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.

Focus on the Church Family

A Study on God and Relationships

1 John 2:12-14

English Standard Version

Fellowship with Him and One Another

12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.

13 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. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

14 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 abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

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.

Look at another attitude:

Another Choice for A Person To Make:

Attitude about the Church Family: Spiritual Growth and Fellowship

STEPS TOWARD GROWTH AND MATURITY

Step 1 – Experiencing Forgiveness:

God is so rich in mercy,

and He loved us so much,

and we were dead because of our sins, BUT;

He gave us Life when He raised Christ from the dead;

He gave us His grace so that we have been saved;

He seated us with Him in the heavenly realms;

He united us with Christ Jesus;

God can point to us in all future ages;

As examples of his grace and kindness toward us;

As shown in all He has done for us united in Christ Jesus.

God saved you by His grace when you believed;

We can not take credit for this; it is a gift from God;

Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done;

So none of us can boast about it.

Step 2 – Overcoming the Evil One:

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord;

Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness;

Instead, expose them.

It is shameful to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret;

Their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them;

For the Light makes everything visible.

Living by the Spirit’s Power and Walk in Wisdom:

- Be careful how we live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise;

- Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days;

- Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants us to do.

Step 3 – Know God:

These are the gifts Christ gave to the church:

Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers;

Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work;

Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to build up the church, the body of Christ.

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son;

This will continue until we will be mature in the Lord;

This will continue until we measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children;

We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching;

We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION:

01. Is essential, not optional, for Christ-followers.

02. Is a process, not an event.

Justified: declared righteous because Righteousness in Christ is credited to you, no longer under judgment of God.

Sanctified: made righteous, real transformation;

The Doctrine of Sanctification:

Is it an event or a process after justification?

Can you be perfected in your sanctification before you die?

Glorified: completed in righteousness.

03. Is a work of GOD BUT requires OUR participation.

NOT JUSTIFICATION BUT SANCTIFICATION.

04. Involves those practices, experiences, and relationships that help us live intimately with Christ.

05. Is not a compartmentalized pursuit. God is interested in our life – all of it.

06. Can happen in every moment. It is not restricted to certain times or practices.

07. Is not individualistic but takes place in community and finds expression in serving others.

08. Is not impeded by a person’s background, temperament, life situation, or season of life.

09. It is available right now to all who desire it.

10. And the means of pursuing it. Fully devoted followers are handcrafted, not mass-produced.

11. Is ultimately gauged by an increased capacity to love God and people.

Do you believe you can be more like Jesus just by trying harder?

We are transformed to be more like Christ by cultivating a close, personal relationship with him.

John addresses himself to:1) children, 2) young men and 3) fathers.

This has nothing to do with age or sex but with levels of Christian maturity.

God’s family like every human family has members of different maturity.

1. Some in a church family are NEW in the faith: SPIRITUAL BABES

They know their sins are forgiven;

They are in the family of God and have experienced the new birth;

No longer is God feared as a Judge but is loved as a Father;

God knows our deepest needs and loves us with an everlasting love;

So we push on deeper into maturity for a more consistent walk with Christ.

NOTE:

The way into God’s family is through the new birth which comes from God:

Man’s responsibility is to believe in Jesus Christ: His works and His words.

2. Some in a church family are ADOLESCENTS in the faith: SPIRITUAL TEENAGERS

They are strong,

The word of God lives in them;

They have overcome the evil one;

Adolescents in spiritual maturity BUT are growing spiritually;

They are busily involved in the battle of Christian living;

They are spiritually minded but not yet mature;

They are young Christ-followers have overcome the evil one and are continuing to overcome him;

They are energetically engaged in the business of Christian living.

3. Some in a church family are MATURE in the faith: SPIRITUAL ADULTS

Like older parents, they have progressed into a deep communion with God;

Their knowledge of Him ripens with the years;

They are mature or Spiritual Adults in a congregation;

They have gained much personal knowledge of God by experience;

The Spiritual Fathers have progressed into a deep communion with God.

A person matures through regular, systematic Bible study.

Self-feeders. The key to spiritual maturity is spending time in the Word of God.

Recently, we have talked about observing A True Christian:

1. Walk in the light;

2. Keep the commandments of God;

3. Love the brethren.

Recently, we have talked about observing A NON-Christian:

Those who are false counterfeit Christians:

1. Do not walk in fellowship with God;

2. Do not keep the moral law of God;

3. Do not love the family of God.

How does Scripture define a CHURCH?

The church is heaven on earth;

It is a heavenly experience brought down to earth;

It is not going to be anything like the world;

The church is going to be the place where you hear the truth proclaimed;

The church is the pillar and foundation of Divine truth;

The gathering of true worshipers worshiping in Spirit and Truth;

The church is your nation;

The church is your country;

The church is your state;

The church is your city;

The church is your tribe;

The church is your ethnicity;

The church is your family;

The church is the realm of your most essential and all-satisfying relationships;

A church is a fellowship:

-where the superficial is replaced by the supernatural;

-where carnal desires are replaced by spiritual desires.

