Do Not Love The World

Well, thank you so much for coming tonight and we're gonna take a look at 1 John chapter 2 verses 15 to 17, as you saw in the bulletin and also in the notes, but I just wanna start by saying the late preacher Haddam Robinson said, and I quote, as Christians, we are in the world, but we must be on guard against its influences. We make our living in a world of business, we gain learning in a world of education, we are amused by the world of entertainment. We cheer for teams in the sports world.

We participate in discussions of religion, like the air we breathe, the world is everywhere.

He says on a bright sunny day when you first walk into a dark auditorium, you are blinded by the darkness. After a few moments, the darkness seems to lighten and you can see again. Before long, you can see normally. Normally, that is until the lights are turned up or you stroll out into the sunlight again and the brightness forces you to shield your eyes.

He says, followers of Jesus live in a dimly lighted world where sin looks attractive and righteousness looks drab. Yet we are people of the light. We must be on guard that we do not become so accustomed to the darkness of our society that we think it is normal. Instead we need to keep our eyes on what God declares is bright and right, unquote, and that's so true, isn't it?

The words from Hayden Robinson, as believers we must separate ourselves from this world. When God called us and saved us, he also sanctified us sanctified means to not only live wholly for God, but it also means to be separated from worldly influences. So I invite you again to turn your Bibles to 1 John chapter 2 verses 15 to 17. Let's go ahead and read that passage right now.

Verse 15 says, do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father, but it's from the world. The world is passing away and also it's lust, but the one who does the will of God lives forever. And just a little background of the epistle of First John.

The apostle John, one of the sons of Zebeds, wrote the epistle, First John AD 92. John also wrote 2nd and 3rd John, the Gospel of John, and the Book of Revelation. The main theme of First John could be called the basics of Christianity, because the fundamental truths of the faith are contained in this epistle. John wrote the epistle First John because false teachers called the Gnostics crept into the churches, into the church and created doctrinal uncertainty about Christianity.

So John wanted to refute their satanic lies and false teachings with the truth. The Gnostics taught that the flesh was evil and the spirit was good. Now the Gnostics did believe that Christ had some form of deity in him, but they totally denied his humanity because they didn't want to look upon Christ as being evil. Now as you'll know this was a direct attack on the doctrines of the hypostatic union of Christ and on the incarnation of Christ, right?

These doctrines affirm that Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. This is why the apostle John said in First John chapter one verse one, he says, what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked and at and touched with our hands concerning the word of life, speaking of Jesus Christ. John and his fellow apostles heard Christ, they saw Christ, they looked and they touched Christ's physical body. In fact, Thomas actually put his finger into the nail scarred hands of Jesus Christ, right, after his resurrection.

Not only did the false teacher attack Christ's body, but they also assaulted Christ's payment for sin on the cross, because only a perfect sacrifice, they said, not a sinful body could atone for sin. So you can see the devastating effects the satanic heretical attacks had on the believers back then and shook their understanding on the doctrines of justification by faith and the assurance of salvation. So Pastor John, who had a very deep love and concern for his people, also wrote this letter to to the believers there to reassure them that they were truly saved.

In fact, 1 John chapter 5 verse 13 says, these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

Well, to help his people, you will notice that throughout this epistle, John used conditional if statements as a way for them to examine themselves in order to affirm their salvation. And for those whom today who might need the assurance of salvation, First John presents a number of tests or conditions for a person to examine whether they have genuine saving faith. For example, the first test for salvation is in 1 John chapter 1 verses 1 to 4 that asks, do you have a proper view of Christ that he is the son of God?

The next test for salvation is in 1 John chapter 1 verse 5, all the way to chapter 2, verse 2, and asks, do you have a proper view of God and the confession of sin that you actually sin?

some people don't believe that they sin, right? A survey in 2017 says 67% of Americans believe that they are sinners. Well, what about the other 33%? What do they believe?

Some form, the fact that they, that they don't sin. And husbands, all we have to do is ask our wives if we sin, right? We know that, right? Included.

We know the test for salvation to see if you are obedient to Christ and His commandments. That's in 1 John chapter 2 verses 3 to 6. 1st John chapter 2 verses 7 to 11 presents another set of tests to see if you have love for the brethren. As believers in Jesus Christ, we must love our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Amen. Then the anticipation of Christ's return should have a sanctifying effect in every believer's life. We see that in 1 John chapter 2 verses 20, verses 28 to chapter 3, verse 3. Then another test is in 1 John chapter 3, verse 4, all the way to verse 24, which helps believers validate their claim of being a Christian.

