Part 6 of the sermon series on the Letters of John.
Danger lurked in the early church in the form of false teaching. False teaching leads to false belief, which leads to ungodly living. John wrote to protect the flock from false teachings. John repelled any teaching that downplayed the seriousness of sin. He wrote against disobedience, hatred, and loving the world.
He wrote that whoever loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him. It is aligned to the statement, “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 Jn 2:4). Thus, every genuine believer must not love the world nor the things in the world. Otherwise, the truth is not in him, and the love of Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15: 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.
A question might arise about the love of God. Is there a conflict between John 3:16 and 1 John 2:16? In John 3:16, the word “world” refers to humanity that has fallen and needs to be saved. In 1 John 2:16, it refers to the sinful system, sinful desires, and rebellion against God. God does not love the sinfulness of the world, and neither should believers.
1 John 2:16: For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Was John promoting a gospel of works? Far from it. He established that it is the blood of Jesus that cleanses. John was not promoting a gospel of works, but he clarified that genuine believers will obey His word. The apostle exposed the deeds of darkness, which believers must not love. The sinful deeds of the world are not from the Father. Thus, believers must not love the world.
Desires of the Flesh
One element of the sinful world is the flesh. John explains that it is the “desires of the flesh.” Some translations use “lust of the flesh.”[1] And other translations use “craving for physical pleasure.”[2] The Greek word ἐπιθυμία (epithymia) translates to both "desire" and "lust." What is the flesh in this context? Any sinful desire that comes from within a person. The NT writers specifically mentioned the sins in different parts of the NT.
1 John 2:16a: For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh…
Revelation 21:8: But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Galatians 5:19: Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Every sin comes from within the heart of man (Mk 7:20-23, Jer 17:9, Jas 1:14-15). Aside from those cited above, there are other areas in the NT where sins were identified, like Romans 1:21-32 and Ephesians 5:3-5.
Desires of the Eyes
John mentioned that the desires of the eyes are part of the sinful world that believers should not love. Although sin is committed by the heart, what the eyes see triggers or tempts the heart. The desire of the eyes may lead to a desire to possess, while a desire of the flesh leads to immediate indulgence. The eyes can become a gateway for sin.
1 John 2:16b: .. and the desires of the eyes…
Genesis 3:6a: So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes…
Matthew 4:8-9: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me”…
The desire of the eyes can trigger sins like greed, covetousness, envy, strife, sexual sins, and idolatry. The desires of the eyes and the desires of the flesh work closely with each other. It is better to stand on guard with the eyes and the flesh. It is best to surrender all desires to the Lord.
The Lord Jesus warned against “desire of other things” because it moves against the word of God (Mk 4:19). What are “other things?” Any desire other than the word of God. Thus, all desires must be based on the word of God.
Pride of Life
The pride of life refers to a self-sufficient attitude that exalts personal achievement, fame, status, intelligence, and wealth. It can come in the form of subtle self-elevation or shameless self-promotion. It can even take the form of religious pride or a feeling of moral superiority.
1 John 2:16c: …and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
For clarification, God wants His people to enjoy food, but He is against gluttony. It is God’s will for married people to experience sexual union with one another, but He is against sex outside of marriage. God wants His people to take responsibility in providing for their families, but He is against greed.
Application
1. Let us humbly reflect on the state of our hearts, carefully looking for the sin, and then humbly confessing them to the Lord. Let us remove all desires related to sin or closely related to sin.
2. Let us surrender at His feet all our desires and pray that He would remove anything that is not pleasing to Him. Pray that we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, soul, and strength, meaning all that we do is for Him. Pray that there is no love for the world in our hearts.
3. Glorify God alone. Resist all pride and boasting in any form and at any level. The heart is deceitful above all, which is why we must guard our hearts. In a world full of self-promotion, may we communicate godly messages.
[1] Like the New International Version and King James Versions
[2] Like the New Living Translation
Poem
DESIRES by Ed Pilapil Jr Desires can be evil or good On this, remember how John stood Considered Scripture and inspired A truth that will never expire Watch your desires, of flesh and eyes And keep your heart from boastful pride Do not love the world, hear the word From the letter of a shepherd Inspired by Christ, the Good Shepherd Reflect and remain in His word At all costs, avoid worldly pride To be thus pleasing in His eyes We will fight until we expire Our actions, word of God inspired Aligned where the apostles stood Loving the Lord God who is good
Study Guide
1. Explain the desires of the flesh. Use the context, and then other Scriptures to give clarity.
2. Explain the desires of the eyes. Use the context, and then other Scriptures to give clarity.
3. Explain the pride of life. Use the context, and then other Scriptures to give clarity.
Downloadable copies in English or Tagalog
