Discerning True Love: Aligning Hearts with God

Devotional

Day 1: Love's True Direction

Love becomes sinful when it is directed at the wrong object, specifically the world system opposed to God. This world, as described in 1 John 2:15-17, is not the physical world or humanity but a spiritual realm that stands in opposition to God. It is characterized by desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. These desires are not from the Father but from the world. As Christians, we are called to reserve our love for God and His kingdom, not for the anti-God ideologies of the world. Our love should be rooted in God, arising from Him and leading to life and righteousness. The world is passing away, and with it, its desires, but those who do the will of God abide forever. [06:31]

James 4:4 (ESV): "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

Reflection: In what ways have you found yourself loving the world more than God? How can you redirect your affections towards God and His kingdom today?

Day 2: The Source of True Love

The source of our love matters greatly. Love that arises from worldly desires is not from the Father. True love originates from God and leads us towards Him, not away from Him. This love is not about fulfilling every desire but about aligning our hearts with His will. It is about loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves, without compromising our allegiance to God. In a culture that often promotes "love is love," we must discern and reject love that contradicts God's truth. [17:57]

1 John 4:7-8 (ESV): "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Reflection: Consider the source of your love. Is it rooted in God or in worldly desires? How can you ensure that your love leads you closer to God?

Day 3: The Fruit of Love

The fruit of our love reveals its nature. Love that leads to destruction and death is not true love. In contrast, love that aligns with God's will leads to eternal life. This teaching challenges us to examine the outcomes of our affections and relationships. Are they producing life and righteousness, or are they leading us away from God? True love, as defined by God, is about aligning our hearts with His will and producing fruit that glorifies Him. [24:20]

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Reflection: What fruit is your love producing in your life and the lives of others? How can you cultivate love that aligns with God's will and leads to eternal life?

Day 4: Cultural Relevance of Love

In a culture that promotes "love is love," we must discern and reject love that contradicts God's truth. Not all love is righteous or godly, and we must stand firm in biblical love. This requires discernment, faith, and a commitment to live distinctively as followers of Christ. True love is not about fulfilling every desire but about aligning our hearts with God's will. It is about loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves, without compromising our allegiance to God. [26:21]

Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Reflection: How can you stand firm in biblical love in a culture that often contradicts God's truth? What steps can you take to ensure your love aligns with God's will?

Day 5: A Call to Action

We are called to love God with all our being and to reject the love of the world. This requires discernment, faith, and a commitment to live distinctively as followers of Christ. Aligning our passions with God means examining our hearts and ensuring that our love is directed towards Him and His kingdom. It is about living a life that reflects His love and truth in all that we do. This call to action challenges us to live out our faith in a way that honors God and draws others to Him. [33:38]

Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV): "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to align your passions with God and reject the love of the world? How can you live distinctively as a follower of Christ in your daily life?

Sermon Summary

In today's exploration of 1 John 2:15-17, we delve into the profound and often misunderstood command: "Do not love the world or the things in the world." This passage challenges us to discern the nature of our affections and the objects of our love. As Christians, we are called to love deeply and broadly, yet this text warns us of a love that can be sinful. The world, in this context, refers not to the physical creation or humanity, but to the spiritual realm in opposition to God. This world is characterized by desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, and the pride of life, all of which are not from the Father but from the world.

The essence of this message is that love becomes sinful when it is directed at the wrong object, arises from the wrong source, or produces the wrong fruit. Our love should not be directed towards the world system that is anti-God and anti-kingdom. Instead, our love should be rooted in God, arising from Him and leading to life and righteousness. The world is passing away, and with it, its desires. In contrast, those who do the will of God abide forever.

This teaching is particularly relevant in our culture today, where the mantra "love is love" often justifies actions and relationships that are contrary to God's design. True love, as defined by God, is not about fulfilling every desire but about aligning our hearts with His will. It is about loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves, without compromising our allegiance to God.

Key Takeaways

1. Love's Direction: Love becomes sinful when directed at the wrong object, specifically the world system opposed to God. Our love should be reserved for God and His kingdom, not the anti-God ideologies of the world. [06:31]
2. Source of Love: The source of our love matters. Love that arises from worldly desires is not from the Father. True love originates from God and leads us towards Him, not away from Him. [17:57]
3. Fruit of Love: The fruit of our love reveals its nature. Love that leads to destruction and death is not true love. In contrast, love that aligns with God's will leads to eternal life. [24:20]
4. Cultural Relevance: In a culture that promotes "love is love," we must discern and reject love that contradicts God's truth. Not all love is righteous or godly, and we must stand firm in biblical love. [26:21]
5. Call to Action: We are called to love God with all our being and to reject the love of the world. This requires discernment, faith, and a commitment to live distinctively as followers of Christ. [33:38]
** [33:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:49] - Introduction to 1 John 2:15-17
[01:29] - The Paradox of Love
[03:06] - The World and Its Contradictions
[04:51] - When Love Becomes Sinful
[05:45] - Wrong Object of Love
[06:31] - Understanding "World" in Scripture
[08:44] - The Spiritual Realm Opposed to God
[10:25] - Calvin's Insight on Love
[11:13] - Friendship with the World
[12:02] - Regeneration and Allegiance
[13:47] - Sent into the World, Not of It
[14:32] - Exclusive Love for God
[15:28] - Examining Our Hearts
[16:17] - Discernment in Love
[17:57] - Wrong Source of Love
[18:45] - Internal and External Sins
[19:48] - Perverted Loves
[21:43] - Pride and Boasting
[23:32] - Wrong Fruit of Love
[24:20] - Eternal Perspective
[26:21] - Cultural Implications
[27:20] - Romans 1 and Dishonorable Passions
[29:31] - The Deception of Sinful Desires
[30:15] - Love That Does Not Glorify God
[31:33] - Rebellion Against God
[32:40] - Boundaries of Love
[33:38] - Aligning Passions with God
[34:43] - Love and Parental Authority
[35:41] - God's Loving Command
[36:35] - Abiding in God
[37:38] - Prayer for Discernment and Love

