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THE LOVE THAT GOD HATES
1 JOHN 2:15-17
September 8, 2019 – SUN p.m. – MBC baesa)
• The word “world” in Greek is “Kosmos” is used in at least three different ways.
1. Kosmos= physical world or the round planet earth (the world or Universe)
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Matthew 13:38 “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;”
Acts 17:24 “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;”
• When the Apostle John wrote about Jesus that “He was in the world”, he was referring to this planet earth. It is this world, the planet earth, which is the scene of the prophesied demonic activity.
2. Kosmos = people of the world or people of the earth (inhabitants of the world)
• The first two usages appear together in one verse in John 1:10.
John 1:10 “He was in the world (planet earth), and the world (planet earth) was made by him, and the world (inhabitants of the earth) knew him not.”
• This world of mankind is the world God loves.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
• There is that segment of the world of mankind that is alienated from God and hostile to Christ and to the disciples of Christ.
Ephesians 2:12 “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
Ephesians 4:18 “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:”
John 15:18 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”
→ This is the unregenerated world of mankind through whom the demons will accomplish their wicked deeds.
3. Kosmos = principles of the earth (worldly affairs or worldly systems)
• Let us talk about the third usage of the word “kosmos”.
I- THE EXHORTATION NOT TO LOVE THE WORLD (v. 15a)
It says in 1 John 2:15a “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.”
• The third usage of the word Kosmos refers on the principles of the earth or worldly systems
• This refers to the combined activities, affairs, advantages and accumulated assets of the worldly men on the earth.
• This is what our passage calls “the things that are in the world” and “this world’s goods”.
1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
1 John 3:17 “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
• This kosmos is not limited to material things, but it includes abstract things which have spiritual and moral or immoral values.
Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
→ This is not according to the Word and will of Christ, therefore this is anti-Christ introduced by the devil.
• The Apostle Paul warns the believer to beware of:
1. The wisdom of this world
1 Corinthians 1:20 “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
1 Corinthians 2:6 “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:”
1 Corinthians 3:19 “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”
2. The spirit of the world
1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
3. The fashion of this world
1 Corinthians 7:31 “And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.”
• Peter wrote of the “corruption that is in the world” and “the pollutions of the world”.
2 Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
2 Peter 2:20 “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”
II- THE EXPLANATION NOT TO LOVE THE WORLD (v. 15b-17)
A. The Incompatibility of the world (v. 15-16)
1 John 2:15-16 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
1. The love of God is Exclusive (v. 15b)
1 John 2:15b “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
→ The world is incompatible with the love of God.
Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
→ You can’t love God and love and serve the worldly activities.
• You can love God at the same time loving this present worldly systems.
1 John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"
2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world,”
• We must not have the feeling of love to the world anymore because the world is crucified unto us.
Galatians 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
EXAMPLE: The people of Israel is a chosen people of God exclusively for God and yet this Jewish people play as a harlot.- Deuteronomy
Like the Israelites the New Testament believers are people of God according to Peter in 1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”
James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
2. The things of this world are Exclusive (v. 16)
1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
• The things of this world are exclusive that which characterized the world system is exclusive to the world and is not of God.
• The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are referring to the fun, the fame and the fortune the comprises the whole world system.
→ But the Bible says the world (lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life are not nothing to be compared to the value of a soul.- Mark 8:36-37
• The world love to hear the speakers of the world and believers of God desire to hear the preachers of God.
1 John 4:5-6 “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
B. The Corruptibility of the world (v. 17)
1 John 2:17 “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
1 Corinthians 7:31 “And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.”
• The world is temporary, it passed away, the world system will not last.
Matthew 6:19-20 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”
• The world is corruptible.
2 Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
2 Peter 2:20 “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”
III- THE EXPECTATION IN LOVERS OF THE WORLD
• Seven Characteristics of the world lovers.
→ These are the marks of those people whose attention and affection have been captured by this kosmos.
→ These are some of the areas of life that reveals if we love this worldly system
A. Pre-occupation resembles Love of Life
Private daily life spent all the years in this earth (Job, obligation, hobby, shopping, activities, whole day phone, recreation, etc)
People embraced the worries and so much stress that they don’t see the value of the gift of life.- Matthew 6:19-34
People should not love money but be content of what they have – Hebrews 13:5
Partners forsaken the ministry when they love and preoccupied with this world – 2 Timothy 4:10
People of God who wants to please God should not be entangled with the affairs of this life – 2 Timothy 2:4
B. Pride reveals Love of self
Pride is Satan’s sin who wants to be like the Most High God and was cast down - Ezekiel 28:12- 17; Isaiah 14:12- 14
Pride is one of Satan’s old weapon against Adam and Eve (Genesis 3) but no success against the Lord (Matthew 4)
People lovers of their own selves were described in perilous times of the last days. – 2 Timothy 3:2
People who are rich should not be high-minded. – 1 Timothy 6:17
Proud people were resisted by God, but He giveth grace to the humble – 1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6
C. Pleasure results Love of Comfort
People of today loves car as an idol, they made their mansion full of air-cons, with automatic doors and windows, spend whole day of non-sense computer games and others, upgraded remote of TV from clicking to just speaking. Full of modern hot showers, - If we live in this is 21st century we’re facing the dangers of loving comfort.
People who loves pleasures becomes poor man- Proverbs 21:17
People who heard the Word of God but no fruitful results due to cares, riches and pleasures of this life- Luke 8:14
People who gives themselves to wanton pleasures are dead while they are living. – 1 Timothy 5:6
People who are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God mark the perilous time in the last days– 2 Timothy 3:4
People who need comforts need God for He is the God of comfort – Psalm 23:4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
D. Possession reproduces Love of things
People want the ease and the extravagance of lifestyle but don’t enjoy it at all. – Luke 12:16-21; Luke 16:19-31
Principle that Jesus warns us is “man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” – Luke 12:15
People who possessed riches mostly did not get saved – Matthew 19:16-24
Possessions in this earth were made by God- Psalm 104:24
People must not trust in uncertain riches but in God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy – 1 Timothy 6:17
E. Popularity requires Love of Attention
Galatians 1:10 “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”
People’s plague, medals, trophies, rewards, awards and recognition lasts on this earth and no eternal value.
People you don’t know knows you, people you don’t like likes you.
Presence of Jesus in this earth never felt by world and the world that He made knew Him not – John 1:10
Personally Jesus did not seek popularity, He always do things that pleases the Father – John 8:29
F. Power releases Love of Control
Power in control for some people is the definition of success
People should realise there is no power but God – Romans 13:1
People who disobeyed God are walking according to the power of the prince of the air, the devil – Ephesians 2:2
Powers of all people, of angels and of authorities must be subjects to the Lord’s power – 1 Peter 3:22
Powers is all given to Jesus, and the privilege power of the great commission is given unto us – Matthew 28:19-20
G. Position represents Love of Right
Promotion is in God's hand. There is nothing wrong being promoted in higher position for it is possible God uses some owners or manager to offer you a higher rank whom the employer appreciated those chosen. However, when someone with much struggling for selfish motive and hungry for higher position is against the will of God.
Position with higher rank hungry desires by two disciples of Jesus, opposite to our Jesus who come not to be ministered but to minister so Jesus said whosoever wants to be chief must be a servant of all. – Mark 10:35-45
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