Focus on the Things of God

A Study On God And Relationships

1 John 2:15–17

English Standard Version

Fellowship With Him And One Another

Do Not Love The World

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.

Focus On Attitudes:

Attitudes We Have Reviewed In The Last Several Weeks:

Attitude About Adoration:

Who God Is And What God Has Done;

Attitude About Confession:

Agreeing With God About Our Sin;

Attitude About Thanksgiving:

God Wills That We Be Thankful All The Time;

Attitude About Supplication:

Pleading A Humble Petition To God;

Attitude About Fellowship:

Be Ready To Do Any Good Work In His Name;

Attitude About Joy:

Spiritual Maturity Produces Lasting Joy.

Attitude About Walking In The Light:

A Strong Desire To Know Jesus And Spend Time With Him.

Attitude About A New Kind Of Love:

Our Love For One Another Is Motivated By Our Love For Christ.

Attitude About The Church Family:

Spiritual Growth And Fellowship.

Look At Another Attitude:

Another Choice For A Person To Make:

Attitude About The Things Of God: Love The Father Or Love The World

1. What Does The Bible Mean “THE World”:

The Kosmos:

The World Refers To:

Fallen Humanity, Hostile To God;

Not The Physical Planet Earth;

Not The Physical Universe.

Kosmos / Kosmeo:

English Words:

Cosmos (the Ordered Universe),

Cosmopolitan (literally A Citizen Of The World!)

Cosmetics (those Things We Put On In Order To Bring Order Out Of "chaos"!)

English Terms:

A Matter Of "cosmic" Significance, Is Something Which Is Important For The Whole World.

A "cosmopolitan" City, It Means A City Which Has Citizens From Many Parts Of The World.

Kosmos Acquired A Moral Sense:

- It Began To Mean The World Apart From God.

- It Began To Mean A Pagan Society With Its False Values And Its False Standards And Its False Gods.

- It Is The Evil World System Opposed To God And Composed Of God's Enemies.

Bible Verses About The World: The Evil World System Hates God !

Jesus Warned His Disciples…

- If The World Hates You, You Know That It Has Hated Me Before It Hated You.

- If You Were Of The World, the World Would Love Its Own; But Because You Are Not Of The World,

- But I Chose You Out Of The World, Therefore the World (continually) Hates You.

Jesus Prayed To His Father...

I Have Given Them (His Disciples) Thy Word; And the World Has Hated Them, Because They Are Not Of The World even As I Am Not Of The World.

Do Not Be Surprised, Brethren, If The World (the Evil World System) Hates You.

Love Of “the World” Is In Direct Opposition To Love For God,

See How Great A Love The Father Has Bestowed Upon Us,

That We Should Be Called Children Of God; And Such We Are. For This Reason the World (the Evil World System)

Does Not Know Us, Because It Did Not Know Him.

And Who Is The One Who Overcomes The World

(the Evil World System And Its Influence Even On Believers),

But He Who Believes That Jesus Is The Son Of God.

2. Do Not Love The Things Of This World:

What Does The Bible Mean The Things Of The World ?

The Attitudes And Values Of “the World” Are Not Sourced In God, But In The World Itself.

As Believers, Our Love For God Motivates Us To Look Past The Emptiness Of The World Such As Riches, Power, And Self-Indulgence.

The Source Of The Lust/Desire Of The Flesh, The Lust/Desire Of The Eyes, And The Pride Of Life Was Not The Father, But The World.

Ever Have A Craving For Physical Pleasure?

- The World Lures Us Away From The Love Of God By Appealing To Our Desire For Physical Pleasure.

- As Believers, We Find Abundant Life In Jesus.

Ever Have A Craving For Everything You See?

- The World Lures Us Away From The Love Of God By Appealing To Our Deep-Down Desire For Intellectual Pleasures.

- Jesus Told Us Our Eyes Are The Lamp Of The Body.

Ever Take Pride In Your Achievements And Possessions?

There Are Only Three (3) Categories Of Sin In This World !!

Sex, Money, And Power Or Better Said: Sensuality, Materialism, And Self-Glorification.

The Lust Of The Flesh

Peter Urges Us to Abstain From Sinful Desires which Wage War Against Our Soul.

The Lust Of The Eyes

Eve Was Convinced.

She Saw that The Tree Was Beautiful And Its Fruit Looked Delicious,

She wanted The Wisdom It Would Give Her.

