The Test of
Fellowship: Do Not Love The World
1 John 2: 15-17
(Part 9)
INTRODUCTION
A.
"Our interests are in ourselves. We are preoccupied with material
things. Our supreme god is technology. Our goddess is sex. Most of us are more
interested in getting to the moon than getting to heaven. We are more dedicated
to material security than to inward purity. We give much more thought to what
we wear, what we eat, what we drink, and what we can do than what we
are...." (Billy Graham)
B.
Today’s passage is the quintessential command to stop and to not love
this world. Here John gives a direct command to his readers that they are not
to love the world.
Proposition: The love of God compels us to end all
idolizations of the systems of the world.
Interrogative Sentence: Why does John tell us that as
genuine believers that we are not to love the world?
Transitional Sentence: This passage provides us
with three reasons for not loving the world:
·
The Wastefulness of
the World’s System (v. 15)
·
The Wickedness of
the World’s System (v. 16)
·
The Worthlessness
of the World’s System (v. 17)
2C The
Negative Relationship (VSS. 15-17)
John
appeals to his readers, on the ground of their standing in Christ (12-14) to
avoid loving the world. For John the world is the whole created system that is
apart from God and opposed to God.
This
is a serious thing for John. Love for this present world systems excludes the
possibility of a love for God.
Sin
and evil desires that reside in our unredeemed flesh attack us and entice or
lure us into sin is prompted and motivated by the systems of this world.
The
sad and fatal irony is that this world and its systems are temporary and
transitory. The world is in the process of passing away. The very things that
lure us and entice us and cause us to sin at the very least, or causes us to be
separated from God for all of eternity
[The first reason genuine believers
do not love the world is found in…]
1D The Warning of the World’s System (v. 15).
[First of all, John
describes…]
1E The
Command
“Do
not love the world or the things in the world…”
This
is what we call an imperative. It is a command. It is not a suggestion or just
something to think about or an option. John, based on his apostolic authority
expects his readers to comply with this command.
In
our Greek text the command “to love” is actually preceded by an adverb.
This
tells at least two things:
·
Some of these
believers are already loving the world and the things in the world. So John
actually is saying “Stop doing what you are already in the process of doing.”
John
does not give us any details about what his readers were doing. We don’t know
how they were loving the world nor do we know to what extent they loved the
world of the things in the world.
John
exhorts his readers to stop the habit. Stop, quit what you have started to do.
They
are in danger of being tempted and betrayed by their own appetites and senses
love what the world offers more than they love God.
The
problem is that this is so typical of our nature. It is natural that we would
love this world and all that this world offers. We have a fallen, nature of sin
that is housed in our flesh.
·
Second thing that
this passage tells us is that we have a duty to separate ourselves from this
world. IOW, it is not to be an object of our affections.
As matter of fact the Scriptures make it
clear that this world is not to be an object of our affections or our love:
o
Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world… (Romans
12:2a, ESV)
We
are not to shape ourselves into the nature or character of this world’s
systems. By the way, the verb for conformed is a command and not an option.
Second,
it can be translated in either the middle or the passive voice. If it is used
in the middle voice it means do not shape yourself like the world systems for
your own benefit or profit.
IOW,
don’t take on the character or the nature of the world’s systems in order to
gain something for yourself.
If
it is used in the passive voice it means don’t let the world’s systems shape
you or conform you to their standards.
Either
way, do not love this world. Do not allow yourself to take on the nature or
character of this world’s systems.
o
James 4:4 – “You
adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with world in enmity with
God? Therefore whoever wished to be a friend of the world makes himself an
enemy of God.” (James 4:4, ESV)
The
word for friendship comes from the root meaning “friend.” James is speaking of
people who have chosen to imitate the world’s systems which results in them
becoming enemies of God. James is saying it is impossible to satisfy the
expectations of the heart with the things of this world and to please God at
the same time.
It
is an either or choice for the believer.
When
you choose to become friends with or “to imitate” the character and nature of
the world you are in affect “hating” God. The root implies the hatred of an
enemy.
It
is a very serious thing to choose to become “friends” with the systems of the
world. When you do this you are placing yourselves in full opposition to God.
It
is like Custer and the 7th Calvary against the Sioux Indians all
over again. You are outnumbered, outgunned, and out-everything.
o
Colossians 4:1-2
– “If
then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are
above, not on the things of this earth. (Colossians 4:1-2, ESV)
There
is a strong contrast here – place or direct your thoughts on heavenly things as
opposed to any earthly things like the world’s systems.
I think we need to stop here
for a minute and ask ourselves what John is talking about. What does he mean by
world and what are “the things in the world.”
[Let’s move from the command
to…]
2E The Concept
“…the world or the things in the world.”
First
of all, the word for world in our text is the Greek word kosmos. It is used at least 7 different ways in the New
Testament.