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What are the three characteristics of the world mentioned in 1 John 2:16, and how do they contrast with the love of the Father? [00:49]
According to the sermon, how does the term "world" differ in its various uses within Johannine literature? [06:31]
What does the sermon suggest is the consequence of loving the world, as stated in 1 John 2:17? [24:20]
How does the sermon describe the cultural relevance of the phrase "love is love" in relation to biblical teachings? [26:21]

Interpretation Questions

How does the sermon explain the concept of love becoming sinful when directed at the wrong object? What implications does this have for Christians today? [05:45]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that love arising from the wrong source can lead to sinful behavior? How does this relate to the desires of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life? [17:57]
How does the sermon interpret the idea of the world passing away, and what does it mean for those who do the will of God to abide forever? [24:20]
What does the sermon imply about the role of discernment in distinguishing between godly love and love that contradicts God's truth? [17:07]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current affections and desires. Are there areas in your life where your love might be directed at the wrong object? How can you realign your love towards God and His kingdom? [05:45]
Consider the sources of your love and desires. Are there influences in your life that might be leading you away from God? How can you cultivate a love that originates from God? [17:57]
In what ways can you actively reject the cultural mantra of "love is love" when it contradicts biblical teachings? How can you stand firm in biblical love in your daily interactions? [26:21]
How can you ensure that the fruit of your love leads to life and righteousness rather than destruction and death? What practical steps can you take to align your actions with God's will? [24:20]
Think about a situation where you might have justified an action or relationship based on love, even if it contradicted God's design. How can you seek God's guidance to discern true love in such situations? [04:51]
How can you develop discernment to recognize when your love is arising from worldly desires rather than from God? What practices can help you stay rooted in God's love? [17:07]
Reflect on a time when you felt the tension between loving the world and loving God. How did you navigate that situation, and what did you learn from it? [12:02]

Sermon Clips

"Do not love the world or 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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." [00:55:44]

"In one way, this passage seems like it ought to collapse under the weight of other texts. It appears to be completely out of place and almost contradictory in light of the fact that we as Christians are not just lovers, we are profligate lovers. We are called to love like nobody's business. We love because God is love. We love because God first loved us. We love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we love our neighbor as ourselves." [01:29]

"Love becomes sinful when it is directed at the wrong object. Look at verse 15, 'Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.' Do not love the world. Now, it is very important to note that this word 'world,' especially in Johannine literature is used in at least three different ways." [06:10]

"Secondly, the term 'world' refers to the people that inhabit this world that God created. And God is not saying, 'Do not love people. Do not love mankind.' Absolutely not! We know that it doesn't mean that, because the love that we are called to give, even to our enemies, the great commandment: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.'" [07:15]

"John writes that by faith the Christian is able to overcome the world in 1 John 5:4 and 5. In our text he says the world passes away. In chapter 3 verse 1 he says the world is ignorant of God. In 3:13 he says the world hates believers. In 4:1 he says it is the abode of false prophets. In 4:3 it is the abode of the antichrist and in 4:5 it is the abode of unbelievers, and last, the whole world is controlled by the evil one." [09:01]

"James says something similar in James 4 in verse 4, 'You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.' 'No man can serve two masters. He will love the one and hate the other.' This is an either/or situation. You cannot love the world and love God simultaneously." [11:34]

"John is not saying here, 'Don't participate in the world.' He says, 'Don't love the world.' We must develop discernment in order to determine the difference, but not only that. Love becomes sinful when it arises from the wrong source, not only when it is pointed in the wrong direction, pointed toward the wrong object, but when it arises from the wrong source." [17:07]

"These things arise from the world; cravings, inordinate desires for things. And, again, we have to separate these. When we say cravings and lust and boastings, we have to recognize that we are talking about this third 'world' and not the first two. For example, in that first 'world' I can love the beauty of a sunset, I can love the beauty of a perfectly cooked steak." [19:36]

"True love can lead me to share my testimony and pride can make me exaggerated. True love can cause me to use my voice to proclaim the truth of the gospel. Pride makes me love the sound of my voice so that I just talk too much. True love can lead me to share my story, but my pride causes me to make myself the hero of every story I tell." [22:16]

"Love becomes sinful when it leads to wrong ends and produces wrong fruit. Our passions become sinful when they are pointed in directions that lead to death and destruction as opposed to leading to life. 1 Corinthians 7:29 to 31: 'This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none.'" [24:47]

"And this leads us back to what I was mentioning earlier, the poignant way in which this is so pertinent to our times, because of the 'love is love' crowd, particularly in the area of same-sex marriage. How can you be opposed to same-sex marriage when same-sex marriage is just about people who love each other, being allowed to express that love? But that is a love that is pointed at the wrong object." [26:03]

"Do you see what is happening here? This, 'Do not love the world,' is not God saying, 'Listen, there is good stuff out there that I want to keep from you.' That is the lie of the serpent. This 'Do not love' says, 'That looks good to you and may even feel good to you, but in the end you will perish. I am calling you away from it because I actually do love you and in loving you I want you to abide in God, to remain in God, and to not perish.'" [36:00]

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