All That Is In the World

One of the most interesting and even most frustrating word studies one can do is on the word, "world" in the Bible. The reason it can be frustrating is that it seems like it is a word that has a different connotation every time it is used. For example, it can mean the planet we live on, also known as Earth (Psalm 24:1). It can also connote the people living on the planet called Earth (John 3:16). Another meaning of the word "world" is the one that I shall focus on here. Namely it refers to that system that is in opposition to God and His will and is under the power of the evil one, Satan. In other words, the "world" is everything that stands against the revealed will of God and works to subvert it (James 4:4).

All Christians have been called out of the world. That is, in fact, the meaning of the word "church". We are the "called out" ones. But all Christians still have to contend against that very world system out of which they were called. The Apostle John knew that struggle all too well. That is why he wrote letters to some of the churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) to encourage them in their walks with the Lord. At one point in his first epistle, John writes these words, warning believers about the allure of the world system at opposition to God:

Do not love the world or anything in he world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything that is 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. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.   (1 John 2:15-17 NIV)

What I want to highlight in the above passage are the three things that John identifies as belonging to that God-opposed world system. Specifically, John lists the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" as encapsulating all that is in the world, and that against which believers in the Lord Jesus must war against. 

Now it might interest you to know that John is actually borrowing something found in the book of Genesis. In fact, a close examination of all of John's Scriptural works (the Gospel of John, the epistles of John, and Revelation) reveal a number of allusions to events and themes in Genesis (and Ezekiel). If we go all the way back to the Garden of Eden and look closely, we will find the three world-defining traits in the events leading up to the fall of Mankind into sin. 

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 
(Genesis 3:1-6 NIV)

A close look at the passage reveals the three-pronged temptation that Eve (and Adam who was with her) faced that matches up exactly with what John identifies as belonging to the world. Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food (the lust of the flesh), pleasing to the eye (the lust of the eyes), and desirable for gaining wisdom (the pride of life). What was true all the way back as far as the Garden of Eden was true in John's day and is true today. 

But John isn't the only Biblical writer to make this three-sided connection with the world system that Satan controls. The Gospel writer Luke also finds it in his account of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness:

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone.'"

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours."

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written:

'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered, "It is said: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. 

(Luke 4:1-13 NIV)

What is striking about Luke's account of the temptation is how he changes part of the order from Matthew's Gospel account. Most conservative commentators agree that whereas Matthew has a Jewish audience in mind and highlights Jesus' messianic credentials in fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic promises, Luke seems to be writing to a gentile audience (in this case, a man named Theophilus) and stresses the solidarity of Jesus with all of mankind. Indeed, Luke traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam in chapter 3. 

The difference in order is that while Matthew's account has the turn stones to bread, temple jump, kingdoms of the world order, Luke swaps the temple jump temptation with the devil showing Jesus the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship (likely for thematic reasons and not for strict chronology). 

If one follows Luke's order of the devil's temptations, one can find that it corresponds with the same three-fold temptation found in the Garden of Eden and in John's first epistle! The devil tempts Jesus to satisfy his flesh by using miraculous powers to turn stones into bread - the lust of the flesh. Next, the devil shows Jesus all the earth's kingdoms with their pomp and splendor - the lust of the eyes. Lastly, Satan tries to get Jesus to throw himself from the temple in presumption that God would save him - the pride of life. Whereas Adam (along with his wife) failed on all three fronts, Jesus conquered the devil's temptations by using the power of Scripture, fully trusting that God would care for him. 

So what is the upshot to all of this? Well, obviously you and I face the same unholy trinity of temptations. The lust of the flesh is fairly easy to spot: sexual immorality, drugs, alcohol, food, and the list could go on. The lust of the eyes can be found in covetousness, unhealthy obsession with acquiring money, entertainment (particularly video games and "binge" watching Netflix, Hulu, et al...), obsession with one's favorite sports team(s), and so on. Lastly, the pride of life can manifest itself in a number of ways including, but not limited to: boasting about one's accomplishments (real or imagined), unreasonable anger and bitterness, a sense of entitlement, holding heretical doctrines (as if one knows better than revealed religion), bullying, and attention seeking.

While all Christians are commanded to guard against these three areas, pastors and other church leaders are especially vulnerable. I am sure the reader is quite capable of filling in the blanks of names, but ask yourself what seem to be the primary things that get pastors in trouble. When scandals involving church leaders happen, is it not often because they got caught with their pants down, were bilking people for money, or became unreasonable, angry jerks? Do you see the pattern?

All believers have to war against sin and temptation. The fight is terrible and sometimes it seems like a losing one. But there is good news! Jesus defeated temptation once and for all. Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. While the first Adam disobeyed God in a garden and at the foot of a tree, the last Adam said to God in a garden, "...Not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) and went obediently to a tree (1 Peter 2:24 NKJV) to atone for sins. We can rest confidently of victory as we consider ourselves to be "dead to sin and alive to righteousness" (Romans 6:11). A New Heaven and New Earth is coming in which nothing impure will ever enter (Revelation 21:27). I leave you with the words of the second stanza of the old hymn, Lead On, O King Eternal:

Lead on, O King eternal,

till sin's fierce war shall cease,

and holiness shall whisper

the sweet amen of peace.

For not with swords' loud clashing

nor roll of stirring drums

with deeds of love and mercy

the heavenly kingdom comes.