Your Friendly Enemy

March 11, 2015 Save Article

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1 John 2:15-17 

1. INTRODUCTION
   1. As Christians, we are not to love everything. In fact, there are some things we need to hate.
      1. Psalm 97:10
   2. We cannot love things that are good without hating things that are evil.
      1. Romans 12:9
   3. We have an enemy, and that enemy is the world.
      1. This does not mean the planet Earth.
         1. Luke 12:27
      2. This does not mean the world of people.
         1. We are to love all people.
            1. John 3:16
      3. We are to hate the system under which the world functions and operates.

2. THE CHARACTER OF THE WORLD (1 John 2:15)
   1. The world has a prince.
      1. John 12:31
      2. John 14:30
      3. John 16:11
      4. 1 John 5:19
      5. Satan is the mastermind behind this world system.
         1. Ephesians 6:12
   2. The world has a philosophy.
      1. 1 Corinthians 3:19
      2. The wisdom of the world is wise, but it is wise to do evil.
   3. The world has a purpose.
      1. John 7:7
      2. The purpose of this world system is to draw us away from God.
      3. The world hates Jesus because He testifies that its works are evil.
         1. John 14:7
         2. John 15:18-19
         3. James 4:4
   4. The world has a people.
      1. Luke 16:18
      2. As Christians, we are a twice-born people living in a world full of once-born people.
      3. The world wants us to conform to its system.
         1. Romans 12:2

3. THE CORRUPTION OF THE WORLD (1 John 2:16)
   1. The lust of the flesh passions.
      1. Galatians 5:17
      2. This deals mainly with the material and physical things in our lives.
         1. Gluttony
         2. Laziness
         3. Drunkenness
         4. Immorality
         5. Perversion
      3. God gave us good appetites, but Satan has perverted them into sin.
         1. Matthew 6:33
   2. The lust of the eyes possessions.
      1. The lust of the eyes may be more sophisticated.
         1. 1 Timothy 6:10
   3. The pride of life position.
      1. This world system promotes the idea that we must be recognized for our achievements.
   4. This world system is summed up by these three things: passions, possessions and position. Doing, having and being.
      1. Genesis 3:6
      2. Hebrews 4:15
      3. Matthew 4:3-9
      4. Matthew 5:5

4. THE CONDEMNATION OF THE WORLD (1 John 2:17)
   1. God is the only hope for this world, but He is also its biggest threat.
      1. John 16:11
   2. What is more important to us? The praise of man or the glory of God?

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