The Love that God is not "in"
Notes
Transcript
12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
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 lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
John’s epistle reminds us to exercise the right kind of love (1 john 2:7-11) Now it warns us that there is a wrong kind of love, a love that God hates. This love for what the bible calls, “The world”.
Weirsbe states four reasons why we should not love the world:
Because of what the world is (
Because of what the world does to us (2:15-16)
A) “Worldliness is not so much a matter of activity as of attitude”
Worldliness not only affects your response to the love of God, it also affects your response to the will of God.
“If ye love me keep my commandments”
"Anything that causes you to lose the enjoyment of the Father’s love or his desire to do the Father’s will is worldly and must be avoided”
3. Because of what a christian is (2:12-14)
John uses the identification of a christian in an unsual form
A) Children- All believers- Literal wording is “born ones” (James 4:4)
God does not want us to remain as children (1 John 1:3)
B) Fathers- mature believers who know the Father
C) Young men who conquered the evil one- through the word of God
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Overcame the prince of the world’s systems- Satan
Young men are not mature but are seeking to grow and effectively using the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17)
D) Little children- two different Greek words from verse 14. Still under the authority of teaching. These are believers who have not grown up in Christ. The still have some growing to do.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Mature in God’s word
A Christian stays away from the world because of what the world is (A satanic system that hates and opposes Christ), because of what he (the christians) is- a child of God.
4) Because of where the world is going (2:17)
The world is passing away (verse 17)
14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
John is really comparing to different lifestyles:
A) a life lived for eternity
B) A life lived for time (verse 16) that which the world can see now)
The “world” has three meanings in our bibles:
1)Physical world or earth (Acts 17:24)
2)Human world or humankind (John 3:16)
3)Sometimes combined (John 1:10) World knew him not (humankind)
We are like scuba divers in deeper water. It is not our natural element. We are equipped to survive.
The pride of life motivates most of what people do.
Love God hates James 4:4
A call to stand:
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
“Living holy is not to promote legalism, or even take a step towards a works based salvation, but to bring Glory to the Father.
We were created in His image to bring Glory to Him, not the world.
We live in an alien element and ifwe are not carteful, the alien element will stifle us. When the world is in the christian, trouble starts.
