What Is Our Motivation for Resisting the World?

16 For all that is in the world -- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life -- is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Eve and Moses

So John has shown us what worldliness looks like. These three temptations have had their way with us for humanity's entire existence. Perhaps you thought of this in looking at all three over the past few weeks.

Eve experienced this temptation -- in Genesis 3 -- when she "saw that the tree was good for food" (the temptation to feel/taste), "that it was a delight to the eyes" (the temptation to have), and that it "was to be desired to make one wise" (the desire to be). And Satan has been using these temptations in countless ways and on countless people ever since.

But we aren't destined to give in. Moses was a man who withstood all three forms of the pull of the world. Hebrews 11 tells us he chose mistreatment with God's people over the "fleeting pleasures of sin" (the temptation to feel), embraced the reproach of Christ rather than "the treasures of Egypt" (the temptation to have), and would not allow himself the privilege of being "called the son of Pharaoh's daughter" (the temptation to be).

And I mention Moses because his victory over the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life led to victory for millions. His resistance to worldliness blessed his entire family, the people of Israel. And Adam and Eve's failure cursed their entire family, all of humanity who has flowed from them.

In seeing them contrasted, which would you rather be? Would you rather bless everyone or harm many? I think it is essential for us to have a vision for how our lives impact others. Perhaps Moses and Eve will serve as an aid, giving us a motivation to let the love of the Father, not the world, grow in us.

Let us determine this is the life we want to live, one free of the encumbrances of sinful and worldly desire. Let us not be driven by passion, possession, or position. O Lord, keep us free from the trappings of sex, salary, and status. The blood of Jesus set us free, so let's run in His freedom, refusing to allow the shackles and chains to take hold of us once again.

This life is the wisest life anyways. Notice what John says next:

It's simple really, and I don't need to belabor this point. The world is passing away. All its desires will go with it. That evil system which is anti-Christ, against God, and a corrupting influence on the souls of men will perish. But God's way, the will of the Father, is going to last forever.

It's like this: loving the world and the things in the world makes God's forever kingdom an awkward place. If your life is a pursuit of sinful passions, or a covetous collection of things, or a boastful broadcasting of your life to others, heaven will be strange for you. There, in glory, purity, holiness, contentment, and worship will be the standard. Worldliness is incompatible with God's forever world.

John isn't saying we should live for later rather than live for now. No, instead, he's saying we should live for what's forever -- and forever starts right now. The kingdom, with Jesus, has already begun, to a degree. The love and joy and community found in heaven have already started here on earth. We might as well spend our lives today on all they'll be spent on tomorrow.

Applications

So I hope John's words in 1 John 2:15-17 have helped you come to a greater determination that you'd like to avoid the love of the world and embrace the love of the Father. If so, I would like to conclude with some applications for your consideration.

1. Let key people observe your life.

2. Consider your weekly, monthly, and annual rhythms of life, and think of when each temptation might have its strongest pull.

3. Find people to be honest with about your temptations.

4. Pinpoint feel-based temptations you struggle with that you've allowed into your life.

5. Start a generosity fund.

6. Have an honest conversation about what you'd most like people to think about you.

7. Spend some time mapping out the hundreds of people who could be influenced by your life.