And in First John it speaks about the certainty of having eternal life. Now these are just some highlights, but there are many other tests, conditions in First John to help one examine to see if he truly is a believer of Jesus Christ. heaven and hell is in a balance here, right? When you think about it, we want people to know Jesus Christ and we want people to go to heaven.

But isn't it gracious of God to have these tests for one to know if they are truly saved and they are going to heaven? And if someone who again is questioning their salvation, have them read through the epistle of First John. And if you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today. I beg that you would trust that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, that he was buried and he rose again, and he is truly the son of God.

Well, as I mentioned a few moments ago in First John chapter 2 verses 7 to 11, God instructs us to love one another. Every believer should have love for their brothers and sisters and the Lord. In fact, verses 10 to 11 says, the one who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and doesn't know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Again, a test for salvation. So as believers, we are to have the right type of love. However, this love can be misdirected. You see, there's a wrong type of love that every believer should not have, and that is love for this world.

So in the midst of writing about one's assurance of salvation, John gave 4 reasons why believers should not love this world, 4 reasons why believers should not love this world. The first reason, if you're taking notes why believers should not love this world is because God commands us not to love the world. He tells us not to love this world. Look what verse 15 says.

John says do not love the world nor the things in the world. Well, the clarion call goes out from the apostle John who commands, and he warns that all true believers of Jesus Christ are not to love this world because our love for Christ, if we're not careful, can be severely reduced and pointed in the wrong direction. The phrase do not love the world is in the present tense. So John is even exhorting believers here at Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church not to love the world.

The apostle John, who was also called the apostle of love, uses the familiar Greek word for love, which is agape. That's right, agape love. In fact, notice the word love is mentioned 3 times in verse 15 alone, as John brings our attention to two different perspectives regarding love. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 is often called the love chapter, but the apostle Paul practically, practically defines what agape love in action looks like.

Agape love, as you'll know, is genuine love and is a giving type of love. Agape love shows sacrifice. It is an intense type of love that is dedicated, caring, full of devotion, displaying an inward affection towards your spouse, Christians, and others. In fact, Romans chapter 5 verse 8 illustrates the ultimate display of agape love when God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for our sins.

Amen, and we thank God for that. However, can this intense, devoted, sacrificial love ever be used in a negative sense? Well, yes, it can. It's very interesting how John through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote and used a variation of the word love in a hateful manner.

And if you're a true believer in Jesus Christ, your hatred for this world should always characterize your life. God should always be number one in every believer's life. John MacArthur says, although John often repeats the importance of love and that God is love, as First John chapter 4 verses 7 and 8 says, he also reveals that God hates a certain type of love, and that is love for this world. Verse 15 says, do not love the world.

Notice in verses 15 to 17 the word world is mentioned 6 times. See, John had a fondness for the word world, and he used it 78 times in the Gospel of John, 24 times in 1st, 2nd, and Third John, and 3 times in Revelation. Well, the apostle John is bringing our attention to something very dangerous here. You see, in the Greek language, there are 3 different meanings for the term world.

First, when the apostle John speaks about hating or not loving the world, he is not speaking about the beautiful physical world that you and I are currently living on planet Earth, as Jordan mentioned during his during worship. The word world is from the Greek word cosmos where we get our English word cosmetics, which means to put in order. During creation in Genesis chapter 1 verses 4 all the way to verse 25, God pronounced his creative acts on those six literal days of creation, and he said that they were what?

They were good.

That's right. Then in Genesis chapter 1 verse 31, God saw all of his creative acts of creation, and he said it was very good. In fact, Psalm 19:4 says, the heavens are telling the glory of God and their expans declaring the work of his hands. When we see pictures of some of the most beautiful and breathtaking portions around the world, we marvel at them, don't we?

We say praise God, thank God that he made those things. Places like the Amalfi Coast in Italy, some of you may have visited there, or the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, or maybe Victoria Falls, which is between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Beautiful places. In fact, the search engine Bing has a site called Bing Images, which presents some of the most beautiful sights on planet Earth that you can use as screensavers and some of you are probably using that right now. So no, John is not speaking about our beautiful physical world because in God's eyes, it was very good.

