The First Epistle of John

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The First Epistle of John

• Love Not the World
• 1 John 215-17

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Introduction

• Fellowship with God requires that we love one
  another
• Such love requires that we have no hatred toward
  our brother (1 Jn 29)
• But that does not mean we are to love everything
• In this lesson we will discuss a negative
  imperative command Love not

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Love not the world

• What is the world?
• Not the physical planet
• Part of Gods creation and very good (Gen 11,31)
• Not mankind
• God loved the world (in this sense) Jn 316
• The place where sin and evil dominates
• The opposite of things related to God

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What things make up the world?

• The lust of the flesh
• The unbridled desires of the flesh
• Gal 516-21
• Sexual sins
• False religions
• Social sins
• Physical sins

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What things make up the world?

• The lust of the eyes
• Unlawful longing for things we can see
• Eph 55-7 covetousness
• Col 35-7 greed

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What things make up the world?

• The boastful pride of life
• Pride based on such things as
• Age
• Experience
• Ancestry
• Past accomplishments
• Money, position, power
• 1 Cor 126-31

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A few observations

• Each of the three things strike harder at
  different times in our lives
• Young lust of the flesh
• Middle-aged lust of the eyes
• Old age the pride of life
• Most people consider lust of the flesh to be
  more serious than the others
• God considers all 3 equally sinful

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Why love not the world?

• 1 Jn 215
• It makes it impossible to love the Father
• James 44
• Mt 624
• No matter how much we feel otherwise
• It is a matter of fact, you cannot love God and
  the world at the same time
• But why?

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The love of the Father

• 1 Jn 53
• To keep His commandments
• And His commandments are not burdensome
• If you are driven by lust of the flesh
• Then you cant keep His command 1 Th 43-6
• Or you will find it a burden to keep
• If you are driven by the lust of the eyes
• Then you wont be generous (1 Jn 316-17)
• Or you will find it a burden to be generous
• If you are driven by the pride of life
• Then you wont be able to deny self (Phil 23-5)
• Or you will find self-denial to be a burden
• So you cant love God and the world

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Another reason

• 1 Jn 217
• The world is passing away
• Our own lives
• 1 Pet 124
• The physical world and all it contains
• 2 Pet 310
• In contrast the one who does the will of God
  abides forever
• This is the one who loves God
• Mt 721 will enter the kingdom of heaven

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Conclusion

• Loving the world can never get you more than the
  world offers
• And all it offers is passing away
• Mt 1626
• But God offers much more
• Mt 2521
• Isnt that what we want to hear on the day of
  judgment?

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