I John 2:16 (Part 2)

View Video Blog Right Click Link:

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.

THE STUDY:

           Friday we started into verse 16 and discussed the issue of the world. John reveals three aspects; cravings, lust, and boasting. Friday we addressed the issues of craving. Today we are going to look at lust. John writes, For all that is in the world …. the desires of the eyes, and brings out an issue that many don’t like to admit to or talk about; lust!

          The NIV translates this passage with the words “craving” and “lust” but in the Greek they are the same word. To help us better understand, the NIV translators decided to use different words to express Johns thoughts. Nothing wrong with this, it just needs to be mentioned.

John is speaking with the understanding that the world may look good and may tempt us to desire it instead of God but this is not the longing of God. It is not a sin to desire a nice house, car, better job, or a lot of money. Where the problem lies is the heart. When we desire these things “in our heart” more so than desiring a healthy relationship with God, we have a problem. As a matter of fact John says someone who desires what they see more so than desiring God is not from the Father. Remember, John is dealing with a group that believes in God but they also believe they have a “more excellent way” to spiritual things. This group was bent more toward the world than the ways of Jesus.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

What we can walk away with this morning is the understanding that the world may entice, intrigue, or even bait us into seeing good in it more so than seeing good in God. But let us never take our eyes off Jesus. Let us never forget how sin entered into the world, by Adam and Eve, and Satan tempting them with power and beauty, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Gen. 3:6)

CONCLUSION:

          This was a letter to Dear Abby: “Since I am a pastor with 43 years’ experience, I’d like to offer this suggestion to the inexperienced young minister who didn’t know how to handle a very bold woman in his congregation who had designs on him. “Whenever I noticed a romantic twinkle in the eye of a woman in my congregation, I always checked to make sure it wasn’t caused by a reflection from the gleam in my own. The Rev. Walter Cowen.”^[1]

          Let us be watchful of Satan’s temptations and keep our EYES ON JESUS!

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

---

^[1] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 2:16 (Part 1)

View video blog right click Link: I John 2:16 (Part 1)

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.

THE STUDY:

          As John continues on with the idea regarding “the world” we see him pointing out three things; desires of the flesh (Craving), desires of the eyes (Lust), and pride in possessions (Boasting). John is not saying “all that is in the world” is not of God. The word “all” that is used here is a word that can exhibit a completely normal sense, or can signal a narrative style that reports a certain event with exaggeration.^[1] I would lean toward the understanding that John is exaggerating this point. We do this in our everyday talk. I am sure all of us have said, “Every time I go into that store they lower the prices!” Is it really, “EVERY TIME?” We say this to exaggerate out point. John is doing the same thing in this verse.

          This morning John talk to us about the “desire of the flesh” which can be summed up in one word; craving. God created us with cravings; for food, for fellowship, and for sex. None of this is wrong except when it is abused or when it supersedes our relationship with God. When it becomes “our god” and we worship it instead of the one true God, this is when we are walking down a slippery slope!

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• Today, let us walk away with the understanding that not everything in the world is bad, wrong, or evil! It is how we handle, deal with, and display these worldly things that make them “not from the Father.”

• We need to make sure we don’t fall into this trap that Satan has for us when it comes to the world. We are to be in the world just not of it.

CONCLUSION:

          With an unprecedented number of Americans out of work, a reporter visited the famous Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, Florida. This exclusive club has a membership of about thirty-five hundred, most of whom are millionaires or approaching it. On this day, the men had just returned from their yachts, tennis courts, and the links, and were ecstatic over the exotic buffet of expensive and colorful foods. When asked, “Is there a recession here?” a member replied, “I don’t know of anyone who has been laid off or anyone who is hungry. That isn’t part of our world.”

          Today, don’t try and have Jesus live in your “world” (abusing what is good)! Jesus wants for us to live in His world (everything is good)! AMEN!     

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

---

^[1] Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. (1990-). Vol. 3: Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament (48). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.