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1 John 2: 15 - 17

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Author Topic: 1 John 2: 15 - 17  (Read 1645 times)
MelissaR
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« on: January 15, 2009, 06:44:07 am »

Oh boy, this one is convicting and tough.  I think I'm going to work on memorizing at least verse 17 over the next few days.

The very first thing I noticed is that John resumes talking about love after his little interlude in verses 12 - 14.  He had been so focused on love in the previous verses, and he picked right back up where he left off, this time telling us not to love the world.  I immediately noticed that he told us not to love the world.  He did not say we should not enjoy God's gifts or blessings. 

I'm thinking about some things I bought yesterday when I was shopping.  I was so, so excited by some of my finds for my business and my house.  (I'm even preparing to write a blog about it, but not it may change direction a little.  Maybe some of you bloggy girls could stop by tonight when it's up and show me some love...)  I think it's okay to enjoy the things I found, but then I need to examine my heart.  Why am I excited about those finds?  Is it because the items will bring me joy in their beauty?  Partly.  But there are other twisted reasons.  Deep down I want a beautiful house so others will be impressed.  I want more business so I will be more successful and be able to spend on things I like or want.  And I want others to be impressed by what I do and make.  When I start really examining my heart and my desires, I realize that pride is at the root of a lot of what I do, and that is exactly what John is talking about.  He talks about "cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does." 

So, should I take my purchases back to the store?  Probably not, unless I am so obsessed that I am not working on my relationship with God.  But I am going to pray about my intentions, my goals, and my heart, that every single thing I do would bring glory to the Father.  In the end, my house and my business and everything on this earth will burn up, and I really am okay with that.  I don't ultimately love those things.  But I do "love" my pride and my selfish nature way too much...
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Angela
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« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2009, 09:09:57 am »

I choose to memorize this verse with Beth Moore's Siesta Scripture Memory Team because it was so convicting to me. After I read through it on my wonderful print out (thanks again Melissa) I brought out my Message bible. It states:

15-17Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

I am not a person who has ever cared about keeping up with the Jones' but have been blessed by a comfortable, welcoming, and clean home, a reliable SUV to take the dogs places in, and comfy jeans, sweatshirts, and crocs/tennis shoes to wear. I do however struggle with wanting my way or wanting to appear to have it all together. Today as I journaled I realized wanting my way and wanting to appear to have everything together makes me rely on myself and not Christ. I am squeezing His love out of my life.

Melissa I can't wait to read your blog tonight and you do bring up great questions. I agree when we buy we need to examine our hearts. Thank you for the post, it is really making me think.
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Lisa
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« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2009, 09:21:08 am »

Do Not Love the World
 15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For 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. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (NIV)

15-17Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. (The Message)

This is one of those passages that I think a lot of people get tripped up on.  How do we live in this world and stay apart from it?

Matthew Henry said this in his commentary, and I really liked it:
The several degrees of Christians should unite in this, in being dead to the world. Were they thus united, they would soon unite upon other accounts: their love should be reserved for God; throw it not away upon the world.

I know when I was working with the middle school girls I was always trying to help the girls understand what this passage meant.  One girl said to me, "I want to love God with all of my heart, but if I don't pay any attention to wordly things (clothes, music, etc) people will make fun of me, and I can promise you that they're not going to want to be like me."  Hmmm... She has a point.  I mean, like it or not, the first thing we notice about someone is what they look like.  Then, after awhile, if you haven't already categorized them as "super dork", you notice their actions.

This commentary was attached to the Message translation on biblegateway.com:
The things of the world may be desired and possessed for the uses and purposes which God intended, and they are to be used by his grace, and to his glory; but believers must not seek or value them for those purposes to which sin abuses them. The world draws the heart from God; and the more the love of the world prevails, the more the love of God decays.
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swatson
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« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2009, 12:11:47 pm »

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace"

I'd like the words of this chorus to be present in my daily life. 
And as we fellowship with Christ, his transforming power begins to line our desires up with His. 

When I was in Uganda on a mission's trip back in 1995, I met a precious pastor who greeted us with his arms outstretched, saying, "You can see that I have nothing tangible to give you, but I do have the best gift of all, and that is the Word of God!" and he went on sharing scriptures with us throughout the day; verses he had memorized that just flowed freely out of his mouth.  I had been so busy that day trying to buy souvenirs for everyone, which was a very nice thing, but this pastor reminded me of the greatest gift I needed to give my family and friends when I returned to the states, and that was to share God's Word with them.  As we crave God, boast about what God has done in our lives, abide in him and love each other deeply - things in the world "grow strangely dim." Our desires/passions become more and more like his.

Let's look to see if we are putting anything before God.  What or Whom are we spending our time with  the most?  Matthew 6:21 (New International Version) "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."








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AmyS
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« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2009, 01:18:22 pm »

There are times that I find myself compromising in the little things because I don't want people (even other believers) to think that I'm one of "those" Christians or that I've gone overboard or that I've taken things to an extreme.  I know that God calls us to a higher standard and I want to honor him with my life.  That's why it frustrates me so much that at times my concern about what others think of me outweighs how God has told me to live.
Today's passage reminds me that it doesn't matter what others think or what my flesh cries out for, the only thing that matters is the eternal.  Vs. 17 "The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever."
I want to please God.  I want to honor Him.  I want to obey.

1 Peter 4:1-2
 1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
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RobinM
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« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2009, 07:22:44 am »

Oh, why not, let's go overboard!  Wink

You know, just listening to everyone share makes me so excited about what the Lord is doing here.

I can honestly say that I have never been cool enough, rich enough, popular enough to "keep up with the Joneses".

I'm just going to pray that each one of us through the Holy Spirit will be humble enough, giving enough and loving enough that people will see past our outward shell (be it impressive or lowly) and just want Him.

My words look flat on the page as I write them to you.  I wish you could hear the excitement in my voice as I try to express to you what I am feeling for all of you today. 

I am crying, but so happy when I think of all of us seeing Jesus one day and being able to say to Him,

     "Thank you for your wonderful creation, but I love you more! Thank you for all the abundant provision, but I love you more!  Thank you for my loving, sweet family and friends, but I love you more!"

Melissa, could I have your blog address so that I can read what you have to say tonight.  I can't wait! 

I hope that this is coherent.  It is hard to type when you can't see what you are typing! Smiley
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MelissaR
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« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2009, 08:28:26 am »

Sure, Robin.  My address is http://riggs.me.  I appreciate you stopping by!  Smiley
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