Sermon Lark Murry

Passage 1 John 2:15-17

Topic: Whom do you Love?

There was a man called Yanpvü who had a family. He had a beautiful maiden whom he loved so
much. Since the girl is so beautiful Yanpvü always cared and felt for her because he doesn’t want
to lose her. Therefore, he always kept on instructed her to live a life with a purpose that would be
acceptable in his side. But then as days go by the girl saw a handsome young man, and felt love
with him. Day by day she felt more on him and began to forget her father words. In result, she
was fallen into a deep pit and because of the young handsome guy her life was spoiled.

The prefix text of the chapter, we see John is addressing to the children, father, and young men
(2:7-14) that how they become children of God. You are no longer in the darkness since now you
are in the light because He is light. Father who has grown up in their faith, in other word major in
faith strengthens the young one. Because you have known Him who was from the beginning,
children you have known the Father and your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. Young men
you have overcome the evil one, because you are strong. In a meanwhile, John also telling that
all Christian are children in innocence (by grace not nature) and dependence on the heavenly
Father, young men in strength and father in experience. You have overcome the evil one because
the knowledge of God and the word of God abiding in you.

We see the suffix text of the chapter, Apostle John is warning against the false teaching,
prediction of antichrist and pronouncing the coming judgment of this world. In a same time he
also encouraged readers by saying if we are faithful and abides in the truth and if we are in the
truth then He will protect us from all kinds of evils/antichrist.

In Johannine thought we see the world using several times. John addressed this particular word
in two ways. In the point of John, world (cosmos) sometime refers to earth/people “for God so
love the world” (John 3:16). Sometimes he used to refer to the organized evil system with its
principles and its practices, all under the authority of Satan___ all kinds of evil.
Here in the given text we find the word very often. John is using six times. The reason is he
wants to deal us something different from this particular section. 1 John 2:15-17, John is not
referring to the world where he referred in John 3:16, but then it gives vividly explanation of all
kinds of evil, worldly pleasure, disobedience of God.

V. 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”.

The world signifies more usually mankind organized in rebellion against God. Which is fully
under the control of Evil one, “the ruler of this world will cast up” (John 12:31), “we are from
God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). When we read in Gen
(1:31) God said “it was good”. God created everything perfectly, but then man destroyed all
God’s creation and the world become unclean and the nature of sin flows from east to west.
When Adam and Eve chose to commit sin Satan was very much excited for their wrong doings.

John mentioned another word “love”. Again here, John is not referring the love where he
mentioned in the gospel (John 3:16) “for God so love the world”. Here John is speaking
something about pleasure which a person long to get it from the object his/her loves. Love here
is, to be attracted by something and want to enjoy it, self-desire for pleasure. Here John clearly
described that love for the world and love for the Father are fully incompatible. To love the
world is opposing God’s will. James 4:4 says “do you not know that the friendship with the
world is enmity with God”. A person who loves the world has never really experience the love
which God has for him. Imagine how Jesus would feel the moment when you said Lord I will
serve you, live for you, obey you, and I will be justice to everyone. But then you cannot forget
the world and still with the attitude in the world systems. You/ we cannot be in both at the time.
This is reason Jesus said, you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). If anyone
loves the world then the love of the Father is not in him (V. 15b).

V. 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”.

Verse 15b is very much clear that anyone who loves the world does not have the love of the
Father. Since we cannot love God when He loves us so much, we show ourselves to be idolaters.
Here we see verse 16 is describing about the world systems. John has brought out three things
which many people fall into it. Flesh desire. Flesh is something donates physical term. Flesh
desire is which our flesh long for something that includes sexual desire. In Romans 1:24,
describes as “sinful desire/lust” sinful desire or lust is anything that is contrast to the will of the
God. It could be women, car, position, dress. Therefore all these things always fight against the
will of God because these are from the world systems. They refuse to do the will of God. In the
letter of Paul to Galatians we see a clear picture of the world system.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that
those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (5:19-21).

Therefore he who lives in the world’ system has the attitude and characters of these things. But
in the other hand we see the following text, those who are not loving the world system rather are
controlled by the Holy Spirit have the attitudes of the fruits of the spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (22-24).

We see in the bible the incidence that took place in the Garden of Eden when the serpent told
Eve that you will not die but rather you will be like Him so Eve was tempted to test it to make
one wise. “and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and
she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Gen 3:6c). And they were fall
into sin because of their flesh desire.

When we look in the New Testament in the life of Jesus Christ, He too was tempted by the same
Satan/serpent. We read in Matthew, when Jesus was physically tired serpent came to Him said to
Him to commend the stone to turn into bread. But Jesus replied, man shall not live by bread
alone “And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones
to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:3-4).

The second phrase we see “the desire of the eyes” meaning longing of what we see or attracted
by what we see. The desire of the eyes describes someone who is captivated by outward show of
materialism. Many a times many of us we are attracted by what we see and we long for it. Things
like dresses, women, shopping etc. Again let’s look back in the Garden of Eden. When Eve saw
the tree she looks good in her eye and she was attracted to have it (Gen 3:6a). “So when the
woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes”.

