“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezra 7:9, 10).
PREPARING OUR HEARTS TO SEEK GOD
COMPARING OURSELVES AMONG OURSELVES
There can only be two outcomes if we compare ourselves with another human being: Either we are proud that we are better than he is, or we are embarrassed and ashamed and tempted to be envious of him.
Love envies not (1 Cor. 13:4).
Love is happy for another person’s gain (Jonathan with David).
Hate is envious of another’s gain (Saul with David).
GOD TELLS US TO EXAMINE OURSELVES TO SEE HOW WE MEASURE UP TO THE “RULE” OF CHRIST’S HEART.
WHAT SHOULD EVERY CHRISTIAN’S MEASURING STICK BE?
LOVE NOT THE WORLD (Questions for Discussion)
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
- According to 1 John 2:15, what is NOT in a man if he loves the world?
- When John talks about loving the world in 1 John 2:15-17, is that the same thing as loving worldliness?
- Does the word ‘world’ in 1 John 2:15 refer to worldliness when God describes the world as having things in it?
- Does the ‘world’ in 1 John 2:15 refer to the men in the world if God told us to love our neighbors?
- Compare Romans 1:18-25 and tell how that passage fits with the one in the question above.
- After I have understood that God has made everything in this world, should I worship God or the things He has made?
- According to Luke 16:14, what is mammon?
- Why did the Pharisees not like this teaching about mammon (Luke 16:14)?
- Ponder the statement made to the unjust steward in Luke 16:8. Tell why this is true.
- Should we love the world in the sense of the people in the world?
- Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 talk about serving two masters. What are those two masters?
- Why can a man not serve and love the world as well as serve his Creator (Matt. 6:24)?
- Who/What makes the world seem as if it is in Technicolor?
- Why would religion seem to be in black and white?1
- Why did Demas leave the service of Paul the apostle and ultimately leave God (2 Tim. 4:10)?
- Which world are we born into (1 Tim. 6:6-7)?
- According to 1 John 2:16-17, what all is in the world?
- Are we in the world in the sense of being part of the worldly people (1 Pet. 5:9; 1 Cor. 5:9-11)?
- Which world in John 2:15-17 is going to pass away (Matt. 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; 2 Pet. 3:10-11)?
- If the world and the things of the world will be burned up, what kind of person ought we to be?
LOVE NOT THE WORLD (part 3)
Do you know any scripture that contradicts this command which says we can love the material things of the world but are not to love “worldliness” or the “evil” things which are in the world? At first glance Colossians 2:20-22 appears to give permission to love the material things in the world, but let’s see if it does.
- Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men (Col. 2:20-22)?
In Colossians 2:20-22, what are we dead to? We obviously are dead to the old man (Rom. 6:6) and the things of the old man which would include the rudiments of the world that the Gentiles seek after (Matt. 6:32). Yes, we are to leave the rudiments and principles of this world. So what are the rules the world has? What do we touch? We touch material things. What do we taste? We taste the material things. What do we handle? Again it is material things. What will happen to all material in Colossians 2:22? Is this not the same command as in 1 John 2:15, because all these things will perish (1 John 2:17). Who gives commandments regarding these material things? God commands Christians not to love these things, but men make new laws which say do not eat it or touch it. God does not command us not to eat or touch it; he says not to love it. What should we do? How can we not love these material things? We must focus on and love eternal things. If we love the world and then die, our chief love is gone. What if we love purity, holiness and goodness? We can carry that with us and not suffer any loss at all. What does he want us to love? Will it be the physical man or the spiritual man, which is renewed day by day?
- While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18).
What is Paul not looking toward? Did he go around with his eyes covered? What does he mean? Those earthly things were not valuable to him. He was not concerned with the outward things. Did he love them? They are neither eternal nor important to him. Is there any command that tells us to love the material of the world? Jesus did nothing without specific authority from his Father (John 5:19, 30) and we should follow his example. How much did Jesus have when he died? We know that Jesus was satisfied with food and clothing (1 Tim. 6:7-8).
LOVE NOT THE WORLD (part 2)
Why is 1 John 2:15-17 unacceptable to most people? Almost everyone I know changes the words in this passage to say: do not love the evil in the world. Is that what it says? Is this talking about the people? Who is in the world? We have neighbors, friends, enemies and brethren. We are commanded to love our neighbor. We also are commanded to love our brethren, enemies and friends. Who else is there in the world? Is this a contradiction in the Bible? Is He talking about souls or things?
Loving the “people” of the world is loving ones’ neighbor, which is commanded and good.
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Though the world hates us, we must love them (even our enemies).
- “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:18-19).
- “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matt. 5:44-45).
We were born into this material world, not into worldliness.
- “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:6-7).
The word “world” is used in the sense of the physical world much the same as Romans 1:25 uses the word creation.
- “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature (creation) more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Rom. 1:25).
- NT:3844=para, which is a primary preposition; properly, near; i.e. (with genitive case) from beside (literally or figuratively), (with dative case) at (or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (with accusative case) to the proximity with (local [especially beyond or opposed to] or causal [on account of]:
The verse (if translated exactly according to the Greek words God inspired) would literally read, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creation (what God created) along side of (or as well as) God.”
The cares of this physical world are what choke the word.
- “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22).
The word world in the Greek language is kosmos—literally orderly arrangement—the same word we use in English for the universe. What is he saying? What does he mean when he says, “Do not love the kosmos?” What about the things around us in the world? Do not love “the things that are in the world.” He has to be talking about the world itself and the material things in it.
Do you know any scripture that contradicts this command which says we can love the material things of the world but are not to love “worldliness” or the “evil” things which are in the world? At first glance Colossians 2:20-22 appears to give permission to love the material things in the world, but let’s see if it does.
MULIEBRAL VIEWPOINT 