1 John2:15-17, Long for Eternity(See Gn.3 & Mt.4)

1 John2:15-17, Long for Eternity(See Gn.3 & Mt.4)

1. Aren't we captivated by things that will fade away?
 We live every day in a world that seems "eternal." The smartphone in our hands, the balance in our bank account, and people's opinions seem as if they will remain with us forever. However, today's passage declares soberly: Vs 15-17, “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. 17The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." Apostle John mentions three temptations that we must be wary of, which constantly tempt us and are the root of all temptations: the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life. These have been a fatal trap from the beginning of human history until now, leading us away from the eternal God. 1) The desire of the flesh is a life pursuing physical pleasure and instinctive desires. 2) The desire of the eyes are being captivated by visible splendor and material things, and coveting what others have. 3) The pride of life is boasting about one's achievements, pursuing worldly honor, and having an arrogant heart that believes one can live without God. All these things do not come from God, but from the temporary and fallen values ​​of the world.

2. There are two scenes in the Bible: the failure in Eden and the victory in the wilderness.
 We find two events that starkly contrast how these three temptations have worked.
First, Eve and the forbidden fruit. Thess show humanity succumbing to temptation(Gn.3).
Gn.3:4-6, “4.The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5.For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6.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 desirable 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.”
 In the Garden of Eden, the serpent(Satan) approached Eve and presented her with the "values ​​of the passing world" instead of the eternal word of God. When Eve looked at the fruit of this tree, it was pleasing to the eye, desirable for food, and tempting enough to make one wise. Here, "pleasing to the eye" represents the lust of the flesh. It focused her on the desire for immediate gratification. "Desirable to the eyes" represents the lust of the eyes. The visible splendor seemed greater than God. "Tempting enough to make one wise" represents the pride of life. It encouraged the arrogance of wanting to be like God. Eve chose "momentary satisfaction" over "eternal life," and as a result, humanity became slaves to sin, death, and futility.

Secondly, there is Jesus and the temptation in the wilderness. The Lord is the eternal guide who triumphed through the Word(Mt.4). Jesus, who came as the second Adam, was tempted at the very point where Eve failed. But the Lord was different. Mt.4:1-11, “1.Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4.Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5.Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6.“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7.Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8.Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9.“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10.Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”  The devil tempts Jesus, who is hungry. The temptation to "turn these stones into bread" represents the lust of the flesh. The Lord chose eternal sustenance, saying, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." The temptation to "throw yourself down from the highest point of the temple" represents the pride of life. Jesus rejected the temptation to test God's power and reveal himself. This is the lust of the eyes, showing all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, saying, "If you will bow down and worship me, I will give you all these things." But Jesus, instead of the fleeting splendor of earthly kingdoms, chose to worship only God and chose eternal dominion.

3. Here's an illustration: "The Blueprint of a Sandcastle."
 On a beach, a famous architect was building a sandcastle with his young son. The architect was a master who had spent his life building massive buildings with stone and steel. He and his son created a very elaborate and beautiful sandcastle. Then a passing traveler asked, "Sir, the tide will come in and wash it all away in a few hours anyway, so why are you building it with such care? Doesn't it feel futile?" The architect smiled and replied, "I'm not building a sandcastle that will collapse; I'm drawing an eternal blueprint in this child's heart—the joy of being with his father. The sand will be washed away, but the love and conversation I shared with my child will remain forever in his soul."
 Our lives are like this. The achievements, money, and honor we accumulate in this world are like sandcastles that will be swept away by the tide. Eve fell because she tried to possess the sandcastle itself, but Jesus saw beyond the tide that would destroy the sandcastle, seeing the "will of the Father." Only our obedience and love, using the world as "material," will remain as eternal jewels in the kingdom of heaven.
 The Bible advises us, "Do not love the world or anything in the world"(17). Here, "the world" refers to the world that is corrupted by sin and destined for destruction. This is a dangerous thing. The essence of the Christian life is not separation from the world, but rather having the direction of our hearts turned towards God, not the world. There's a lesson from Demas. Demas, Paul's fellow worker, abandoned Paul because he loved the world(worldly values) more (2Tim. 4:10). This warns us how powerful the temptation of loving the world is and how it can lead us away from the Lord. We must always direct our hearts towards God, not the world.
If we love the sin-filled world, we will eventually turn away from God, so we must love the Lord more than the world. The love of God and the love of the world cannot coexist. If we love the world, there will be no room for God's love in our hearts. Mt.6:24(You cannot serve both God and money). It is important for all of us to live lives focused on the Kingdom of God, not the values ​​of the world. Mt.6:33, a life of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
 What is the ultimate message of verse 17? God tells us to invest in eternal things. While living in the world, we must not succumb to the temptations of the world, but live lives that love and follow the Lord more. The pleasures and glories of the world quickly disappear like mist. The world and the desires we enjoyed will all eventually "pass away." Don't stake your life on things with an expiration date. However, only those who do the will of God will abide forever. A life lived according to God's will is eternal. Therefore, Christians are not those who stake their lives on things that are temporary and fleeting like mist. They are those who sow today with the hope of eternal value and an eternal kingdom. Amen.

4. Application Questions: Let's examine our hearts. Am I currently being swayed by the temptations of the world, which are "pleasing to the eye, desirable for gaining wisdom," like Eve, or am I responding with "the word of God" like Jesus? What is the main concern that occupies my heart right now? Is it love for God, or greed for the world?  Let's re-establish our priorities. We must reject the false satisfaction the world offers and fill our hearts with God's love. Let's restore our spiritual discernment. In the midst of the "lust of the eyes" poured out by advertising and media, are we keeping our spiritual eyes open? We must discern whether what we want to boast about is "our achievements" or "God's grace," and return to God's word every day.
How can we be victorious? What is the secret to victory? The secret to Jesus' victory in the wilderness was "the written word of God, the word of life." Do we, like the Lord, hold onto the word of life? Is there a verse of eternal truth etched in our hearts that will sustain us in moments of crisis in our lives? Is.41:10? Phil.4:6-7?
Can we leave a mark of eternity? Of the things I cherish today, what will still be valuable 100 years from now? What will you decide today for "eternal love" rather than "passing desires"? What is "God's will" that I must obey today? *"The world tempts us, but God satisfies us. Don't stake your life on fleeting things like worldly pride, but hope for the eternal kingdom."

5. Prayer/Loving God, I confess that the image of Eve who fell in Eden is exactly my image. I have forgotten the eternal kingdom of God by following the visible splendor and physical comfort. But I look to Jesus who triumphed in the wilderness with the word of God. May I crave God's word more than the bread the world offers, and may I enjoy the joy of worshipping the Lord more than worldly glory. May I not cling to the fleeting glories of this world, which will recede like the tide, but instead build my life upon Jesus Christ, the unshakable foundation. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who has given us eternal victory. Amen.