It
is used in reference to or to denote:
·
The earth in its
totality – we would say “universe”
·
The earth itself
– in contrast to the heavens
·
The human race –
all of mankind
·
Gentiles as
distinguished from the Jews
·
The present
system of human affairs
·
The sum of all
temporal possessions
·
As an expression
of magnitude & variety
kosmos was also used outside of the New Testament. Its
non-biblical usage included:
·
The idea or
concept of “that which is well ordered”
·
The order between
men
·
Or just plain
order in general
·
An “adornment”
which by the way was used in the NT once
There is no word for universe
in the Hebrew language. The Hebrew had a word that signified the host of heaven
and was even used for adornment.
The Hebrews referenced heaven
and earth as “the all.”
In the NT is never used in
the “sense” of order or structure
It is used one time as we
said as adornment in 1 Peter 3:3
All other times it is used in
the NT is means “world” in some sense.
The NT uses it to reference
the universe. It includes all created beings and is used synonymous with heaven
and earth.
It is used as the living
place of men – the inhabited world, we see this defined by terms like “kingdoms
of the world” and “nations of the world.”
It is also used to refer to
humanity. It kind of goes like this:
The
universe becomes inhabited world by humanity which becomes the world of men
which is opposed to God
kosmos is the sum of the divine creation which has been
shattered by the fall, which stands under the judgment of God and in which
Jesus Christ appeared as a redeemer redeeming his elect from the sum total of
mankind.
World is the enemy of God and
it is a great obstacle to the Christian life.
What is included in the world
system?
·
The understanding
of men
·
Vain imaginations
of men
·
Evil thoughts of
men
·
Inordinate
longings or cravings of men
·
Unlawful
inclinations of men
·
The perversities
of men
·
And even the
stubbornness or willfulness of men
Also included in the system
of the world are things:
·
That oppose God
·
Self-promotion
·
Self-preservation
·
Gratification of
self a love of self and pleasure or
hedonism
The systems of the world show
themselves in:
·
Gratification w/o
guidelines
·
Control w/o
consequences
·
Rights w/o
responsibilities
·
Pleasure w/o
penalties
So, are you getting the
picture? Do you see what the world is and really what the systems of the world?
Do you see why John commands them on the basis of their positive relationship
with God as children, young men, and Fathers to not love the world and the things
that are in the world?
God hates the systems of the
worlds. God’s wrath is and will be visited upon the systems of the world. God
will judge the systems of this world.
We have seen the John’s
command and we have defined his concept of the world and we know what he means.
Therefore Christian, stop the
present habit and do not love this world or the things in this world.
[If we don’t we will face…]
3E The Consequences
Look
what John says in conjunction with this command:
“…If
anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him.”
What does John mean when he says if you do persist in
loving this world and the world’s systems that the love of the Father is not in
you?
First
of all this is the only time this phrase is used in the NT.
Secondly,
this is a serious statement. It cannot be taken lightly.
There
are three possible meanings of this phrase and you will have to choose one:
·
It could refer to
the love that comes from God to all those who are his children
·
It could refer
specifically to the person who is currently and presently loving the world and
its systems and doesn’t have an immediate reference to those who are not
engaged in loving the world and its systems
·
It
could refer to the believer’s love for God
After wrestling with it and
praying over the text, I think the correct meaning and choice is the third
option: love for God is not in the one
who loves the world.
Now be careful here, John is
not simply saying that this person simply doesn’t love God either at all or in
some capacity. John is saying that love for God as a continuing principle does
not exist.
IOW, this person, the person who continues to
consistently love the world and the world systems is not a Christian.
Love for God does not exist.
Philo said: “It is
impossible for a love to the world to coexist with love to God, as it is
impossible for light and darkness to coexist.”
Edmond Hiebert said it this
way: “Love
for God and love for the world are by their nature antagonistic and cannot
coexist in the same human heart…the conclusion negatively declares his
inevitable spiritual condition.” [1]
I
think we have to stop here for a minute and ask ourselves, if it is so serious
as to not even be a Christian if I consistently and actively love the systems
of this world, in what ways can we be tempted to love the world’s systems.
IOW,
what do I do or what is the actions and attitudes that necessary to love this
world.
The
answer to this question is contained in the next two verses, vss. 16 & 17. Which
we will, Lord willing look at next week.
[Let’s wrap this up!]
CONCLUSION
My goal or my aim this
morning has been to share with you John’s Warning – actually his command that
you as genuine believers guard your heart against the lure and enticement to
love the systems of the world.
This command was given on the basis of John’s
confidence in his reader’s position of being genuine believers.
We're
not going where the system is going. The system is going into death and hell,
and we're going into life, life eternal. So we can't love the world because of
what it is, it is the system of Satan. Who are we? We are the children of God. Loving
the world incites sin. And because of where the world and its systems are
going, they are spiraling into death and we're headed for eternal life.
How
foolish then to flirt with it, huh? And how foolish not to be consumed with the
things of the eternal Kingdom. So next week we will examine the three
categories in which the world attempts to seduce people, including genuine
believers.
Exhortation: Examine
your hearts and see if there exists any love and affection for this world. If
so, confess it, repent of it, and ask God to rid this unholy love for the
world.
Then lion like and with great ferociousness, guard you
heart and keep it, because out of the heart come the issues of life.
1 comment:
Loved this most interesting read Gregg. sorry I am late.
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