It’s a matter of fact v24n11

It’s a matter of fact!

Part 2

V24 n11

In last weeks newsletter, we were apprised of the meaning of the word commandment, referring to an authoritative prescription. This prescription is by hearing and obeying the Message delivered to us by and through Christ Jesus, it shows one how to establish, build up, and then maintain a strong relationship with the Father, by and through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Matt 22:37-40, 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments (authoritative prescriptions) hang all the law and the prophets. (KJV)

If we can not hear His authoritative prescription for loving Him with all of our being, what is it that will govern us? The opposite of love, is hate. We often forget, that Jesus Christ loved the Father, and thus did all that Father asked of Him. Yet, in all of this, what did He do to be so hated? Why did the religious leaders plot so to put Him to death?

Matt 6:24, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (KJV)

Our blessed Lord shows here the utter impossibility of loving the world and loving God at the same time; or, in other words, that a man of the world cannot be a truly religious character. He who gives his heart to the world robs God of it, and, in snatching at the shadow of earthly good, loses substantial and eternal blessedness. How dangerous is it to set our hearts upon riches, seeing it is so easy to make them our God! (from Adam Clarke Commentary)

I Jn 2:15-17, 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (KJV)

The Word tells us, that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (the authoritative prescription which will bring about spiritual health to the believer). Yet, how often is it that one allows the principles of this world, to take precedence over that which God asks of us?

Adam Clarke gives us a very good summation of these verses, let’s take a look at them.

[Love not the world] Though these several classes were so well acquainted with divine things, and had all tasted the powers of the world to come; yet so apt are men to be drawn aside by sensible things, that the Holy Spirit saw it necessary to caution these against the love of the world, the inordinate desire of earthly things. Covetousness is the predominant vice of old age: Ye fathers, love not the world. The things which are in the world, its profits, pleasures, and honours, have the strongest allurements for youth; therefore, ye young men, little children, and babes, love not the things of this world. Let those hearts abide faithful to God who have taken him for their portion.

[The love of the Father is not in him.] The love of God and the love of earthly things are incompatible. If you give place to the love of the world, the love of God cannot dwell in you; and if you have not his love, you can have no peace, no holiness, no heaven.

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 is in the world] All that it can boast of, all that it can promise, is only sensual, transient gratification, and even this promise it cannot fulfil; so that its warmest votaries can complain loudest of their disappointment.

[The lust of the flesh] Sensual and impure desires which seek their gratification in women, strong drink, delicious viands, and the like.

[Lust of the eyes] Inordinate desires after finery of every kind, gaudy dress, splendid houses, superb furniture, expensive equipage, trappings, and decorations of all sorts.

[Pride of life] Hunting after honours, titles, and pedigrees; boasting of ancestry, family connections, great offices, honourable acquaintance, and the like.

[Is not of the Father] Nothing of these inordinate attachments either comes from or leads to God. They are of this world; here they begin, flourish, and end. They deprave the mind, divert it from divine pursuits, and render it utterly incapable of spiritual enjoyments.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

[The world passeth away] All these things are continually fading and perishing; and the very state in which they are possessed is changing perpetually; and the earth and its works will be shortly burnt up.

[And the lust thereof] The men of this world, their vain pursuits, and delusive pleasures, as passing away in their successive generations, and their very memory perishes; but he that doeth the will of God-- that seeks the pleasure, profit, and honour that comes from above, shall abide forever, always happy through time and eternity, because God, the unchangeable source of felicity, is his portion. (from Adam Clarke Commentary)

Let us look at a few of Matthew Henry’s comments on these verses.

The several degrees of Christians should unite in this, in being dead to the world. Were they thus united, they would soon unite upon other accounts: their love should be reserved for God; throw it not away upon the world. Now here we see the reasons of this dissuasion and caution. They are several, and had need to be so; it is hard to dispute or dissuade disciples themselves from the love of the world. These reasons are taken,

1. From the inconsistency of this love with the love of God: If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, v. 15. The heart of man is narrow, and cannot contain both loves. The world draws down the heart from God; and so the more the love of the world prevails the more the love of God dwindles and decays.

2. >From the prohibition of worldly love or lust; it is not ordained of God: It is not of the Father, but is of the world, v. 16. This love or lust is not appointed of God (he calls us from it), but it intrudes itself from the world; the world is a usurper of our affection. (from Matthew Henry's Commentary)

The Word tells us, that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments, that which is His authoritative prescription for eternal health and well being. It has always overwhelmed me, to know that before the foundation of the world, that Father had planned for each of us, everything necessary for this day, so that we could maintain our relationship with Him. For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, for the sin of the world. But he that doeth the will of God (Gal 1:3-4) abideth for ever. Will you reciprocate your love to Him in the way and fashion which He prescribes?

That you may know Him,

In the service of Jesus Christ.

Larry Gazelka