62-09 The Love Which Is Forbidden

1 John 2:15-17

We can't continue to study the Bible without the character ofGod being impressed on our hearts and minds. It is the Word of God that forms the basis of our understanding of who He is and what He requires of His people. As you study-you quickly see themes emphasized:

Purity, righteousness, holiness, justice ...

Isaiah 6:1–3 NASB95

1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Habakkuk 1:13 NASB95

13 Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

Psalm 5:4–5 NASB95

4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity.

(Separation of God and evil)

116x Heb word "detestable" "abomination" is used in OT to describe things/activities that are incompatible with God's nature:

• Unclean sacrifices

• Foreign deities/idols

• Divination, child sacrifice, magic

• Sins/basic transgressions of His commands

Prov 6:16-19

1) lofty eyes-pride (root of all sin)

2) lying tongue-God of truth who hates lies (Acts 5)

3) Murdering hands-hates murder-Gen 9:6 image

4) Wicked heart-in which the devil is working

5) Evil feet-mischief

6) false witness

7) spread strife--destroy unity

God hates these things b/c they are incompatible with His nature. He loves truth, innocence, holiness, righteousness, goodness. There are things He absolutely hates.

God hates when His children have an affection for the world and the things of the world.

1 John 2:15-17-John is giving series of tests (doctrinal & moral) concerning assurance of salvation. He includes another moral test by describing a love which is forbidden. This is the love of the world. John describes 4 reasons why believers cannot love the world.

1) Because of God's Command (vs 15a)

"do not ... " We need to understand what John means by loving the world. Gk kosmos John uses this word in about 10 dif ways. Obviously we need to understand what he means by the world. The basic idea of kosmos adornment, orderliness. Cosmetic is derived from the term can also speak of order as opposed to chaos. Let me give a brief survey on this term:

• Sum total of everything that exists, universe/creation

• Sum of things created above animals ( angles humans) 1 Cor 4:9

• Earth as a place of habitation-physical planet

• Humanity in general-obviously John doesn't mean these things-physical creation, God expresses love toward them and we are commanded as well.

• Stage of salvation--coming into world

• The evil satanic system that is opposed to God This last sense is what God forbids His children to set their affections on. This present worldly system is under the government of Satan:

"god of this world" (2 Cor 4:4)

"prince/ruler of this world" (John 12:31)

"prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2)

World is the great opponent of the redeemer, epitome of unredeemed creation. It is the enemy of God b/c of sin God's judgment is upon this world leading to condemnation.

"do not love" lit. “stop loving" apparently there were some in the fellowship that despite having been forgiven and having a knowledge of the Father they still had an affection for the world. Gk agape-object being the world means prizing it above everything else-supreme love that God alone deserves.

To set our affections on this world in that manner is disobedience to the command of God.

James 1:27; 4:4

John 7:7; 15:18-19, 23; 17:14

Friendship with the world is hostility/enemy of God. The world rejected Jesus. In its rejection of God, JC & light, it aligns itself under the satanic prince preferring darkness and moral evil.

John says stop loving this world. It hates God, Christ, Xians. Stop loving the things of this ~d. This doesn't mean we completely abandon physical stuff-these are natural objects that are taken into the service of an ungodly world. Those things in themselves are not necessarily evil but when used by the ungodly world-they are set in opposition against God.

The commandment of God is not a divine suggestion but prohibition against loving the world b/c it is incompatible with who we are and with who God is.

2) Because of Our Nature (15b)

John has described believers as having forgiveness (2: 12), they have a true knowledge of God, the Word of God abides and they have overcome the world. This stems from the newness of his nature, having been transformed because he is in Christ(2 Cor 5: 17). There are several attitudes and behaviors that are common to all Xians-we love the truth, we are thankful, we follow the example of Christ, we love the brethren, we love God. Loving the God-hating world is contrary to the nature of God's people.

"if any man ... " could mean "love from God" better "love for God."

If there is a consistent, steady devotion and prizing of the worldly system that is opposed to God, that person evidences that he has no real love for the Father. A love for God cannot co-exist with a love for the world. The 2 are mutually exclusive-Matt 6:19-24

You should ask yourself, "what do I treasure?"

Col 3:1-2 love for this world and the things that are in it are contrary to the nature of God's children. Evaluate your life on that basis-what do you think about? What is your mind set on? What is your supreme love?

Now believers are not immune to the allurements of the world. We still battle the flesh which is yet unredeemed, we struggle with the reality of who we are. John is not speaking of the momentary stumbling of the believer but the consistent devotion to a world set against God.

