Sermon Leftovers: A reason and a warning

Yesterday I was honored to preached from 1 John 2:12-17. In today's sermon leftovers I want to share two things: A link to the sermon, and some questions to think on this week regarding temptation. 

Here is the Youtube link to the sermon. Sermon starts at around 28:18

In 1 John 2:12-14 John cites three stages of the Christian life as three groups within the churches he was writing to. He then gives a firm and sober warning to the church regarding where the focus of their affection is placed (1 John 2:15-17). John describes temptations to avoid as:

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 

What are these three things that John mentions? What do these phrases "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life" mean? 

The lust of the flesh

One way to think about these descriptions is to compare each description. The first phrase focuses on the lust of the flesh. This is in contrast with lust that is visible or viewable (lust of the eyes) and an attitude (pride of life). The lust of the flesh may very well mean lust which is in our flesh, or lust that is within us, not something external, but something internal. These sinful desires grow from within. If this is what John means, then one way we are to be on guard against temptation and sin is to watch out for what we are internally craving. 

James 4:1-3 is a great help in putting some more details on this concept of temptation and sin that come from within: 

4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James here squarely puts the starting point for conflict amongst Christians as sinful desires within. Cain was jealous, bitter, and wrathful against his brother Abel (Genesis 4). Prior to the flood God sent during Noah's day the inward disposition of humanity was corrupt in totality:

5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.  (Genesis 6:5)

Israel held ungratefulness in their hearts and hated the change of life under God's leadership in the wilderness and so they continually cried out to return to Egypt (Exodus 14:11, 16:3, Numbers 14:2). Inward thoughts, desires, and reflections can be a source of all manners of rebellion against God and harm towards our neighbors. 

Some reflective questions about lust of the flesh:

• What am I longing for? 
• What thoughts am I dwelling on or really diving into? 
• What temptations do I face that falsely promise to comfort or provide an escape?

the lust of the eyes

If lust of the flesh is inwardly focused, then lust of the eyes is in response to outward stimuli. While sometimes temptation and sin grow out of our own sinful predispositions, thoughts, and hidden beliefs, other times external provocation or invitation can be the gateway to evil. 

A few months ago I was having lunch with a member of our church at a local restaurant. During our meal a man entered the restaurant and requested to sit on the side of the restaurant that was furthest from the bar. The greeting waiter informed the man that only the room that included the bar was open at the moment for business. The man explained he didn't want to be anywhere near alcohol or the bar, and that he would rather take his business elsewhere. Maybe this man has struggled with alcohol in the past, or maybe not. Either way, he didn't want to come near it. For him, the mere presence of alcohol wasn't worth his presence. 

Please don't read, what I'm not writing. Alcohol mixed into a beverage consumed in moderation (as Christ Jesus did) is not against God's Word. This is simply a very tangible and visible example of someone who potentially (I didn't interview the man) saw an external stimulus to temptation and walked away rather than risk temptation. We see that sin and temptation can begin through external stimuli in numerous biblical examples:

Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife to commit a grave sin:

6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” 8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. (Genesis 39:6-10)

Note that Joseph didn't succumb to the temptation and began to live in such a way as avoid the source of temptation altogether (verse 10).  

King David's browsing eyes were up to no good:

2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. (2 Samuel 11:1-4)

Peter was afraid to be identified with Jesus in many ways due to the visible circumstances at hand. Things didn't look good after Jesus' most trust followers had scattered, and Jesus was in chains under guard. 

69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. 70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” 73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” 74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:69-75)

External circumstances can sometimes be a source of temptation and sin. Circumstances that may be overwhelming, might be scary, or simply may be exhausting. In our exhaustion we may give way to temptation. I know for me personally the more tired I am, the more I need to slow my speech down, and speak less. The more tired I am, the more likely I am to give in to temptation to speak evil rather respond gently or kindly. That doesn't mean tiredness becomes an excuse for sin! Rather tiredness is a circumstance in which I should be extra-on-guard with my words. 

Some reflective questions about lust of the eyes:

• When I look back on my failures before God, what were my circumstances at the time? 
• What are outward things which I can trace or track as distracting me from loving the Lord? 
• Are there relationships that I'm involved in that continually pull me away from devotion to God?

The Pride of Life

While the lust of the flesh is internal, and the lust of the eyes is external, the pride of life is the full-fledged placement of trust, identity, and contentment based on ourselves. The pride of life finds no humility or gratefulness to God. The pride of life looks for meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in the temporary present, rather than in the eternal God. While the lust of the flesh and eyes are due to lies about what we need or what we don't have, the pride of life boasts its confidence in what is possessed. 

In the example of the tower of Babel we read about humanities pride:

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:1-4)

The motivation and purpose of the building the tower of Babel was so that the name of the people would become great. They were proud and, in their pride, put their hope, meaning, purpose, and confidence in themselves. 

The same can be said for the rich young ruler who came to speak with Jesus in Mark 10:

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:17-23)

The pride of life cares not for eternity, nor does it aim to please God. The pride of life cares only for this carnal, temporary present. The rich young ruler in Mark 10 went away sad, not because he was near to the kingdom of God, but because nearness to God would cost him what he found meaningful in the present life. 

Some reflective questions about the Pride of Life:

• What would most upset you if the Lord took it away from you? 
• What do you notice yourself taking the most pride in? 
• What in this life am I most hoping to have for eternity? If the Lord didn't provide that in heaven, would heaven be a less desirable place?  
• When do I notice myself most at peace?

Brothers and sisters, take seriously the warning from the Apostle John! Be on guard to not love the world! What is the world? The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life! Do not long for or put your hope in the temporary present. Do not look for meaning or satisfaction in the sins of life which so easily entangle. Humble yourself before the Lord, rather than buffing yourself up with a confidence that is built on things that will pass away. 

The one who does the will of God lives forever. Do not seek the fading, passing, hollow garbage of the world, when the treasure of eternal glory in the presence of God the Father is available.