in the light. There is a seeming contradiction between this restriction and John's own statement that God loves the world. It would seem that we are told not to love the very world which Christ died to save and of which all people are a part. But the world” which the father loves is the whole human race. The world which we are not to love is all that is alienated from Him, all that prevents men from loving him and return. “
-Beacon Bible Commentary-
The word Craving or lust in other translations means longing for what is forbidden…. We see 3 kinds of Cravings or lust here:
I.Cravings of the Flesh
Titus 2:12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,
II. Cravings of the Eyes
Matthew 5:29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
III.Cravings of Pride
Romans 12:3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
3.Be Pleasing to God vs 17
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other…”