Book of 1 John Chapter 2 Vs. 16

 Do Not Love the World

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."

For all that... Three Classes of Things in the World System

1. The lust of the flesh (1Jhn. 2:15.

2. The lust of the eyes:

(1) Lust for women (Mat. 5:28; Job 31:1)

(2) Eyes full of adultery—even men with men and women with women (2Pet. 2:14; Rom. 1:18-28)

(3) Covetousness (Psm. 10:8; Luke 12:15)

(4) All things desired (Ecc. 2:10)

(5) Idolatry (Eze. 6:9; 18:6-15)

(6) All kinds of evil (Mat. 6:23; 7:22)

3. The pride of life:

(1) Self-righteousness (Job 32:1)

(2) Positions (Gen. 3:5; Eze. 28:11-17; 1Tim. 3:6; 3Jhn. 1:9)

(3) Power (Lev. 26:19)

(4) Riches (Psm. 39:6; Eze. 28:5)

(5) Beauty (Eze. 28:11, 28:17)

(6) Strength to war (2Chr. 26:16)

(7) Constant boasting of oneself; glorying in sexual activity; pleasures; and all the vanity of life (1Jhn. 2:15; Psm. 24:4; 36:2; Isa. 3:16)

For all that is in the world (Jas. 4:4). While the world’s philosophies and ideologies and much that it offers may appear attractive and appealing, that is deception. Its true and pervasive nature is evil, harmful, ruinous, and satanic. Its deadly theories are raised up against the knowledge of God and hold the souls of men captive. (2Cor.10:3-5).

All (πᾶν)

Not all things severally, but all that is in the world collectively, regarded as a unit.

in the world... For John signifies the evil desire and sin so much a part of human existence.

the lust of... John uses the term negatively here for a strong desire for evil things. The term refers to the sin nature of man; the rebellious self-dominated by sin and in opposition to God (Rom. 7:15-25; 8:2-8; Gal. 5:19-21). Satan uses the evil world system to incite the flesh. Satan uses the eyes as a strategic avenue to incite wrong desires (Jos. 7:20-21; 2Sam. 11:2; Mat. 5:27-29).

The lust (ἡ ἐπιθυμία)

Lusts, not in the limited sense of mere sexual desire, but in the general sense of longing. The word is also used of desire for good and lawful things (Luke 22:15; Phlp. 1:23).

Of the flesh

Sensual appetite. The desire which resides in the flesh, not the desire for the flesh. For this subjective usage of the genitive with lust, see John 8:44; Rom. 1:24; Rev. 18:14. Compare 1Pet. 2:11; Tit. 2:12. The lust of the flesh involves the appropriation of the desired object. On the flesh, see on John 1:14.

The lust of the eyes

This is included in the lust of the flesh, as a specific manifestation. All merely sensual desires belong to the economy which is not of the Father. The desire of the eyes does not involve appropriation. It is satisfied with contemplating. It represents a higher type of desire than the desire of the flesh, in that it seeks mental pleasure where the other seeks physical gratification. There is thus a significant hint in this passage that even high artistic gratification may have no fellowship with God.

pride of life... Greek: alazoneia, vain-boasting. Used only here and Jas. 4:16. The phrase has the idea of arrogance over one’s circumstances, which produced haughtiness or exaggeration, parading what one possessed to impress other people (Jas. 4:16).

The pride of life (ἡ ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου)

Rev., vainglory. The word occurs only here and Jas. 4:16. It means, originally, empty, braggart talk or display; swagger; and thence an insolent and vain assurance in one's own resources, or in the stability of earthly things, which issues in a contempt of divine laws. The vainglory of life is the vainglory which belongs to the present life. On βίος life, as distinguished from ζωη. Life.