We read the story of Achan in the book of Joshua. God instructed not to take anything that
belongs from their enemy, but Achan disobeyed God. Because of the lust of his eye, when he
saw the materials he was attracted and tempted to take the things that belongs from Israelite’
enemy. He explained: “When I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200
shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels then I coveted them and took them. And
see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath” (Josh 7:21). The
lust of the eyes led him into sin, and his sin led the army into defeat.

Here we another metaphor in the life of David, when he saw Bathsheba with lustful eyes, later
he committed adultery with her. We read in 2 Samuel 11:2-4). Here why John described the
phrase “lust of the eye”? The reason is this, because the eyes are a gateway into the mind. The
lust of the eyes, therefore, can include intellectual pursuits that are contrary to God's Word.
There is pressure to make Christians think the way the world thinks. Therefore Jesus warned us
in the gospel of Matthew (6:22-23) “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy,
your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of
darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness”!
We should be like Job. He said “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at
a virgin? (Job 31:1).

The third phrase “pride of life”. It describes the arrogant spirit of self-sufficiency, the desire for
recognition, status, and advantage in life. It describes all kinds of false views of self-pleasure,
false views of possession, false views of superiority. People who love the world or things in the
world will always impress other people because of their prides in life. Satan is so smart to fool
us. See how Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden “no you will not surely die, but you will
be like God, knowing good and evil”. She felt the pride by wishing to be like God and the bride
that she felt pulled her down, and came in a situation to hide God, because light and darkness
never dwells together.
Again we see in the life of Jesus. Jesus was asked to worship the Satan to gain the kingdom of
the world, but Jesus answered be gone from me Satan.

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of
the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall
down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You
shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”(Matt 4:8-10).

Many a time many of us think that we are doing for God’s glory by seeking after all things. But
the truth is, no! We are not doing the will of God. Therefore, John describes all these are not
from the Father but from the world.

Verse 17 “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of
God abides forever”.

John is very clear when he said not to love the world system. In verse 17 he describes why we
should not love the world system because all the systems of the world are temporary, our desire
of flesh, lust of eyes, and the pride of life, and self-pleasure will pass away. No matter what we
try to give self-pleasure by chasing all these things. Do you think that it will really last forever?
It will pass by just like a wind. It is a guarantee that all kinds of the world systems will surely
pass away “And the world is passing away along with its desires”. Therefore this is one reason
John tells not to love the world system.

In a meanwhile on the other hand, John is encouraging and urging to seek the will of God. The
will of the Father is permanent. No one can take away from us things that we do God’s will. In
the letter of Paul to Colossian we read “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 things that are on earth” (Col 3:1-2).

Application

Is there anyone who is not tempting by the world systems as a human being? One way or other
we are tempting by the world’s system. What is the first thing you love the most? Give first
priority? God! or the systems in the world? The word of God says don’t love the system of the
world rather to seek and remain in love of Jesus Christ. The world will never get satisfy. Rather
the more we seek the system of the world that much we are in the process of perishing. Solomon
was the richest and wisest man in the world but in the end he concluded with a phrase
“everything under the sun is vanity of vanity” (Ecclesiastes).

In verse 16 John has mentioned “lust of flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride in life”. We are
tempting by all these things, because it was begun from the Garden of Eden. Eve failed to fleet
away from the serpent when she was tempted. Her own flesh desire and lust of her eyes and
pride of her life led to sin “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it
was a delight to the eyes ___ desire to make one wish” (Gen 3:6).

The same thing when Jesus was hungry serpent tempted and told Him to command the stone to
satisfy His hunger “And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command
these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matt 4:3-4).

Again Jesus was tempted by something that delighted to eyes but Jesus replied the serpent you
shall not put the Lord your God to the test. “Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him
on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down,
for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will
bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written,
‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matt 4:5-7).

For the third time, Jesus was tempted through pride in life and asked Him to worship but Jesus
commended the serpent to be gone. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will
give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it
is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matt 4:8-11).

The serpent tempted even the son of God then why the serpent or the system of the world will
not tempt us. Of course, we are tempting and many of us are falling into the world’s system and
become lover of the world rather than God’s will. The reason is when we are tempting we
become like Eve, not words to say towards temptation. But see what Jesus did. The world
systems are tempting many Christian leaders. We want to glorify ourselves not God. We always
want to be in the highest position. We seek after pride, rather flee away from those.
But I say, we should be like Jesus. He has set a good metaphor for us in times of temptation “be
gone” from me. We are not confident to say like Jesus, because we too love the world’s system.
If we don’t love the world’s system we would love God’s will. Actually doing the will of God is
a joy for those living in the love of God. And if we love God we will live in the commandment
of Jesus. "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). What the word of God says in
regards to the Commandments. Jesus answered, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is
one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:29-30).

Conclusion

Friends, Yanpvü daughter was fall into pit when she began to forget her father’s words. People
of God, if we love God we will keep His commandments and obey Him. The lover of the
world’s system is on the way to perish. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride in life
will lead us into perish if we love these system. Let’s not like Eve, but let us be like Jesus and
command to flee from us. Let us not seek for self-pleasure, or things in the world, but seek
things in above which is permanent. Let us seek and live according to the will of the Father that
abides for ever. Friends, when we lose the enjoyment of the Father's love, we will find it hard to
obey the Father's will. So we should remain in the love of the Father by doing His will. We
should stand firm not to drop in the system of the world.

May God bless us all…

Amen.