“For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.”
is not of the Father but is of the world
Satan conceived the system of lust, so lust and pride are not of God. God did not ordain lust patterns and pride. It is something that intrudes itself into our lives. Satan’s system will usurp God’s system if we allow it.
There is an interaction between the Devil’s world system and our flesh. They play on one another for there is an affinity between them. They form a team against God and God’s standards.
The three values of worldliness do not find their origin in God but in the finite system of Satan. Since the things of the world do not drive from God, they bear no resemblance to Him. They have no affinity with Him.
PRINCIPLE:
Satan’s worldly system attempts to usurp God’s purpose for living.
APPLICATION:
God gives a threefold strategy to fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Against the world of lust and pride, He commands us to “flee.”
1 Ti 6:11, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”
2 Ti 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
His command to deal with the “flesh” is to deny or not yield to it.
Ro 6:12-14, 12 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
His command against the Devil is to “resist” him by submitting to God.
1 Pe 5:9, “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”
Love of the Father and love of the world cannot co-exist together. This is an either/or proposition. If our love for God prevails in our orientation to life, we walk in fellowship with the Lord. Why do we do what we do? Do we do it as unto the Lord, or do we do it as unto people? Why do we serve in the local church? We should serve because of God’s provisions for us, because of grace, because Jesus died for us. We serve because of what God has done, not because of what we do.
Mt 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The church is supposed to be in the world, but the world is not supposed to be in the church. A ship is supposed to be in the sea, but the sea is not supposed to be in the ship. If the world is in the Christian, the Christian will sink in his spiritual life. We cannot love the Lord and love the world at the same time.
