Who Do You Love? 1 John 2:15-17 1 John 2:15-17


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Who Do You Love? 1 John 2:15-17 1 John 2:15-17 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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Introduction Over the last few weeks, we have considered John’s exposition of life in the light of God. This morning we are going to see John’s first prohibition regarding the Christian’s relationship to the world. And if you think that prohibitions lead to a less-fulfilling and enjoyable life, then I would encourage you to stay tuned in this morning. You may find that John’s command to “not love the world” is rooted in his desire for us to love something greater than this world! Exposition I.

John’s Command (Vs. 15a)

John’s command is simply – do not love the world or the things in the world. Now, when John prohibits us from “loving the world and the things in the world,” he not suggesting that we should not have compassion and care for those in the world. God himself “loved the world and sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ” so that the world might be saved. So John is not calling us to some type of isolation movement that withdrawals from the world. We are to be filled with a desire to see the world won to faith in Christ! That is our mission! However, nothing threatens that mission more than being filled with love for the systems and the values of this world. You see, God sent his Son to save this world, because this world is in terrible shape. If you are a Christian here this morning, God has saved you out of the darkness of this world in order to send you back into it with the light of Christ. He has not saved you out of the world so that you might go back into it and join forces with the enemy. II.

John’s Description (Vs. 16)

In this verse, John expounds more upon the “things of the world” that he mentioned in verse 15. He begins by describing the world in terms of “the Desires of the Flesh,” which are desires that resonate with our sinful nature. Theses desires can be further broken down into two other categories: desires of the eyes and pride in possessions. The “desires of the eyes” speak of our sinful tendency to “be captivated by the outward show of things without enquiring into their real value.” (Dodd) This means that we are prone to value the things that the world values. Whether we are rich or poor, we are not exempt from these temptations. As I. Howard Marshall put it, “Anything can become a source of sinful desire.” In addition to speaking of the desires of the eyes, John also speaks of “pride in possessions, which refers to self-sufficient boasting of having satisfied one’s desires without God. Yet these desires do not originate “from the Father, but from the world.” John’s point is clear: They must

resist and put to death desires that are not “of the light.” For, if they would claim to walk in the light, they must also pursue desires that originate in the light of God.

III.

John’s Reasons (Vs. 15b-17)

John’s command here in verse 15 gets at the heart of what he has been saying so far in the book of First John. He has been telling us to walking in the light in humble, repentant obedience to God. This world is filled with darkness and defiance against God. Therefore, we are not to love it. So from here, John essentially gives us two reason for why we should not love the world or the things in the world. First, love for the world and love for God are incompatible. They cannot coexist in a Christian. Jesus speaks of this type of incompatibility in Matthew 6:24, when he says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” A person’s inability to serve two masters is clearer seen in Jesus’ interaction with the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22. Matthew writes, 16

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And 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 mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. The young man could not bear to part with his first love – his wealth. Therefore, he could not follow Jesus, who called him to a life marked by self-denial, humility, and full allegiance to someone and something greater than money, wealth, and riches. But, of course, John is not simply thinking about wealth in relationship to the world. While the use of our finances are typically an excellent indicator of what we are hoping in and what we love, they are not the only indicator. In other words, it is not simply the “desires of the flesh,” but also the “desires of the eyes and the pride of life” that are incompatible with the love of the Father. The second reasons that John gives is that these desires are tied to temporary things. The joys and pleasures of heaven are eternal, but the pleasures and pursuits of this world are fleeting. No one knowingly registers to take a cruise on a ship full of every worldly pleasure but that is destined to sink. Yet, this is exactly what is taking place in the case of the world. We are trying

to find eternal satisfaction from temporary realities. Eternal pleasure and life is only found in “abiding in the will of the eternal God by faith.

Conclusion So how should we respond to John’s command this morning? •

First, we must recognize the godless nature and deadly outcome of setting the heart on the things of the world. Pride (Self-sufficient, Refusal to Admit Fault, Self-reliance, Selfrighteousness), Lust for Money and Possessions (Greed, Idolatry), Sexual Immorality (Pre-marital sex, Extra-marital sex, Pornography) and an entire host of other things are threatening to steal our joy in Christ. And while the “lie of the enemy is that ‘Sin is not that serious,’ God’s Word disagrees.”



Second, we must resolve to set our heart on the things of our Heavenly Father by the grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We must set our affections on the eternal realities of God and live in the light!