“I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one…” 1 John 2:12–17
“I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them…” 1 John 2:12–17
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life— comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:12–17
Where are we to take our hungry hearts?
ARE WE TO HAVE A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD?
“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” John 3:16
“Do not love the world or anything in the world.” 1 John 2:15
I love God, but do I have to hate everything else?
THE CONTINUUM OF FAITH
“Dear children”, “fathers”, and “young men”. “Veterans” and “newcomers”.
“Look, I have some challenging words for you here today, and I want you to know that I see you, I hear you, I feel you…and the words I’m about to share, they are for you.”
SEE THE WORLD
“Do not love the world or anything in the world,” John writes in verse 15, “If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you.”
Greek word kosmos: the sinful world; the earthly system of values, beliefs, and behaviours that are in opposition to God and His purposes.
“This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” 1 John 4:3
“The whole world is under the control of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19
You can’t say you love God and the deep life He offers, and—at the same time— be actively embracing the sinful values and lifestyles of the world.
SEE YOUR HEART
“For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes, and their boasting about what they have and do—comes not from the Father, but from the world.”
The King James Version puts it as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.”
1. The first is the desire to do.
1. The first is the desire to do. 2. The second worldly desire John identifies is the desire to have.
1. The first is the desire to do. 2. The second worldly desire John identifies is the desire to have. 3. The third worldly desire is the desire described as “the pride of life”.
Chances are one of these three poses a particular problem for you: pleasure, possessions, or pride. When any of these begin to demand time or money or attention that rightfully belongs to God, then you are falling in love with the world, and it’s only a matter of time before you end up throwing yourself toward one of these instead of toward God.
SEE THE TRUTH
“The world and its desires pass away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:17
“I’ll be happy if I get admitted into the right school.”
“I’ll be happy if I find the right partner.”
“I’ll be happy if I make vice president.”
“I’ll be happy if I have my dream house.”
The German word sehnsucht combines the ideas of wanting something and missing something. It describes a deep existential yearning for something that we can’t name, but know to be true.
Sehnsucht: “The scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never visited.”
You know you’re living deep when you want life with God more than anything this world has to offer.
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