NOTE:
When A Person states they have a personal relationship with Christ and is detached from the church it is like saying I’m connected to the head but not to the body.

What Is A Christian's Responsibility to the Church:

1. It is an obedience issue:

The Lord wants involvement in His church fully.

The Lord wants obedience to His word;

The Lord wants submission to those responsible as under-shepherds;

2. It is a fellowship issue:

Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as is the manner of some.

Stimulate one another to love and good works that we might encourage one another.

It’s not about what we get, it’s about what we give.

We are not coming here to receive, we are coming here to give.

This is where we give our life.

3. It is an authority issue:

We need:

to be trained;

to be discipled;

to be led;

to be admonished;

to be warned;

to be reproved;

to be rebuked;

to be exhorted;

to be instructed;

to be edified.

4. It’s an identity issue:

We are in Christ. We are inseparable from Christ.

We are in His body;

We bear His name.

We literally are one with Christ.

We are crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not me, but Christ lives in me.

5. It’s a loyalty issue:

You’re called and gifted to show love and ministry to others.

The church is where you come to serve others, and in so doing, you’re served.

6. It’s a ministry issue:

It is collectively with other believers to advance in the name of Christ in the kingdom of God;

7. It’s a truth issue:

It is faithful to teach the Word of God get a systematic understanding of the Word of God.

It is to help new believers from being tossed about with every wind of doctrine.

8. It’s an evangelism issue:

It is about showing Love one another as Jesus has loved us.

To be victorious over the attacks of the Devil a Christian must be strong in the Lord;

The secret to being strong is found in abiding in the Word of God;

Knowing and applying the Bible to life is the secret to all Christian living.

This is why Satan fights:

- Bible study;

- Building your life around the centrality of the scriptures;

- The authority of the Bible.

Ignorant and rebellious Christians are great tools in the Devil’s hands;

But victory is for those who know and apply the Word to their experience through faith and obedience;

Not just enjoying the forgiveness and fellowship of God, but fighting the enemy.

Focus on a New Kind of Love

A Study on God and Relationships

1 John 2:3-11

New American Standard Version

Fellowship with Him and One Another

03 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

04 The one who says I have come to know Him and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

05 But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:

06 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

07 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.

08 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.

09 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.

10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

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.

Look at another attitude:

Another Choice for A Person To Make:

A New Kind of Love: Our love for one another is motivated by our love for Christ.

John said:

I am not writing a new commandment to you;

But an old commandment which you have had from the beginning;

The old commandment is the Word, which you have heard;

On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you;

Which is true in HIM and in YOU;

HOW TO BE TRANSFORMED BY THIS NEW KIND OF LOVE !!

1. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING WILL RENEW YOUR MIND:

In what sense was the commandment to love others both old and new?

It was OLD in the sense:

It was already there in the Old Testament;

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Leviticus 19:18).

Also:

It was NOT the first time that John's hearers had heard it;

From the very first day Christianity taught that the law of love must be the law of their lives.

This commandment: Old in Jewish law and Old in Christian teaching (John writes this 50+ years after Ascension).

It was NEW in the sense:

It had been raised to a completely new standard in the life of Jesus.

It was as Jesus had loved men that mankind were now to love each other.

Jesus said: A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you.

It could well be said that mankind did not really know what love was until they saw it in Him.

Examples of: An old thing can become a new experience in the hands of a master.

A game may become a new game to a person when seen as a master plays it;

A musical concert may become a new sound to a person when heard under a master conductor;

A chocolate cake may become a new dessert to a person when prepared by Mrs. June Wells;

In Jesus LOVE became NEW in 2 directions:

1. It became NEW in the extent to which His love reached;

In Jesus love reached out to the SINNER.

To the orthodox Jewish Rabbi the SINNER was a person whom God wished to destroy;

To the orthodox Jewish Rabbi there is joy in heaven when one sinner is destroyed.

Jesus was the friend of outcast men and women and of sinners;

Jesus was sure there was joy in heaven when one sinner goes home;

In Jesus love reached out to the GENTILE.

To the orthodox Jewish Rabbi the GENTILE was a person whom God wished to destroy;

But in Jesus God so loved the world that He gave His Son.

Love became NEW in Jesus because he widened its boundaries until all were included.

2. It became NEW in the extent to which His love would go;

No sin from any person could turn Jesus' love to hate;

No hate from any person could turn Jesus' love to hate.

He could even pray for God's mercy on those who were nailing him to his Cross.

John 2: 7:

This is Not a new commandment;

This is Not taking philosophy to the next logical step as is common in the history of philosophy.

John said it’s an OLD commandment BUT it has a newness to it.

It has a freshness.

The remarkable part of the newness of this:

- The old commandment is the Word, which you have heard.

- The new commandment ( new: not the idea of new in time, chronologically, but the idea of something new in quality).

- This is Manifested in Jesus Christ for the first time so that the visibility of what it means to love your neighbor is clear.

