1 John 2:16

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. ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD - can be closed under one or other of the three. LUST OF THE FLESH - i:e., which has its seat in our lower animal nature. Satan tried this temptation first on Christ (Luke 4:3). Youth is especially liable to fleshly lusts. LUST OF THE EYES - the avenue through which outward things of the world, riches, pomp, and beauty, inflame us. Satan tried this temptation on Christ when he showed Him the kingdoms of the world in a moment. By lust of the eyes David (2 Samuel 11:2) and Achan fell ...

16_The lust of the flesh_, or, _namely, the lust of the flesh_. The old interpreter renders the verse otherwise, for from one sentence he makes two. Those Greek authors do better, who read these words together, “Whatever is in the world is not of God;” and then the three kinds of lusts they introduce parenthetically. For John, by way of explanation, inserted these three particulars as examples, that he might briefly shew what are the pursuits and thoughts of men who live for the world; but whether it be a full and complete division, it does not signify much; though you will not find a worldly man in whom these lusts do not prevail, at least one of them. It remains for us to see what he understands by each of these. The first clause is commonly explained of all sinful lusts in general; for the flesh means the whole corrupt nature of man. Though I am unwilling to contend, yet I am unwillin...

15-17 The things of the world may be desired and possessed for the uses and purposes which God intended, and they are to be used by his grace, and to his glory; but believers must not seek or value them for those purposes to which sin abuses them. The world draws the heart from God; and the more the love of the world prevails, the more the love of God decays. The things of the world are classed according to the three ruling inclinations of depraved nature. 1. The lust of the flesh, of the body: wrong desires of the heart, the appetite of indulging all things that excite and inflame sensual pleasures. 2. The lust of the eyes: the eyes are delighted with riches and rich possessions; this is the lust of covetousness. 3. The pride of life: a vain man craves the grandeur and pomp of a vain-glorious life; this includes thirst after honour and applause. The things of the world quickly fade and...

Verse 16. _FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD_] All that it can boast of, all that it can promise, is only sensual, transient gratification, and even this promise it cannot fulfil; so that its warmest votaries can complain loudest of their disappointment. _THE LUST OF THE FLESH_] Sensual and impure desires which seek their gratification in women, strong drink, delicious viands, and the like. _LUST OF THE EYES_] Inordinate desires after _finery_ of every kind, gaudy dress, splendid houses, superb furniture, expensive equipage, trappings, and decorations of all sorts. _PRIDE OF LIFE_] Hunting after honours, titles, and pedigrees; boasting of ancestry, family connections, great offices, honourable acquaintance, and the like. _IS NOT OF THE FATHER_] Nothing of these inordinate attachments either comes from or leads to God. They are of this world; here th

FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD - That is, all that really constitutes the world, or that enters into the aims and purposes of those who live for this life. All that that community lives for may be comprised under the following things. THE LUST OF THE FLESH - The word “lust” is used here in the general sense of desire, or that which is the object of desire - not in the narrow sense in which it is now commonly used to denote libidinous passion. See the notes at James 1:14. The phrase, “the lust of the flesh,” here denotes that which pampers the appetites, or all that is connected with the indulgence of the mere animal propensities. A large part of the world lives for little more than this. This is the lowest form of worldly indulgence; those which are immediately specified being of a higher order, though still merely worldly.

EXPOSITION 1 JOHN 2:1, 1 JOHN 2:2 Moreover, walking in the light involves accepting the propitiation wrought through Jesus Christ the Righteous. The connexion with the preceding is close. We have just had (1) the confession that we do sin; we now have (2) the principle that we must not sin; and (3) the consolation that sin is not irremediable. 1 JOHN 2:1 MY LITTLE CHILDREN; or, perhaps, _my dear children; _or, simply, _my children. _The diminutive τεκνία, if it retains any force, expresses endearment rather than smallness or youth. Th

FOR ALL THAT [IS] IN THE WORLD,.... This is the sum of the evil things in the world; or these following are the objects of sin in the world, or about which wicked men are conversant; even such as are carnal or grateful to the flesh, visible to the eye, and belong to this vain life, or serve to fill with pride and vanity; or these are the main things, which men that love the world most highly value and esteem: THE LUST OF THE FLESH; by which is meant, not lust in general, or concupiscence, the corruption of nature, which is the fountain of all sin, or indwelling sin, the flesh, or that corrupt principle which lusts against the Spirit; nor the various lusts of the flesh, fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, and which are many, and are also called worldly lusts; but some particular one, "a lust of the body", as the Syriac version reads; either the lust of uncleanness, which includes...

1 John 2:1. _My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him._ Holy living is the sure fruit and proof of anyone being in Christ. Where it is not manifest, the profession of being in Christ is a lie. 1 John 2:5. _But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him._ Note the gradation: we know him, we are in him we know that we are in him....

II. LIGHT AND DARKNESS AND THE TESTS Chapter S 1:5-2:17 _ 1. God is light; walking in darkness and in light (1 John 1:5)_ 2. What the light manifests (1 John 1:8) 3. The advocacy of Christ to maintain the fellowship (1 John 2:1) 4. The tests of fellowship (1 John 2:3) 1 John 1:5 The message they had heard of Him and which they declared to others is, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Light, perfect, pure light is God's nature; He is absolutely holy, with no darkness in Him at all. That God is light was manife

Christians are called to love God and their brethren, but they must not love the world, _i.e._ the circle of interests divorced from God and in opposition to His will. Its gratifications, such as sensual excesses, unlawful desires awakened by means of the eyes, self-assertive and atheistical display, belong to a doomed and dying order. _World_ is the key-word to this section. Unlike 1 John 2:2 (_cf._ also 1 John 4:14), where it describes the sum total of humanity, it means here the un-Christian and anti-Christian forces and interests of the time, society viewed as apart from God and controlled merely by selfishness. Hence in John's terminology it is the antithesis of the Church which it hates (1 John 3:13), the home of Antichr