Next, when the apostle John speaks about not loving the world, he's not speaking about hating the people in the world whom God created. John chapter 3 verse 16 says, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. God so loved the people in the world that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for them. To make payment for their sins.

If one believes this, they will be saved. In fact, 1 John chapter 2 verse 2, if you look at that verse, it says, and he himself, to know Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world. This verse tells us that Jesus Christ himself, not angels or not anyone else, was sent by God the Father to be the propitiation for our sins. Propitiation, as one commentator said, is Christ's sacrificial death on the cross satisfied the demands of God's justice, just appeasing his holy wrath against believers' sins, and that's great when you think about that.

And I love what Wayne Gruom says about propitiation. He's the author of Systematic theology. He says this. He says it's a word that means a sacrifice that bears God's wrath to the end.

And so doing changes God's wrath towards us into favor. Isn't that great when you think about it? We have divine favor with God as children of God. That's great and we thank God for that.

But wow, one perfect life in place of a sinful life on the cross as we get crisis, righteousness imputed to us, as 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 tells us. So John, when he mentions the word world, he's not speaking about our beautiful physical world, nor is he speaking about mankind in general. When Joan in this context says do not love the world nor the things in this world. He is talking about the dark spiritual system of evil that we are all living in today.

Puritan Thomas Watson said, the sin is not in use in the world, but in loving it. All right, let me say that again. He said the sin is not in use in the world, but in loving the world's evil system. The phrase the world nor the things in the world speaks about the spiritual wickedness and all the evil affairs of this world's order dominated by Satan, the devil himself, who has controlled fallen mankind to carry out his wicked plan to rebel and dethrone God and resist the word of God and believers today.

And what a fascinating use of the preposition prepositional phrase in the world when you look at that. Why? Because the preposition in speaks of who or what is the greatest influence in your life that affects your attitude and decisions. Great use of that prepositional phrase.

The world also speaks about the lure of the glamour of Hollywood, the bright lights on Broadway, making millions on Wall Street that desires to have you. The desire to take you captive and distract you from Jesus Christ. The commentator Eaton said this, the things of the world are the are the ways in which the world's magnetism operates. To refuse the love of the world means a decisive rejection of the world's aspiration and outlooks.

It is not going out of earthly society altogether, he says, but it is a refusal to be dragged into its grumblings. There's a lot of grumbling going on today, right? It's bitterness, it's covetousness, it's obsessions with cares and riches and pleasures, it's preoccupation with receiving praise from human beings. I think as believers we've got to be wise as serpents in the area of receiving praise, right, from man because this is a mode of operation when you engage with the various social media platforms today, right?

People are desiring to receive some praise from someone. They wanna get a thumbs up or a like from others, right? Be careful when you receive praise from man. So when you really think about it for a moment, what is currently informing or influencing your conscience, your thinking, or decisions on a daily basis?

Is it God and His word or man's philosophies infused with the world's evil system that has your ear? So John used the word love in a negative way as a wake-up call to forbid believers from sacrificing or having an intense devotion to or even an attitude of satisfaction towards the world's wicked system that is ruled by Satan. In fact, in 1 John chapter 5 verse 19, he says the world, the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And everything we've seen in in our world, in morality in our country and around the world over these past few years, ultimately is really the world's statement of their rebellion against God.

The world is rebelling against God. One example that man rebels against God is seen in Psalm chapter 2 verses 1 to 2, which says, why are the nations in an uproar and the people's devising a vain thing. The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed, speaking about Jesus Christ. And we can clearly see that today, right?

For example, you've heard these terms critical race theory, intersectionality, egalitarianism, etc. right? Ultimately all in rebellion against God, and to distract us from the word of God. That is Satan's goal, to distract us from the gospel and the word of God.

And again, we all witnessed this in the invisible evil world system and its philosophies today at work, we see it in our nation's government, public schools, internet, television shows, social media, people tearing down Jesus statues, right? The movies which all desire to eliminate God and Christianity. So as believers, we must remember who we are. We are strangers, right?

We are pilgrims. We're not of this world. In fact, 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9 says, you are our chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. As a believer, if the world and its evil system is influencing your thinking, Repent and confess that sin to God.

And reject worldly thinking and attitude. we have a high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, right, who is ready to forgive just like that. In fact, Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15 says, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet what without sin. And if you've not again trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, believe that he died on the cross for your sins, was buried and rose again, please do that.