Jesus says the same thing: I have a new commandment that you love God and love all others.

That was a fresh new way to see the commandments of God and exactly how we are to love others.

He says I want you to love in a way you’ve never known before.

1 KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING WILL RENEW YOUR MIND:

2. CHANGE OF ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE TO BE OBEDIENT:

Another attitude:

Another Choice for A Person To Make:

Another Choice for A Person To Make Perfect Ones Love For Others !!

First we know what the Bible tells a person to do;

Next a person has a choice to obey it.

What is Jesus telling a person about a choice for loving others ?

I want you to love the way I’ve loved you.

That’s how I want you to love others.

Understand what it means to live a life that reflects God’s love.

If we claim to know God our lives will show evidence of His love.

1. Living Like Christ Proves We Know God (vs 3 – 6)

2. Loving One Another Proves We Know God (vs 7 – 11)

How had He loved them?

Three years of meeting every need they had:

providing for them food;

providing for them teaching;

providing for them forgiveness;

providing for them grace;

providing for them mercy;

providing for them patience;

How did He love them?

By washing their filthy feet.

A metaphor how Jesus had loved them all through His ministry.

They always needed their feet washed spiritually !!

They loved the Lord and believed in Him YET they had doubts, failures, pride, ambition, greed, self-centeredness.

Jesus made the choice to keep loving and loving and loving and loving, patiently, patiently, patiently.

There is a level of understanding of the perfection of that love which was never able to be understood by anybody until it was personified in Jesus Christ.

Never has the world seen this perfect love until Jesus showed it to them.

Remember: We never can find that perfect love toward others until we see it in Jesus.

HOW WERE THE DISCIPLES IMPACTED BY THIS PERFECTED LOVE?

- Look what it did to Peter after the foot washing event;

- It eventually took a compulsive emotional person and transformed him into a strong patient leader;

- But Jesus knew as He washed the feet of Peter that Peter would deny Him 3 times before the next morning.

The Significance of what he did: it is not just what Jesus did in the foot washing event.

The Significance of who did it: it is that it is the Lord of Glory, the Son of the Living God.

- Look what it did to John as he wrote these epistles;

- John was not known as a tenderhearted man;

- He is the same one that wanted to call down fire from heaven;

- He wanted to incinerate a whole village of people who did not comply;

- He became gentle and kind by the mighty work of God in His life;

- He expresses affection and love so readily and so easily both toward the Lord and toward others.

- John became known as the apostle of love.

- He has a tenderness about him that causes him to express his affections for others.

- John has the kind of love for believers making it a evident of true salvation.

- It’s very evident because he identifies the people to whom he writes as the ones whom he loves.

- He loves those who are in Christ. He loves those to whom he writes.

1 KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING WILL RENEW YOUR MIND:

2. CHANGE OF ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE TO BE OBEDIENT:

3. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE FUEL THAT EMPOWERS A TRANSFORMATION IN A PERSON:

Keeping commandments and Loving = the character of a person who has been transformed.

One will love the brethren.

One will have a great affection for those who are in Christ.

One will long for that fellowship and to render service to those who are in Christ.

One really been changed and regenerated, 2 things are going to be true about your life:

One will obey God;

One will love other Believers.

Then the contrast comes in verse 10:

John was perfectly right when he drew his sharp distinction between light and dark, love and hate.

How does a Person regard Others?

(i) One may regard Others as negligible:

One can make plans without taking others into account;

One can live on the assumption that the need of others is of no concern;

One can live on the assumption that the sorrow of others is of no concern;

One can live on the assumption that the welfare of others is of no concern;

One can live on the assumption that the salvation of others is of no concern;

One may be so self-centered that no one matters except self.

(ii) One may regard Others with contempt:

One may treat others as a fool in comparison to their intellectual attainment;

One may regard the opinion of others as having no value;

One may regard others as useful enough for the menial duties of life.

(iii) One may regard Others as a nuisance:

One may regard any gift to charity that has to pay for social welfare as regrettable.

One may regard others in poverty or in sickness or under-privileged as mere nuisance.

(iv) One may regard Others as an enemy:

One may regard competition as the principle of life;

That others in the same profession or trade are potential competitors and, therefore, a potential enemy.

(v) One may regard Others as fellow worker in the Kingdom:

One may regard others needs as their needs;

One may regard others interests as their interests;

One may regard to be in fellowship with others as the true joy of life.

How can a person know a transformation has taken place?

John gives us two ways to know: if you do what Christ says and live as Christ lived.

If one is in the light (possessing eternal life) or if one is in the darkness (sentenced to eternal death):

- It is made known in this matter of loving;

- The one who loves his brother abides in the light;

- The one who keeps the commandments is the one who knows God;

- In him the love of God has truly been brought to perfection through salvation.

1 KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING WILL RENEW YOUR MIND:

2. CHANGE OF ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE TO BE OBEDIENT:

3. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE FUEL THAT EMPOWERS A TRANSFORMATION IN A PERSON: