The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life       I John 2:15-17

• 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 is writing this to the young and mature Christians
  • A few verses before he says “ I am writing to you little children because you have known the father and to you fathers because you have known Him(Christ) from the beginning
• He is telling them; I know that you are in different parts of your walk with Christ but there is one thing that can cause you both to stumble; THE LOVE OF THE WORLD 
• Just like today, the audience is looking to have a true fellowship of God, but the “noise” around them is soo much
  • There are people among them who are discouraging them – Discouragement is a brutal thief 
  • There are false prophets – These are the people that bring arguments – Its one thing to discourage, it’s another to introduce doubt because when the truth comes, its double work, the remove lies and then plant the truth- They are thieves of fertile soil 

“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”. 

• An interesting question arises – How can I not love the world? I live in it- isn’t it better than floating in space, I eat off it, I enjoy the weather, there are so many cool things in this world that keep me alive. 
• How can I not love it? After all the Lord gave it to us and blessed it to enjoy it?
  • (Speaking to the Israelites) Jeremiah 2:7 (Nkjv) – I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness.
  • Psalms 24:1-2 (Nkjv) – The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
• Here it is:
  • Loving the world doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate the beautiful creation, go on a hike, safari, work hard, have jobs, friends, family or even take a vacation
  • It means that we NEVER FORGET that everything we have is a gift from God – And NOTHING should ever be elevated above Him 
• There is nothing wrong with being a green earth advocates, flat earth-ers or a reduce carbon print people, have passive income, have a nice home, do charity work, e.t.c… the issue is when you ignore the creator. 
• There is nothing wrong with enjoying the fruits of your labor – the issue becomes when the worldly fruits consume us and God becomes number 2, an addition, side kick, an after thought 
• We have been commanded” Matthew 22:37 (Nkjv) Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
• James 4:4 (Ampc) Is reminding what most of us ended up doing – when we choose the world over our God
  • You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God
• Issue- We fall in love with the World and the pleasures of the world hence we become enemies of God

“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”

• The world knows how to reward those that loves the things in it:
  • There is so many emphases put on the prestige, status, honor and comfort 
• I can tell you one thing for sure- I am not immune to comfort – and comfort is a by product of a good life- and a good life is a byproduct of resource which we have that brings comfort 
• Last week I almost shut it all down and went back to Kenya and start a goat milk farm …and right after I had spent enough time on this and started to formulate the process, YouTube suggested another video- this guy in Uganda was raising chicken and making $200K/day 
• Here is what was happening right there:
  • For an hour or more I forgot what the Lord has been doing in my life this far
  • How this was not where I have been called/planted, and even though I own chicken, this is not my life 
  • If I did chase after this comfort, I would not make it to Monday Prayer night, Wednesday service would not be a thing, Tuesday leaders meeting, Sunday maybe one service and who knows maybe I would not be in ministry. Good thing but not a God thing!
  • There is nothing wrong with dreaming- growing – the issue is when we grow outside God’s will for our lives 
  • It we trade Gods plans in our lives for our own prestige, status, honor and comfort

These are the things that John is speaking on:

Lust of the flesh

• How many of you know that the flesh is a vacuum that never gets satisfied – Always wanting more 
• The flesh wants everything exciting, best food, best material stuff, sexual pleasures – hence we are formulating every evil ways to satisfy our craving – We don’t care what we have to destroy – our morals, our friends, each other and even our children 
• Galatians 5:17 (Nkjv) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish

Lust of the eyes 

• Proverbs 27:20(Amp) Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the underworld) are never satisfied; Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied
• Our eyes – a great organ but man, if we didn’t see that thing – then we would never have thought of it, acted on it and let it destroy us 
• If we took this Bible verse literally – “if one eye causes us to sin pluck it “ All of you would be walking with empty eye sockets because we are all guilty 
• The eyes lie to us that the glass is always greener on the other side, but what they don’t tell you is that there is COST to what you are envying
• What price are you willing to pay to trade in the love of God for the love of the world?
• If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

Pride of life 

• This comes in all shapes and sizes
  • I am self-made, I can’t associate with those people, look at how beautiful I am – selfie, I am better than him/her, I am too fearful to do what God has called me…its all about I, I, I 
• Over and over in the Old Testament we have seen God lift up Kings only for them to forget who raise them up and shortly they elect idol worship temples 
• The Pharisees in the new testament 
• We might not be building idol temples but surely our interests have changed since we got saved from death and given a new life
  • We don’t spend time with God as much as we did 
  • We don’t love the body of Christ as we first did
  •  We don’t forgive others as much as when we first realized how much we have been forgiven 
• This is why the Bible asks us to die to self – Because if you let the flesh live …even the small heartbeat can resurrect the old self 

No one is good 

• Mark 10:17-18 ( Nkjv) Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
• If we are not good how can we stay away from the love of the world? 
• By the Blood of the Lamb- King Jesus – its about Jesus and never about us 
• My daughter Simone loves to sing – and since she was little, I have always told her and consistently reminds her that; Both her and God cannot be famous- Only one of them can – She has a choice (lift herself up or Life up the one that gave her the gift of singing)
• And it is possible to love to sing and still be in love with the Lord
• When we let our desires be guided by the Lord, then it is 100% possible to live in this world and not love the world – We end up loving the Lord with all that we have 
• Romans 8:4-7 ( ESV) For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17(Nkjv) -Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
  • When we become a new creations, something happens within us
• Ezekiel 36:26 (Nkjv)I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
  • And we don’t conform to the passions and lusts of the past 
• 1 Peter 1:13-16 ( Esv) Therefore, preparing your minds for action,[a] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

It’s possible 

• Holy Spirit – John 14:15-18 (Nkjv) If you love Me, [a]keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [b]Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you
• And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever
• John 3:30-31 Guided by the Holy Spirit as the love of God increases the love of on self decreases He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.

Conclusion

 ¹⁷ And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

• If we don’t run away from the lusts of this world, we will be swept away with the world that is passing away and all the lusts in it 
• Galatians 2:20 (Nkjv) I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

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