Please believe that he truly is the Son of God right now. And when you do that you will be ushered from the kingdom of darkness, the word of God says, into his marvelous light and have a relationship with God the Father, which leads us to the second reason why believers should not have love for this world is because we have a relationship with the Father. We have a relationship with the Father. Well here John adds another test of salvation.

He says if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Now we understand as believers, we're not immune and could be easily pulled into the world's evil system and its craftiness because our flesh tempts us to sin and embrace a worldly attitude, so be very careful. The phrase there, the love of the Father is not in him, says that anyone who has a deep love for this world shows that they do not have a loving relationship with God the Father. One commentator said this, love for the world is incompatible with love for the father.

Therefore, if one claims to love God and yet loves the world, there is something wrong with his claim to love God. And I would, would agree with that commentator. A person is either a non-Christian rebellion against God, or he loves and obeys God, there's no middle ground, right? Either you're for God or you're for who?

or you're for Satan, right? That's what the word of God says. But John MacArthur says the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God are inherently incompatible. The two are mutually exclusive and opposed to one another.

They are antithetical and cannot peacefully coexist. True Christians therefore would not be characterized by habitual love for the world, nor more worldly people demonstrate a genuine affection for the gospel and its Lord. Clearly, he says there is an unmistakable line of demarcation between the things of God and the things of the world. John MacArthur continues and he provides an interesting comment on Demas, that's from 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 10, who was an example of someone who others thought was a Christian, but he really loved the world.

MacArthur says Demas loved the world's system with its sin, human wisdom, and satanic deceptions more than he loved God's kingdom. While Paul Willing accept anticipated martyrdom for his faith, Demas decided that he was unwilling to pay a similar price. Therefore, he forsook his core labors and went to Thessalonica, a large cosmopolitan city on the main east-west trade route of Asia Minor that offered all the materialistic, and moral and philosophical allurements of the world that he loved.

In doing so, Demas proved he was never a lover of God.

in the back of the MacArthur MacArthur study Bible in the appendix, we have seen this, there are several actions that show evidence of genuine saving faith. For example, if you have saving faith, there should be a love for God. A repentance from sin. Genuine humility.

Separation from the world as we're speaking about today. Obedient living and hunger for the word of God, just to name a few. Now you may want to check that out or maybe point that to someone again who is questioning their salvation. Now these are actions of a believer who stays away from anyone or anything that desires for him to sin, which leads us to the third reason why believers should not love the world because the world desires for us to sin.

The world desires for us to sin. Look what verse 16 says. John says for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but it's from the world. The apostle John used the conjunction 4 to explain all the things or sinful attractions that this world will use to tempt us to sin on a daily basis.

And notice John also used a prepositional phrase at the end of verse 16, from the world to pinpoint where these sinful attractions come from. And they come from who? They come from Satan, the devil himself. One commentator said Jesus warned his disciples in Matthew chapter 21 verse 41, to be on guard lest we fall prey to the lures of the evil world.

Disciples are to continually keep a guard posted at the door of their heart. And I like what he says here, he says, no downtime in wartime, isn't that great? Cause we're in a spiritual, spiritual battle, right? We're in a spiritual battle.

No downtime in wartime. He says, if you become too absorbed with everyday worldly life, you will stop guarding your heart and will be at grave risk for committing spiritual adultery against your bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Well, how does the world tempt us to sin? Well, 3 avenues we read those.

The first avenue of the world entices us to sin is with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the flesh. The word lust is from the Greek word epithermia, which means having a strong desire, a passion, or lusting after something with intensity. And lust, interesting enough, can have both a positive and a negative meaning. For example, positively, the word lust or desire was used by the Lord Jesus Christ at Passover.

Remember? When he established the Lord's Supper with his disciples in Luke chapter 22 verses 14 to 16, which says when the hour had come, he, Jesus reclined at the table and the apostles with him, and he said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say to you I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God, so desire there is used in a positive sense with our Lord Jesus Christ. Negatively, love speaks of a strong desire for evil things.

Mark chapter 4 verse 19 says, that the worries of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. So lust is used in a negative sense because these sensual impulses can draw people into sinful actions that show the rebellion against a holy God. And spiritually speaking, flesh is from the Greek word sarks, which speaks about the believer's sinful and redeemed humanness, which is subject to sin that affects our mind, our will, and our emotions.

In fact, in Galatians chapter 5 verses 16 to 21, you're familiar with this verse.

