I JOHN 2:15-17

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Who would have thought a year ago, a worldwide pandemic would begin, brought to the US sometime in December or January, maybe earlier.  Who would have thought the coronavirus would bring masks as a new fashion accessory, and the introduction of a new term, social distancing.  Who would have thought by the end of the year, you would be told not to gather with family during the holidays.  Who would have thought the virus would be implicated in the deaths of over 365,00 Americans, and almost two million people worldwide.  Who would have thought the pandemic would bring lockdowns, economic chaos, and online learning, with all the associated psychological baggage.  Who would have thought the US government would write over $2 trillion in “stimulus checks” – mostly to pet projects – from an account already overdrawn $25 trillion.  And…who would have thought the virus would infect the church of Jesus Christ – not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually, and thereby divide the church – brothers and sisters in Christ pointing fingers.  
Who would have thought the senseless, vile death of a black man in Minneapolis police custody would have sparked national protests, devolving into riots and looting lasting for months, condemned by the right, promoted by the left.  Who would have thought the resulting racial chaos would strengthen movements like Antifa, Black Lives Matter and Critical Race Theory.  Who would have thought part of downtown Seattle would literally be occupied, with the expressed purpose to succeed from the Union, as if they could.  In the ensuing heightened racial challenge, who would have thought that, again, the chaos would infiltrate the church of Jesus Christ, with every word of a church leader parsed so that he was either overly sensitive to issues of race and oppression, or not sensitive enough.
Who would have thought our country would be so politically divided, with the rest of the world looking on in amusement.  Oh, I know, we can point fingers at this or the other party, this or that governmental leader.  Who would have thought this same year would see the impeachment of a President, with another seemingly on the way.  Who would have thought we’d see in this same year the most hotly contested election in history with accusations of voter irregularities and fraud.  Who would have thought the presidency and both houses of Congress would be captured by one political party.  Well, that’s not that unusual, I guess.  
But, who would have thought the accusations of fraud would devolve into what we saw last Wednesday, January 6.  Epiphany – the day celebrated in church history as the day the kings from the East came to bow at the feet of Jesus.  If only our kings would do the same.  Both Houses of Congress had gathered jointly to certify the election results – a largely ceremonial process.  But this time, pro-Trump protesters did the rioting, actually storming the hallowed halls of the US Capital building.  Did you ever think you would see a temporary occupation of that structure?  Oh, order was quickly restored, arrests were made, election certified.  This time, interestingly, both sides appropriately condemned the riot.  But, does the national chaos and the election results indicate this US experiment of a democratic republic is on its way to the trash heap of history.
And if that statement, or any others I have made, trying to be as neutral as possible – if any has bothered you, perhaps, just perhaps, this message is for you, today.  You see, when we speak of the hallowed halls of the US Capital, we use the same word as, our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Is there some confusion there?  
There are many other questions I could ask, hitting closer to home, at least for me.  How did we get here?  What has happened to our world, more, our country, most, the evangelical church?  Has she become more concerned about political positions than the gospel?  And, what happened to evangelical doctrine?  In its popular rise from the 60’s through the 90s, did the evangelical church ever have a theology, or did attracting the masses become the mission?  Sing some songs that sound like you’re on the radio listening to your favorite band, hear a motivational speech, learn how to apply some principles to live the good life.  Is this our best life now?
Let me remind you of the title of a book that took the church by storm in the 90s by David Wells, No Place for Truth, subtitled, Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?  Or, to quote Carl Trueman in his 2020 book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.  In the introduction, Trueman asks, how did we get here?  How did the statement, “I’m a man trapped in a woman’s body” become normal?  How could a sitting US Congressman, supposedly also a pastor, end a prayer in the house chamber, amen, and a-women?  How indeed did we get here?  How did the church get here?  Many of your social media posts are more political, racial, economic, social or medical, than they are spiritual.  How did we get here?  Is this the mission of the church, to preserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?  Are we confused about who we are, and what we are to be in this world?
“It is possible to dismiss John’s darkly pessimistic words in this section as parochial extremism or partisan overreaction to doctrinal or political reversals, in hindsight rather trivial, in one or more churches known to him.  Especially those in the Western lands may feel that economic prosperity, political stability, material plenty, and intellectual refinement combine to make John’s warnings sound a little gauche, at least as regards their application today.” (Richard Yarborough, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the NT, 2008).  I suppose it might sound a little more applicable just over a decade later.  
If fairness, the author was speaking tongue-in-cheek.  A page later, he writes, “It is possible to smile wanly at his apocalyptic-sounding pronouncements.  Or is it perhaps the case that we are to be pitied to the extent that we have lost John’s wistful acuity regarding life’s daily deathliness and barely restrained darkness that seeks to extinguish all true light?”  
We arrive today at the first of only ten imperatives/commands in the book of I John.  Relatively speaking, that’s not very many.  He’s just given tests to ascertain the reality of Christian faith.  Then, wanting to encourage his readers, and assure them of their salvation, he writes somewhat poetically to my little children, young men, and fathers, to say, your sins have been forgiven, you know the Father, you have overcome the evil one, and you know the one who has been since the beginning. 
