Checkpoint!

Fall and Winter 2024

Mathiston First Baptist Church

1 John: To Know and To Show

Message #6

11/06/2024

1 John 2:15-17.

Central Idea: Our love should be for God and for doing His will in life.

Objectives:

Illustration: LE Checkpoint to check to ensure drivers are up-to-date on their license, insurance, and registration and also not in violation of any laws. Similarly, we, as Christians, need to have checkpoints in our lives to ensure we are up-to-date in our walk with Christ and not in violation of any of His standards revealed in Scripture.

Guiding Question:

What are two questions regarding this Passage that help us check-in on our spiritual lives?

What does your love reveal about your spiritual condition? [v. 15]

Love for the things in this world cannot coexist with a love for the Father.

Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Chapter Two

The word “world” here is kosmos (κοσμος) which in its use here is defined by Vincent as follows: “The sum-total of human life in the ordered world, considered apart from, alienated from, and hostile to God, and of the earthly things which seduce from God (John 7:7; 15:18; 17:9, 14; I Cor. 1:20, 21; II Cor. 7:10; James 4:4).” Kosmos (Κοσμος) refers to an ordered system. Here it is the ordered system of which Satan is the head, his fallen angels and demons are his emissaries, and the unsaved of the human race are his subjects, together with those purposes, pursuits, pleasures, practices, and places where God is not wanted. Much in this world-system is religious, cultured, refined, and intellectual. But it is anti-God and anti-Christ.

Matthew 6:24 “24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

What drives you in life? [vv. 16-17]

Lust of the world or the things in the world?

Lust of the flesh: The desires and appetites of the natural man apart from Christ

Lust of the eyes: The physical or material things that are gratifying to the sight but bear not eternal weight or benefit (or no life)

Pride of life: The things that promotes boasting in worldly things or that might grant to the individual some sense of pride in things here.

Matthew 4:1–11 “1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 7 Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.”

The will of the Father?

Matthew 7:21–23 CSB

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

Reflective Questions:

[1] Is my life more about me and what brings me satisfaction or about Jesus and what glorifies my Father in Heaven?