She Took Some Of The Fruit And Ate It.

She Gave Some To Her Husband, Who Was With Her, And He Ate It, Too.

Late One Afternoon, After His Midday Rest,

David Got Out Of Bed

David Was Walking On The Roof Of The Palace.

As he Looked out Over The City,

King David Noticed A Woman of Unusual Beauty Taking A Bath.

The Boastful Pride Of Life

We boast In Our Arrogant Schemes;

All Such Boasting Is Evil.

Example: How Did Jesus Face Satan's 3 Categories Of Sin?
The Lust Of The Flesh:

Satan Tempted Jesus:

To Command These Certain Stones Become Bread As Jesus Had Not Eaten For Many Days;

Biblical Response:

Man Shall Not Live On Bread Alone, But On Every Word That Proceeds Out Of The Mouth Of God.

The Lust Of The Eyes

Satan Tempted Jesus:

To Give Him The Kingdoms Of The World If He Would Bow Down And Worship Satan;

Biblical Response:

You Shall Worship The Lord Your God, And Serve Him Only.

The Pride Of Life:

Satan Tempted Jesus:

To Stand On Top Of The Temple And Throw Yourself Down And The Angels Will Catch Him;

Biblical Response:

You Shall Not Put The Lord Your God To The Test.

Recap:
The Lust Of The Flesh Referred To Sinful Pleasures And Sensual Desires.

The Lust Of The Eyes Referred To A Desire For Material Possessions.

The Pride Of Life Referred To Arrogance Based On Position Or Attainment.

None Of These Attitudes And Desires Were Sourced In One’s Dependence Upon God As Provider.

Strong Warnings About The World – The Believer’s Temptations Are Not Over.

Focus On Obedience

- The World Is Tempting.

- The World Is Temporary.

- The Person Who Obeys Lives Forever (with God).

Do Not Love The World Or The Things Of The World:

1) Because Anyone Who Loves The World Does Not Have Love For The Father In Him;

2) Because The Source Of Lust In The World Is Not The Father, But The World;

3) Because The Lusts Of The World Are Temporal;

4) Because The Ones Who Do The Will Of God Are Eternal.

3. The Things Of This World Are Passing Away:

Can You Love The World And Love God At The Same Time?

Love Of The World And Love Of The Father Are Mutually Exclusive.

Loyalty To One Necessitated Antagonism Toward The Other.

The World Competes For The Love Of Christians And One Cannot Both Love It And The Father At The Same Time.

The Attitudes And Values Of The World Are Temporal And Passing While The Attitudes, Values, And People Of God Are Eternal.

Keep Loving God

1. To Love God Means To Value His Will.

2. When You Value God’s Will, You Overcome Evil.

3. When You Value God’s Will, You Enjoy Genuine Fellowship With Him.

Do Not Love The World Or The Things Of The World Was Because:

- All These Attitudes And Desires Exposed False Sources Of Satisfaction, Security, And Significance.

- God And His Will Alone That Abide Forever.

- The One Who Does God’s Will Also Abides, In Intimates Fellowship, With Him Forever.

- Such A Statement Was Meant To Encourage John’s Hearers That They Belonged To The True Fellowship.

Do Not Set Your Love On The World Is The New Age Has Arrived And The Present Age Is Doomed.

The Same Choice Between God And The World,

The Same Choice Between The Lust Of The World And The Will Of God,

Still Confronts Christians.

We Shall More Readily Obey The Command ‘Do Not Love The World’ If We Remember That While The World And Its Desires Are Temporary.

Friendship With The World Is Hatred Toward God.

You Cannot Be Loving The Father At The Same Time You Are Loving The World.

Keep Loving God Rather Than The World:

When Compared With A Life Lived In The Will Of God, The Things This Life Has To Offer Are Empty Imitations Of God’s Best.

Two Reasons Believers Should Not Love The World And Will Identify Ways That Men And Women Of God Embrace God’s Will.

The Believer’s Power And Position:

- One Who Is Forgiven And Has Overcome; Power.

- One Who Has A Personal Relationship With God. Position.

Believers Who Have Assurance Of Their Relationship:

- Through Forgiveness, Their Abiding Intimacy,

- Their Victory Over The Evil One

- Love And Are Loyal To God Rather Than The World

- Which Promotes Its Lusts

- And Is Passing Away.