The Command (15a)The First Reason for the Command (15b)The Explanation of the Command (16)The Second Reason for the Command (17)
We need to define a couple of terms.  First is the word world, kosmos, and it is the first of 23 times the word appears in this letter.  But he uses it six times in these three verses.  Now, you must know John actually uses it in a number of different ways, for example, the natural world, the world of people, or the fallen world’s systems as they stand opposed to God and His purposes.  
As for the natural world, we can love that.  Well, we can at least admire it.  A beautiful sunset, a majestic mountain range, a crystal blue sea, white sandy beaches, the Grand Canyon, you get the idea.  They can be awe inspiring, such that we say, we love God’s creative nature.  
Clearly, it’s the last of the ways I mentioned in which John uses the word, kosmos that we are not to love, or pine after.  It speaks of this fallen world, and it’s sinful, self-absorbed systems which live in opposition to God and His purposes for His creation.  Worldly attitudes or values that are opposed to God.  For example, John will speak of the world being under the power of the evil one – so it speaks of human society under Satan’s control.  Do not love that, John says.  One of my commentaries says it this way, don’t set your affection on that.  John Stott says, speaking of the world, “Viewed as people, the world must be loved.  Viewed as an evil system, organized under the dominion of Satan and not of God, it is not to be loved.”
Because that’s the second word we have to define – love.  Again, to quote Stott.  He suggests the word has different shades of meaning, given its object and motivation.  “In the one, it is the holy love of redemption; in the other it is the selfish love of participation.”  I find that incredibly interesting.  One is focused on others, and their good; the other is focused on self, but not for our good.  The first love aims to save the sinner’s person; the second aims to share his sin.  One seeks the good of others; the other is focused on pleasure and self-gratification.  
So, one translation has it, don’t set your heart on the godless world.  Don’t pin your hopes and dreams, your passions there.  Back to my introduction.  To be clear, I was grieved by the events of Wednesday.  I have also been grieved by ongoing rioting and looting, the destruction of businesses and livelihoods, through the summer.  I am also grieved by racism and oppression.  I am grieved by the vitriolic political divide that lies between us.  I am grieved by the now majority party’s passionate commitment to slaying babies in the womb.  But wherein does my hope, indeed, my love lie?  If these events have been soul-crushing, there may be a problem.  Because we are not to love this world, but to passionately pine after, long for the return of Christ, whom we love and to whom we declare our sole allegiance.  
To not love the world means to not be taken up with this world and all it has to offer, instead of seeking God’s will and ultimate purposes.  Which is why Jesus taught us to pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done…on earth.  Because it isn’t.  
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I do not ask You take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
First, the lust or the desires of the flesh.  The word for desire is used 38 times in the NT, and all but three times are negative – as here.  They are the desires of the fallen flesh – the human nature apart from God.  It is what naturally dead people want.  It is wanting what this world has to sinfully offer, in opposition to what God offers which altogether good.  The broad range of sinful desires include lust, greed, gluttony, addictions and sexual immorality, to name simply a few.  
Second is the lust, same word, the desires of the eyes.  We see it, and we want it.  This desire is activated by what is seen.  It is all that is physical that surrounds us, that we can see with our eyes, and we covet.  The idea is, we want it, we set our affection on it more than God and His goodness, and graciously gives us.  It is to always want more.  
Which brings us the reasons, or why John tells us not to love the world.  He gives two.  The first is found at the end of verse 15, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”  Remember, John speaks in terms of stark contrast with no middle ground.  The love of the Father speaks of our love for the Father.  John clearly says, you cannot love the world – that is, this fallen world system and pine after it – and love the Father at the same time.  This is entirely convicting, because if we were honest, much of the time, some of time, frequently or occasionally we are drawn away by this world has to offer.  
John says, if this is the character of your life – if the things of this fallen world are more desirous to you than God, than you do not love the Father.  No middle ground.  Jesus said the same thing, “No one can serve two masters; for the either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and wealth.”  James says it this way, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself and enemy of God.”  
The second reason is found in verse 17.  Despite the clarion cry of the world, it is passing away and also its lusts.  John had said the same thing earlier, “the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.”  All those things we love, pine for, long after, are passing away.  They are temporary, they are not eternal – they are simply dust in the wind.  Here one day, offering fulfillment, satisfaction and happiness; gone the next.  The promises of fulfillment and abundance are found empty, wanting.  But, the one who does the will of the Father, pursuing Him and His righteousness, will live forever, speaking of eternal life.
As we close, I am reminded of the parable of the talents told by Jesus in Matthew 25.  You likely know it.  A man was going on a long journey, so he entrusted his possession to his slaves.  To one, he gave five talents, to another two talents, to another one.  They were expected to do something for the master while he was gone, because he would one day return, and there would be an accounting.  You remember when the master returned, the one who had received five talents had invested, and earned five more.  So also the one who had received two.  To these two, the master said, “Well done, good and faithful slave.  You have been faithful over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.  Enter into the joy of your master.”  Meaning, the best is yet to come.  
Isn’t that what we long to hear from our Master, Our Lord, our Savior.  Well done, good and faithful servant, slave, son, daughter, child.  You have not been distracted by the things of this fallen world.  You have served faithfully.  Enter into the joy of your Master.  Only one life will soon be past.  Only what’s done for Christ will last.  Everything else is ultimately polishing brass on the Titanic.