“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” I John 2:15-17
Every sin will fall into one of these three categories. Every moral failure will be a consequence of yielding to one of these three basic realms of temptation. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
The elder apostle John, in the twilight years of his ministry and of his life wrote passionately and kindly. He wrote with the burdened heart and the warning spirit of a grandfather who watches his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren trying to wade through the confusion and noise of life. He wanted them to make it. They must not fall. They must not fail.
When I read his brief epistles, I cannot help but take it personal. It is like a father talking with me. Though I am no longer young, I am not “home free” yet, and I cherish this kind of compassionate counsel.
These three verses are magnified in their importance when we compare them to the account of Jesus’ temptation recorded in Matthew 4. The three temptations that Jesus was faced with were these:
* ‘the lust of the flesh’ – in verse 3 Jesus was hungry from his extended fast. Satan tempted him to turn the stones to bread and satisfy his flesh.
* ‘the pride of life’ – in verses 5 and 6 Satan encouraged Jesus to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple and "wow" the people. Make a grand entrance and they will follow you anywhere.
* ‘the lust of the eye’ - in verses 8 and 9 Jesus was shown a fast motion view of all of the kingdoms of the world. "Look at all of this". "I will give you all of this, if only you will fall down and worship me." Jesus refused to yield to each of these three temptations. He answered and overcame them by the written word of God.
We read in Hebrews, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16. There is nothing that we face or experience that Jesus did not face. He met those three basic temptations "head-on" and, without hesitation, dismissed them with the written Word of God.
Our temptations also are, in reality, rather simple. We inevitably complicate issues that would be better left in simple and basic form. John’s inspired admonition was simple. . . “love not the world.” “The world passes away.”
Why love that which has no lasting importance? Why surrender the everlasting love of the Lord Jesus Christ to grasp for something that is gone in a fleeting moment? Why sell your honor, your integrity, your purity of heart, or your clear conscience in the attempt to satisfy a profane appetite, an issue of pride, or a lustful eye?
Life is too short, heaven is too near and dear, and eternity is too long to forsake the counsel of the elder John, or to ignore the temptation of Jesus. If it was important to Jesus, and it was important to John, it certainly must be important to us.
