1 John 2:15-17 John now turns to the world, and gives specific
instruction. Do not love the world or the things in the world. This has to be
contrasted with John 3:16 in which Jesus stated that God loved the world so
much that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him could be saved.
John is not talking here about loving individual people who are in the world.
Rather, he is talking about the world system and the world's stuff. The world
system consists of the way the world operates in society, governance,
economics, law, society. We live in the web of these various aspects of the
world system because we are in the world. But we must not love them. And the
things of the world, possessions primarily, but also including position,
knowledge, reputation, and so forth, are also included on the verboten-list. It
is not that we cannot have any of these things. It is only that we do not love
them, but reserve our love for God. John states matter-of-factly that we cannot
have two loves: it is either the world or God, echoing the Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 6:24). In the unveiling of Jesus Christ, John records the ultimate
judgment and fate of the world-system.
John identifies three specific aspects
of the world that we are to shun, because they are not from the Father. They
are, instead, different venues of the world that the devil uses to get at us
indirectly.
• The lust of the flesh could most
likely be taken as referring to sexual desire outside of the bounds of
marriage. Paul was very explicit in explaining the within marriage, sex is good
and proper. However, the problem that John addresses is not acts of sexual sin,
but the inordinate desire (epithumia - desire, craving, longing),
whether consummated or not, that draws our focus from God to sex. And it could
just as easily be food, drink, or non-prescription pharmaceuticals. And of
course we need to eat food to survive, and alcoholic beverages were created by
Jesus to celebrate a wedding, but they need to be kept in perspective, and not
the thing that we crave and long for. The Bible does not seem to make any place
for legitimate use of narcotic drugs. But the point is clear that if we long
for things that pander to the pleasures of the body, then we cannot
simultaneously crave intimacy with the Father. We need to prioritize the desire
for the Father's presence so much that it trumps all other desires.
• The lust of the eyes is equally
obvious, in that the desire for material possessions is pretty obvious in its
being a roadblock to knowing the Father. Again, it is impossible to live in the
world without some possessions. But the lust of the eyes can be subtle. It may
not be the craving for fancy cars or big houses, or large bank accounts. It
could be as subtle as a desire for financial security, not to live large but
just to be sure that we have enough to get by, that leads us away from trusting
God for our lives. We need to be alert to the different ways in which the lust
of the eyes can tempt us. We need to
prioritize the desire for the Father's presence so much that it trumps all
other desires.
• The boastful pride of life,
presumptuous bragging about the means of life, suggests that ostentatious
display of one's stuff, whether material things or accomplishments, is a third
venue by which we can love the world. Again, it is neither the stuff nor the
achievements that is the problem; it is the attitude towards them that is
loving the world. Seeking the praise and recognition of other people, rather
than God's approval. We may have all the stuff we want and accomplished all we
ever wanted to in life, so we don't lust for more, but if our soul-life is tied to these things, then we are loving
the world. We need to prioritize the desire for the Father's presence so much
that it trumps all other desires.
John's point is this. The world is passing away and will eventually
end, as he discusses at length in the Revelation. The eternal life will be only
that which is in and with God. See also Matthew 6:19-21. And Jesus made it
clear that only if we hunger and thirst for righteousness will be ever be
satisfied. (Matthew 5:6)
No comments:
Post a Comment