3) Because of God's Nature

God is undefiled by sin. He cannot look upon evil because of His purity. Ps 97:2 righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. On the other hand, humanity practices lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4). Any violation of the perfection and perfect standard God has set is sin and contrary to His nature.

Sin manifests itself in countless ways. But the roots of sin are deeply embedded in the human heart. Sin permeates the mind, will, emotions, desires, defiling every aspect of the sinner. Jer

17 :9 speaks of the plight of the human heart that is fallen and depraved. Every violation of God's standard is sin that stems from the fallen human nature. Rom 3:23.

Satan understands the principle of original sin. That thru Adam's disobedience, every human participates in the fallen human nature. Satan uses 3 avenues of the world to entice humans to sin.

These are the "things of the world" that John is going to define.

• Lust of the Flesh

"lust" NT word refers to desires, cravings, passions, longing

They can be good-Mt 13:17; Lk 22:15; Phil 1 :23

They can be evil-Jn 8 :44; Mk 4: 19 $,..__.-f, . - .L-c.J.. Here they are the evil lusts that entice the flesh to sin. John is not referring to the human body but that aspect of human nature that is sensual and corrupted/dominated by sin.

There are distinct lusts/desires of the flesh: Gal 5:16-21

Rom 7: 18 "no good thing dwells ... in the flesh"

It takes only a moment to see these things promoted by this evil world. Sex and violence are the themes of prime time TV. They quickly tum the heart against God.

• Lust of the eyes

John is referring to the human organ-sense perception. Your mind contemplates what your eyes see. We are prone to desire those things our eyes set themselves upon. There are biblical examples of this. Lot's wife, Achan plundered, David saw Bathsheba.

Matt 5:27-29

• Boastful pride of life

Boastful pride "pretention, arrogance" specifically relates to unreality-if one is pretentious they are claiming greater importance, status, resources than warranted.

This term was used to describe orators who promise more than they can perform (politicians).

James 4:13-16--thinking that you can shape your life apart from God. 1 John it is a further boasting to be more than what you really are-arrogance that assumes independence.

"pride of life"-referring to the means of life.

Mk 12:44 "widow who gave her life/living"

Lk 15:12-prodigal son-father divided his life, means of living

Satan & worldly system against God uses these 3 avenues to entice people to sin. He used them in the case of Eve

Gen 3:1-6 (desire for food, delight to eyes, give wisdom)

Luke 4:1-13 (appealed to humanity (food), appealed to eyes ( desire of what He could see), appealed to pride (presuming God's protection while jumping).

Satan still uses these things-John says they are not from the Father. The source is the evil world system which Satan thru his dominion set in opposition to God. There is no compatibility between these things. God is holy, the world is evil-manifests itself thru its allurements.

4) Because of our Eternal Perspective

One final reason we are forbidden from loving the world-b/c the world is passing away-our eternal perspective keeps us from loving that which is falling out of existence. The grammar tells us this world is in process of going out of existence. This process has begun and further it is the world that is destroying itself. Evil is self-destructive. It is the process of deterioration.

1 Cor 7:31 "for the form of this world is passing away."

Peter tells us that God will destroy the elements of the world/universe with intense heat & fire and this present universe will be uncreated. That will bring forth the creation of a new heavens and new earth at the end of the Millennium Kingdom of Christ.

This is not what John had in mind. He looked ultimately at the destruction of the satanic system of evil as the god of this world will be thrown into the lake of fire. Already heading that direction toward eternal damnation, Satan, thru his evil scheming is destroying himself and the world that he is temporarily leading.

2 Timothy 3:13 NASB95

13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

This process of self-destruction will be expedited as the coming ofLJC nears.

So why love a worldly system that is destroying itself? This world and the things in this world (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life )-these things are perishing, passing away and there will be no reminder of them in the new creation-so why love them now?

It is contrary to our eternal perspective. On the other hand" the one who does ... " The continuing practice of God's will is the mark of every genuine believer. Obedience is the chief characteristic of Xian and gives evidence of the saving knowledge of Christ. What do they receive? Eternal life-he lives forever "remains" permanence of dwelling, contrasted with the passing away of the world.

Speaks not just of the quantity of that life-but more so the quality of life. Devotion to this world brings nothing of lasting quality. It is a love that believers are forbidden to have. Our devotion and supreme love is directed toward God, who is sanctifying us thru our obedience and making us fit for His eternal kingdom.