After God created the heavens and the earth and all things in them and made Adam and Eve, He blessed them to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth. After a long period of time, Adam and Eve fell in the temptation of a crafty serpent and committed the sin of disobedience by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As a result, their spirits died and their communication with God was severed. The authority to rule over the earth was handed over to the enemy devil and Satan.
The reason we have to cast off love for the world
1 John 2:15-16 says, "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." If we love the world, the love of God is not in us. If we love the world we can't understand the will of God and act upon it.
Those children of God who have received the Holy Spirit realize the love of God and begin to love God. But having love for God doesn't necessarily mean that they have cast away all their love for the world yet. They will continually grow in their love for God to the extent that they cast off their love for the world.
Then just exactly what is this 'love for the world' that we should cast away quickly to love God all the more?
First, the Lust of the Flesh
inful natures combined with the body of man. The 'lust of the flesh' is the untruthful attribute that can be revealed in action though it is not being outwardly expressed. It is the sinful natures in the heart that are trying to be revealed externally. Simply, it is the desire to commit sins.
To cast off lust of the flesh we have to cut off the fleshly thoughts. We have to change evil thoughts and feelings that God hates into good thoughts and feelings. At the same time, we have to pull out the sinful natures.
In order to pull out the sinful nature called 'envy' from your heart you have to remember your mental attitude and feelings that you had at the moment of feeling envious. Then you have to pray about it. You have to pray fervently until those feelings and thoughts of envy disappear completely. Here, the thing is that you must not accept any more flesh from the world.
Second, the Lust of the Eyes
The 'lust of the eyes' is the nature that agitates our heart and makes us follow fleshly things through what we see and hear. From birth, as people grow up they all see and hear things that work in their hearts and affect their feelings as they enter the heart. This causes the lust of the eyes. If you receive untruthful input constantly without stopping it, it leads to the lust of the flesh and results in committing sins.
Thus, we must not see and hear things that are not of the truth, and we must not go to the places where the untruth is readily available. In addition, we need to take charge of guarding our hearts so as not to accept the things that are of the world. Even though you fast and pray to become sanctified, as long as you keep on accepting the lust of the eyes, you cannot really cast away sinful natures. It will cause your fight even more difficult and harder.
Therefore, after we have tried to stop the lust of the eyes from coming into us, it is important to fast and pray in order to cast away sinful natures in us. Then, God can give you grace and strength and you can receive answers in the inspiration of the Spirit.
Third, the Boastful Pride of Life
This 'boastful pride of life' is the nature that tries to reveal ourselves by bragging in seeking self-indulgent pleasure. When a person has the nature of this boastful pride of life they pursue wealth, fame, knowledge, social power, talent, or appearance as what is most valued in life. But these things can never give you true value and life. But rather, because of the desire to lift yourself up, you would stand against God and finally fall into eternal death.
After we cast off futile flesh, the boastful pride of life and all lust disappear and we can follow only the truth. 1 Corinthians 1:31 says, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." This kind of boasting is to boast of the works of God. Also, it is to plant faith and hope in the hearts of the hearers and to give glory to God. If we boast in the Lord this way, God is glorified and He gives us more blessings in spirit and body.
Jesus said in Luke 16:13, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
Jesus also talked about a rich man who fell in the Lower Grave because of his love for the world and Lazarus the beggar who entered into the bosom of Abraham. It means that if we love the world, the love for God does not dwell in us, we neglect God's Word, and we can't help but be forsaken in the end.
Therefore, we should be able to discern the things that belong to the world, cast away the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, and act in the will of God. By doing so, we can dwell in the everlasting Heaven like the sun shining in glory.
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