Are you "all in?"

August 6, 2020 (Thursday)

 

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” [1 John 2:15 – 16 NLT]

 

When Adam and Eve sinned, the attraction was the same. It’s probably where John got the “flesh, eyes, pride” tricolon. Genesis 3:6 teaches, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” [ESV]

 

Eve presumed the physical pleasure, “the tree was good for food.” One axiom in cooking is “presentation, presentation, presentation.” If it does not look appealing, we tend to avoid it. On the other hand, we are drawn to what looks good. I really like chocolate chip cookies. There is one restaurant that makes terrible cookies. However, I always try them because they look great.

 

Eve began to “crave” what she was looking at, “it was a delight to the eyes.” Jesus observed, “The eye is the lamp of the body."  [Matthew 6:22a ESV] This statement is in context to your heart being where your treasure is stored.  When we take our eyes of God bad things happen, as Peter learned the hard way. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!” [Matthew 14:30 NIV]

 

Pride was the “nail in the coffin” for Eve. Falling for Satan’s lie she decided the “tree was to be desired to make one wise.” Pride is the individual elevating themselves. This makes God our immediate opponent. When we begin to think we are important, merit something, or are superior we begin down a dark and dangerous path.

 

Satan was the template for the destruction pride can cause. Jeremiah promised, “Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,” Declares the Lord God of hosts, “For your day has come, the time when I will punish you.” [Jeremiah 50:31 NASB] This verse in context to Babylon. Babylon is often representative of Satan in the Bible.

 

James asserts, “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” [James 4:6 NLT] Nobody wants God’s opposition. Unless they are blinded by pride. Just one caution. Accusing someone of “pride” is an act of judgement, which is an act of pride.

 

The core problem is when we love something other than God we abuse, adulterate, and eventually abandon our love for God. I think “loving the world” starves our love for God like weeds that choke the good plant. My suspicion is starving our love for God deprives us of sanctifying grace, possibly saving grace (eventually). As Jesus noted, we cannot serve two masters (see Matthew 6:24). Paul noted, we are obedient slaves to sin when we offer our bodies to do its will (see Romans 6:16).

 

There is an alternative. “I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness." [Romans 6:19 NIV] Paul continues, “… the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” [Romans 6:22b NIV].  Behind the door of sin is its wages: death. Behind the door of holiness: the fee gift of eternal life.

 

If you are not “all in” then you are “all out.”