He was the fountain of life - physical, moral, and eternal - its principle and source. Two words for life are employed in the New Testament: βίος and ζωὴ. The primary distinction is that ζωὴ means existence as contrasted with death, and βίος, the period, means, or manner of existence. Hence βίος is originally the higher word, being used of men, while ζωὴ is used of animals ζῶα. We speak therefore of the discussion of the life and habits of animals as zoology; and of accounts of men's lives as biography. Animals have the vital principle in common with men, but men lead lives controlled by intellect and will, and directed to moral and intellectual ends. In the New Testament, βίος means either living, i.e., means of subsistence (Mark 12:44; Luke 8:43), or course of life, life regarded as an economy (Luke 8:14; 1Tim. 2:2; 2Tim. 2:4). Ζωὴ occurs in the lower sense of life, considered principally or wholly as existence (1Pet. 3:10; Acts 8:33; 17:25; Heb. 7:3). There seems to be a significance in the use of the word in Luke 16:25: Thou in thy lifetime ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου) receivedst thy good things; the intimation being that the rich man's life had been little better than mere existence, and not life at all in the true sense. But throughout the New Testament ζωὴ is the nobler word, seeming to have changed places with βίος. It expresses the sum of mortal and eternal blessedness (Mat. 25:46; Luke 18:30; John 11:25; Acts 2:28; Rom. 5:17; Rom. 6:4), and that not only in respect of men, but also of God and Christ. So here. Compare John 5:26; 14:6; 1Jhn. 1:2. This change is due to the gospel revelation of the essential connection of sin with death, and consequently, of life with holiness. Whatever truly lives, does so because sin has never found place in it, or, having found place for a time, has since been overcome and expelled (Trench).

is not of... The world is the enemy of the Christian because it is in rebellion and opposition against God and controlled by Satan (5:19; Eph. 2:2; 2Cor. 4:4; 10:35). The three openings presented, if allowing access to sin, result in tragedy. Not only must the Christian reject the world for what it is but also for what it does.

Of the Father (ἐκ τοῦ πατρός)

Do not spring forth from the Father. On the expression εἶναι ἐκ to be of, see on John 1:46. Literally, be out of; a characteristic expression of John. See John 3:31; 4:22; 7:17, 7:22; 8:23; 15:19; 18:36, 18:38, etc.

It means more than to come out of: rather to come out of as that which is of; to be identified with something so as to come forth bearing its impress, moral or otherwise. See especially John 3:31: He that is of the earth is of the earth; i.e., partakes of its quality. Compare Christ's words to Nicodemus (John 3:6), and 1Cor. 15:47. He, therefore, who is always occupied with the cravings of desire and ambition, and is eagerly striving after them, must have all his opinions mortal, and, as far as man can be, must be all of him mortal, because he has cherished his mortal part. But he who has been earnest in the love of knowledge and true wisdom, and has been trained to think that these are the immortal and divine things of a man, if he attain truth, must of necessity, as far as human nature is capable of attaining immortality, be all immortal, for he is ever attending on the divine power, and having the divinity within him in perfect order, he has a life perfect and divine (Plato, Timsaeus, 90).

The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are what got Eve in trouble in the garden. She looked, desired, and wanted to be as God. Lust of all kinds fall into the category of flesh and worldliness.

Why does God hate this world-the world in this sense? St. John tells us. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Deep in every heart must be one or other of two loves. There is no room for two master passions. There is an expulsive power in all true affection. What tenderness and pathos, how much of expostulation, more potent because reserved-the love of the Father is not in him! He has told all his little ones that he has written to them because they know the Father. St. John does not use sacred names at random. Even Voltaire felt that there was something almost awful in hearing Newton pronounce the name of God. Such in an incomparably higher degree is the spirit of St. John. In this section he writes of the love of the Father, (1Jhn. 2:15-16) and of the will of God. (1Jhn. 2:17.) The first title has more sweetness than majesty; the second more majesty than sweetness. He would throw into his plea some of the winningness of one who uses this as a resistless argument with a tempted, but loving child-an argument often successful when every other fails. If you do this, your Father will not love you; you will not be His child. We have but to read this with the hearts of God’s dear children. Then we shall find that if the love not of this verse contains words of extirpation it ends with others which are intended to draw us with cords of a man, and with bands of love.

The reason love for the world is incompatible with love for God is that everything in the world… comes not from the Father but from the world. The world thus conceived is a system of values and goals from which God is excluded. In describing everything in the world, John specified its contents under three well-known phrases that effectively highlight the world’s false outlook. Men of the world live for the cravings of sinful man. Cravings translates epithymia, which is used twice in this verse and once in the next verse. The NIV translates it differently each time: cravings, lust, desires. In the New Testament the word usually, though not always, connotes desires that are sinful. The expression sinful man translates the Greek sarx lit., flesh. The phrase refers particularly to illicit bodily appetites. The expression the lust epithymia of his eyes points to man’s covetous and acquisitive nature. The boasting of what he has and does paraphrases the Greek hē alazoneia tou biou lit., the pretension of human life, which signifies a proud and ostentatious way of life. Alazoneia is used only here in the NT. Christians ought to have nothing to do with such worldly perspectives as these.