1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world, the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does, comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (NIV, 1984)
Two Systems of Living
There is a system of living that opposes God’s Kingdom. Scripture calls it the world. This isn’t the planet or the people in it. It is a way of life organized without God, and John’s instruction is blunt: we are to be in the Word, not the world.
John also gives a diagnostic. If we love the world’s way of living, we show that the love of the Father is not working inside us. And because love is the pinnacle of a believer’s maturity, loving the sinful patterns of this world reveals our immaturity.
Three Cravings Behind Every Temptation
Other Bible versions name what John describes in verse 16 as follows:
- The lust of the flesh
- The lust of the eyes
- The pride of life
John says “everything in the world.” That means every temptation this world offers comes down to these three:
- The lust of the flesh is the sinful cravings we have.
- The lust of the eyes is the insatiable desire to have what pleases our sight.
- The pride of life is the boasting of our power, possessions and positions.
The Same Strategy Since Eden
These three are exactly what Satan used against Eve and against Jesus.
Genesis 3:6: The fruit was good for food (lust of the flesh), pleasing to the eye (lust of the eyes), and desirable for gaining wisdom (pride of life).
Matthew 4:
- “Turn these stones to bread” (lust of the flesh), especially since Jesus was hungry.
- “Throw yourself down… the angels will catch you” (pride of life).
- “See all the kingdoms of the earth. I will give them to you if you bow down” (lust of the eyes).
Eve fell to the same strategy that Jesus defeated. Satan uses it on us too. He may change the form of the temptation, but the substance is always within those three areas.
How Each Craving Works, and the Way Out
The lust of the flesh feels like a very natural desire: to eat when hungry, to have sex, to rest. These desires are good in themselves, but the world takes good and natural desires and perverts them into sin. We must not become obsessed with our cravings. We bring them under control through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We must also avoid being myopic. Cravings make us feel they need urgent attention, but that is a lie. There is nothing urgent about gluttony, fornication and sloth except to satisfy demons, Satan and our flesh. Temperance is the key.
The lust of the eyes makes visual appeals into things we must have. Again, sin creates a false urgency. The way out is contentment: have what you want, but want what you have.
The pride of life makes us feel important. It builds a fragile identity on influence, things we own and positions we hold, and it appeals to our pride. The way out is humility: to be nothing, to have nothing, to wield nothing, and to be strong in identity because of Christ.
A Warning for the Church
John says these three things do not come from God: uncontrolled cravings, the insatiable accumulation of good things, and the pursuit of recognition and honour from men. Yet some churches have cleverly found a way to teach that these are God’s blessing. God says they are not (1 John 2:16).
God’s Different Set of Three
God has his own three things that define his Kingdom (Romans 14:17), and each can be turned into a question for self-examination:
- Righteousness: Am I living a pure and holy life?
- Peace: Are my relationships working?
- Joy in the Holy Ghost: Am I delighting in God’s will being done, or am I obsessed with my will, my comfort and my circumstances first?
Two Investments
Verse 17 settles the matter: the world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. One investment is temporary, the other is eternal. Believers must be heavenly-minded.
A Prayer
Lord, please reorder my priorities. Forgive me for times I have loved the world. Help me love you instead. Kill the love for this world and help me love you deeply.
