Some loves are open ended, for example parents love
for their children. Other love is exclusive, for example one cannot “love” the Baltimore
Ravens and Pittsburg Steelers J.
Jesus explained that you cannot love light and darkness, “Light has come into
the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were
evil” (John 3:19). John declared to his readers they must choose one; either
love the world or the Father, but you cannot love both, “Do not love the world
or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not
in them” (1 John 3:15).
1 John 2:16 describes three “three particulars” of
love of the world that stand in opposition to love for God; ‘lust of the flesh”,
“lust of the eyes”, and “the pride of life”. The Holeman Christian Study Bible
notes define these three particulars respectively, “what the body desires, what
the eyes itch to see, and what people work hard to acquire.” What additional
insights do the following Scriptures provide about each?
Lust of the flesh (“what the body desires”)--
Genesis 3:6--
Galatians 5:17, 20-21--
Colossians 3:5--
Lust of the eyes (“What they eyes itch to see”)--
Proverbs 6:25--
Matthew 5:28--
The pride of life (“what people work hard to acquire”)--
Genesis 4:7--
Luke 12:15--
Jeremiah 9:23--
Application
Read John 6:35-40. What is the “will of God”? How would
remaining or abiding in this deepen your love for God?
Memorize This
1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what
we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. NIV
