Day 18- Thursday, March 26

1 John 2:17

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Again, the key idea of 1 John is this:

WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS REVEALED BY HOW YOU LIVE AND WHO YOU LOVE

John told us in 2:1 that one of the reasons he is writing this is “so that you may not sin” and he concluded the entire book by telling the readers that they are to “keep themselves from idols.”

 There is some very strong language used in this section (2:15-17) regarding what a Christian loves.  If you have come to BELIEVE that your joy, peace of mind, confidence, and success are merely found in the fulfillment of normal appetites like hunger, thirst, weariness, or sex (lust of the flesh); intellectual pursuits that gratify the sight and mind (lust of the eyes); and in impressing people with your importance and management of stuff (pride of life) - then you will find yourself wanting more.  As John helps us understand- if you love yourself and you live for yourself it will be evident in your pursuits.  A Christian who lives this way might SAY that they love God and SAY believe that He is their satisfaction and fulfillment, but the practice of their life reveals otherwise.

Buying into the world’s system of values and thinking is idolatry.  It is substituting the eternal joy that God offers with the pleasures of this world.  Every Christian is prone to find pleasure in what the world offers.  We may be tempted by their lifestyle.  We may wish we could be like them and engage in their activities.

But- DOING the will of God (not just knowing about it) but actively living for God.  Doing God’s will is kind of like learning to swim.  Because we live on the land we get comfortable with the way things are.  But learning to function in the water is completely different.  You have to first get in the water, and then, you have to spend time there.  The more you obey God the more proficient you become in knowing what He wants you to do.

Here are a few questions:

-          How do you feel about the world’s system?  Do you want it?  Does it entice you?  Or are you burdened because you see the lives of people around you destroyed by it?

-          What are some examples of things in this world that are easy for us to love?

-          What does it look like when somebody loves the things of this world?

-          How would you protect yourself from developing a love for the world?