It speaks about sins which believers should not habitually be engaged in, which the flesh desires you and me to participate in. Sins such as immorality, impurity, laziness, sensuality, idolatry, strife, envy, dissension, and a list of sins goes on. And as, Paul in Romans chapter 7 had his battles with the flesh, right? The things I wanna do I can't do, the things I don't do, I do.

It's this flesh that is there. So the flesh is still resident within us. I like what one ancient writer said this. He said this about the flesh.

He said that even when we were saved, we must remember that our baptism did not drown the flesh. Is that interesting when you think about that? I wished when I got baptized, it would have drowned the flesh, right? I'd have no more issues with the flesh, but it didn't.

The flesh is still with us, and we still have to battle every day of our lives. The second avenue, the world entices us to sin is with the lust of the eyes, verse 16 says. Eyes is from the Greek word ophthalmos, which we get the English word ophthalmology, which is a branch of medicine concerned with the the study and treatment of disorders and diseases of the eye. D.

Edmund Heber says lust of the eyes refers to the cravings and lust stimulated by what is seen. And this quote describes, really describes really the flow of sin, which really begins where? with our, with our eyes. This quote says, I see it.

I want it, and I what? And I take it, right? I see it, I want it, and I take it. Maybe a bigger house, a faster car, right?

Maybe, maybe somebody else, right? I see it, I want it, I take it, it starts with the eyes. It starts with our eye gate. One commentator said eyes are gifts from God that enable people to see his beautiful creation and excellent works.

However, as they let in light, so they are open windows for temptations to enter. Thus sin perverts the use of the eyes and plunges people into dissatisfaction, covetousness, and idolatry. Now here are some examples in the Bible where people misused their eyes and the consequences were severe. For instance, Lot's wife misused her eyes and paid for her sin by being what?

Turned into a, a pillar of salt. That's right, in Genesis chapter 9 verse 17, it tells us that David committed adultery with Bathsheba when he misused his eyes and paid severely for his sins, as 2 Samuel chapter 11 tells us. So as believers, we must guard our eyes and use them only for God's glory, amen, only for him. Only for God.

But the last and final avenue the world entices us to sin is with the boastful pride of life. The boastful pride of life. And if you really think about it, pride is a foundational sin that we all wrestle with. We all wrestle with pride.

The question is, what is the middle letter in the word pride? It's the letter what? It's the letter I. That's right.

It's the letter I. We deal with that every day. And the world Satan in the flesh will gladly help us to think only about ourselves, to build up our pride. So the phrase the boastful pride of life says that there is bragging, self-aggrandizement, or promoting of oneself.

Commentator Cleon Rodgers Jr. and Cleon Rodgers the 3rd said that this phrase means the braggadocio who exaggerates what he possesses in order to impress other people. And that's all based on what? On pride, wanting people to see us.

Well, we don't wanna receive exaltation from the world, do we? Which is temporary and it's gonna go away as we'll see in a few moments. But we want God to praise us and God to exalt us. So how do we fight pride and boasting?

When we look to Jesus Christ, right? When Jesus Christ came down to this earth, he wanted to impress people, right? No, he didn't, he didn't. Jesus Christ, he humbled himself.

In fact, Mark chapter 10 verse 45 says, for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. If we humble ourselves, God will what? God will then exalt us. Christ humbled himself and God exalted him as Philippians chapter 2 verse 9 says.

If you're letting the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life control you, repent with that. Go to God, repent, confess that sin to God and ask Him to stop you from doing this. Well, Satan used the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life to tempt the Lord Jesus Christ, right? Remember?

Let's turn to Luke chapter 4 verses 1 to 11, very briefly. Let's take a look at that. Luke chapter 4. And we'll see how Satan used the three avenues of sin against our Lord.

In Luke chapter 4, we look at verses 111, verse 1 says Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for 40 days, verse 2 says, being tempted by the devil, and he ate nothing during those days and when he had ended. When they had ended, he became hungry. So we see what Satan did. Satan in these two verses tells us that Jesus was returning from the Jordan.

He was led up by the Holy Spirit for 40 days into the wilderness. Christ was hungry and it was about and it was about to be tempted by the devil who wanted Jesus to violate God's plan of redemption and to use his divine power that he has set aside, as Philippians chapter 2 verse 7 tells us. Then verses 3 and 4 tells us, if you look at those verses, it says, and the devil said to him, if you are the Son of God, tell the stone to become bread, and Jesus answered him, it is written, man shall not live on bread alone.

