1 John – Testing to Know – Test 5 Part B

Test #5 – Don’t Love the World – Continued

In our last post we considered John’s teaching of loving the world, what it meant and our responsibility to not do it. In this post, lets consider the second portion of the verse, not loving the things in the world! Let’s read the passage once more, prior to digging in.

1 John 2:15 – 17
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.

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.

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

Things in the World

Initially, when I read this phrase, I automatically think of my Prius. Or my computer. Or my phancy phone.

You know, material “things” of the world. But as I read the 16th verse, it doesn’t say … all that is of the world…

John declares that three things are in the world, that is according to verse 15, which believers are not to love.

Those three things are as follows

the lust of the flesh
the lust of the eyes
the pride of life

prius - small.jpg

Now of course I could see that my racing Prius appeals to my lust of the flesh. (What?)

But buying a Prius doesn’t mean I have loved a thing of the world, unless it was purchased to consume upon my own desires (lusts) and pride.

By the way, the stripes were a gift from my awesome daughter, but that is another story! You can read of it at the post Let Me Tell You a Story – A Racing Prius

What is my point?

The things of the world are not to be relegated to material things. The things of the world are those characteristics, attributes, desires and traits that pull us away from the Father and His Messiah. A Prius, on it’s own, can not pull me away from the Father! But watch out – if it appeals to the lust of my eyes, then yes I have a problem.

77's pride of life These three “things” of the world make us seek independence from God (pride of life), drives us to satisfy sexual desires outside the confines of a loving marital relationship (lust of the flesh), and propels us to accumulate possessions, power or people (lust of the eyes).

I freely admit my struggle with succumbing to loving my lust and pride, but I can honestly tell you that owning a racing Prius isn’t the result obeying the lust of my eyes!

Where is your struggle? The desires of the believer are addressed here and the message is that we can decide on what our desires are to be.

Feelings follow faith. A life of seeking the will of God (even when desire may be weak to non existent) will produce long term desire for the will of God to be realized.

Seek the will of God. It’s got a brighter future!

I hope you found a truth that was helpful in your life within this post. Drop me a line, or send this post to a friend that you thought of recently.