DIGGING DEEP NO. 893 – July 27th, 2021 THE LOVE GOD HATES (PART 1) 1Jh.2: 12- 17

A group of first graders had just completed a tour of a hospital, and the nurse who had directed them was asking for questions. Immediately a hand went up. “How come the people who work here are always washing their hands?” a little fellow asked. The nurse gave a wise answer: “They are always washing their hands for two reasons. First, they love health; and second, they hate germs.” In more than one area of life, love and hate go hand in hand Ps.97: 10; Rom.12: 9. John’s epistle has reminded us to exercise love 1Jh.2: 7- 11; the right kind of love; now it warns us that there is a love that God hates. This is love for what the Bible calls “the world”.

Apostle John pointed out that the world system uses three devices to trap Christians: the lust (desires) of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These same devices trapped Eve back in the garden. “And when the woman saw that the fruit was good for food [the lust of the flesh], and that it was pleasant to the eyes [the lust of the eyes], and a tree to be desired to make one wise [the pride of life], she took of the fruit” Gen.3: 6. Flesh is the nature we receive in our physical birth; Spirit is the nature we receive in the second birth Jh.3: 5- 6. A Christian has both the old nature (flesh) and the new nature (Spirit) in his life; and what a battle these two natures can wage Gal.5: 17- 18.

God has given man certain desires, and these desires are good. Hunger, thirst, weariness and sex are not at all evil in themselves. There is nothing wrong about eating, drinking, sleeping, or having children. But when the flesh nature controls them, they become sinful lusts. Hunger is not evil, but gluttony is sinful. Thirst is not evil, but drunkenness is a sin. Sleep is a gift of God, but laziness is shameful. Sex is God’s precious gift when used rightly; but when used wrongly, it becomes immorality. Now, we can see how the world operates; it appeals to the normal appetites and tempts us to satisfy them in forbidden ways. In today’s world, we are surrounded by all kinds of allurements that appeal to our senses and the flesh is weak Matt.26: 41. It is important to remember what God says about the flesh; everything God says about the flesh is negative Rom.7: 18; Jh.6: 63; Phil.3: 3; Rom.13: 14. A person who lives for the flesh is living a negative life.

The lust of the eyes however, operates in a more refined way; gratifying the sight and the mind (sophisticated and intellectual pleasures). In view of television, perhaps the prayer of every Christian’s prayer ought to be “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things” Ps.119: 37. Achan, a soldier, brought defeat to Joshua’s army because of the lust of the eyes. God had warned Israel not to take any spoils from the condemned city of Jericho, but Achan did not obey Josh.7: 21. The lust of the eye led him into sin, and his sin led the army into defeat. The eyes like the other senses are a gateway into the mind.

The third device is the “boastful pride of life”. God’s glory is rich and full; man’s glory is vain and empty. Why is it that people buy houses, cars, appliances, or wardrobes that they really cannot afford and get themselves into hopeless debt? Largely because they want to impress other people; because of their “pride of life”. The world appeals to a believer through the lust of the flesh; the lust of the eyes; and the pride of life; and once the world takes over in one of these areas, he will lose his enjoyment of the Father’s love and his desire to do the Father’s will. The Bible will become boring and prayer a difficult chore; what’s wrong is the believer’s worldly heart.

It is important to note that no Christian becomes worldly all of a sudden; worldliness creeps up on a believer; it is a gradual process.

First is the friendship of the world Jam.4: 4. By nature, the world and the Christian are enemies 1Jh.3: 13.

Next, the Christian becomes spotted by the world Jam.1: 27. The world leaves its dirty marks on one or two areas of his life. This means that gradually the believer accepts and adopts the ways of the world. When this happens, the world ceases to hate the Christian and starts to love him. As a result, the believer becomes conformed to the world and you can hardly tell the two apart Rom.12: 2.

Being conformed to the world can lead a Christian into being condemned with the world 1Cor.11: 32.

In Conclusion – The downward steps and their consequences are illustrated in the life of Lot. Gen.13: 5- 13; 14: 8- 14. First Lot looked towards Sodom. Then he pitched his tent towards Sodom in the well-watered plains of Jordan. Then he moved into Sodom. And when Sodom was captured by the enemy, Lot was captured too. He was a believer 2Pet.2: 6- 8, but he had to suffer with the unbelieving sinners of that wicked city. And when God destroyed Sodom, everything Lot lived for went up in smoke. No wonder John warned us not to love the world.