The devil, knowing that Jesus was hungry, appealed to Jesus' body with the lust of the flesh.

So Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy chapter 8, verse 3. Next, we see the second temptation of verses 5 to 8, which says, and he led him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to him, I will give you all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over to me, for I will give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if you worship before me, it shall all be yours.

Well, Jesus answered him, It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only. The devil showed Jesus all the worldly attractions and appealed to Jesus' eyes with the lust of the eyes. But what did Jesus do? He quoted from Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 13.

And lastly, we see Jesus' third temptation of verses 9 to 12, which says, and he led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you to guard you, and on their hands they will bear you up so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. And Jesus answered and said to him, it is said, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.

The devil appealed to Jesus with the boastful pride of life, presuming that Jesus would show pride in the fact that God would protect him because he is the Son of God. So what did Jesus do?

He quoted from Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 16. Then you see there in verse 13, it says that after the devil had finished every temptation on Jesus, he left until he had another opportunity to tempt Jesus. So it wasn't just those three temptations that Jesus faced during his earthly ministry. He faced a lot of temptation, but we, we can be reassured of the fact that Jesus used the word of God to fight temptation.

What did Jesus use? He used the word of God, and that's what we should use. Whenever temptation comes our way, whenever lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, or the part of life comes our way, we must fight those temptations with the word of God. So it shouldn't surprise us that Satan, our flesh and the world will continue to tempt and distract believers in these three areas of temptation every single day of our lives.

And when you really think about it, you were probably tempted with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life even today, right? Think about it. Well, make sure that you're studying the word of God on a daily basis and hide God's word in your heart. In fact, the Psalmist said in Psalm 119:11, he says, I have treasured or I've hidden God's word in my heart.

Why? So that he would not sin against God. If you're a believer and realize that you have again sinned in these three areas, ask God for forgiveness. Is there another reason why believers should not love this world?

And yes, there is. We come to our 4th and last reason why believers should not love this world, and that's because the world is going away. The world is going away. And why should we not hold on to this world like verse 17 says, the world is passing away and also it's lust.

Now the word passing away means to disappear. The present tense and passive voice shows that God is in the midst of changing and destroying the evil world system even now, as Romans chapter 8 verses 18 to 22 tells us. Not only is the world passing away, but so also are its lusts, and amen to that. We thank God for that.

I love what John Calvin said. He says the mind of a Christian ought not to be filled with the thoughts of earthly things or find satisfaction in them. We ought to be living as if we might have to leave this world at any moment. And we know Christ is coming back soon, imminently, right?

We should focus on Jesus Christ and not on the things of this world. But John continues in verse 17 and it says, but the one who does the will of God lives forever. Now, in John chapter 6 verse 40, Jesus speaking to, to his disciples said, for this is the will of my Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I myself will raise him up on the last day. And you notice that there's a strong connection between doing God the Father's will and living forever.

And we know that God does not change and that His will is permanent, and believers will live with him forever and ever and ever as you've trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. One like the world that we're living in, it's temporary. Again, it's going to pass away. And as a believer of the world and its evil system again is influencing your thinking, go to God, repent and get away from it.

And maybe you're here this morning and you're questioning whether or not you are a true believer of Jesus Christ. Well, again, I plead with you this morning to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, to believe that God, that he died, that Jesus Christ died on the cross. He was buried and he rose again and again, that he is the son of God. For 4 reasons, 4 reasons why believers should not love the world, that God commands us not to love the world.

Secondly, we have a relationship with the Father. Thirdly, the world desires for us to sin. And last of all, the world is going away. We thank God for that.

One Christian poet said this, and I love what he said. He says, I would live for thee, O Lord, keep my eyes so turned to thee that the world and all its system may attract no part of me. Amen? Well, let's pray.

Our Heavenly Father, we, we thank you so much for our time this morning or this evening. We thank You, Father, for the fact that you have showed us in your world, world, in your word, what the, what Satan will do, how Satan will use three avenues to try to tempt us, to sin, to pull us away from you, God, to pull us away from the word of God. We know that Satan will use the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life again to pull us, to distract us away from you.

I pray, Father, for every believer here that, that you would encourage them, that you would strengthen them, Father, that you would protect them from the evil one.

So we love you, Father, we thank you again for who you are. You are a great God. We thank you for your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for this is His name we pray. Amen.