15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
Today, we come to the third descriptor of that first enemy to our fellowship with God. Today, we consider "the pride of life."
The only place in the Bible that this phrase "the pride of life" appears is here in 1 John 2:16. This third descriptor of "the world" will be our consideration today.
Matthew Henry once said, “The divine law cannot be reproached unless it be first misrepresented.” The divine definition of things has been misrepresented and we have believed that misrepresentation. We have bitten off the idea that we can make it without the One who holds the specifications to our existence.
Many years ago, one of my colleagues took a group of students on a Field Trip. They arrived at their destination, enjoyed the educational experience, then loaded the bus and headed back to the school. One their way back to the school, they stopped at a gas station to fuel up the bus. My colleague made the terrible mistake of putting gasoline in a bus which operated off of a diesel engine. "Pride of Life" is much like that. Trying to get through life not allowing the one who made us make the decisions about how that life should be lived.
John makes it clear that anything that produces the pride of life comes from a love of the world and “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The essence of the pride of life is exalting oneself above God. It is when we arrogantly boast that we are the captains to our own ship. Eve wanted to be like God in her knowledge, not content to live in a perfect world under His perfect grace and care for her. Therefore, she chose in concert with Lucifer who opposed God and subsequently became Satan.
The arrogant boasting which constitutes the pride of life motivates the other two lusts as it seeks to elevate itself above all others and fulfill all personal desires. This pride is the root cause of strife in families, and societies. It exalts self in direct contradiction to Jesus’ statement that those who would follow Him must take up their cross (an instrument of death) and deny themselves. The pride of life stands in our way if we truly seek to be servants of God.
It is the arrogance that separates us from others and limits our effectiveness in the kingdom. The pride of life “comes not from the Father, but from the world.” And, as such, it is passing away with the world, but those who resist and overcome the temptation of the pride of life do the will of God, and “the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17)
Today, we come to the third descriptor of that first enemy to our fellowship with God. Today, we consider "the pride of life."
The only place in the Bible that this phrase "the pride of life" appears is here in 1 John 2:16. This third descriptor of "the world" will be our consideration today.
Matthew Henry once said, “The divine law cannot be reproached unless it be first misrepresented.” The divine definition of things has been misrepresented and we have believed that misrepresentation. We have bitten off the idea that we can make it without the One who holds the specifications to our existence.
Many years ago, one of my colleagues took a group of students on a Field Trip. They arrived at their destination, enjoyed the educational experience, then loaded the bus and headed back to the school. One their way back to the school, they stopped at a gas station to fuel up the bus. My colleague made the terrible mistake of putting gasoline in a bus which operated off of a diesel engine. "Pride of Life" is much like that. Trying to get through life not allowing the one who made us make the decisions about how that life should be lived.
John makes it clear that anything that produces the pride of life comes from a love of the world and “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The essence of the pride of life is exalting oneself above God. It is when we arrogantly boast that we are the captains to our own ship. Eve wanted to be like God in her knowledge, not content to live in a perfect world under His perfect grace and care for her. Therefore, she chose in concert with Lucifer who opposed God and subsequently became Satan.
The arrogant boasting which constitutes the pride of life motivates the other two lusts as it seeks to elevate itself above all others and fulfill all personal desires. This pride is the root cause of strife in families, and societies. It exalts self in direct contradiction to Jesus’ statement that those who would follow Him must take up their cross (an instrument of death) and deny themselves. The pride of life stands in our way if we truly seek to be servants of God.
It is the arrogance that separates us from others and limits our effectiveness in the kingdom. The pride of life “comes not from the Father, but from the world.” And, as such, it is passing away with the world, but those who resist and overcome the temptation of the pride of life do the will of God, and “the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17)
