| Vol. V Number 21 | August 5, 2001 |
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.1 John 2:15
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.
The above two scriptures appear to be contradictory, where one is telling us that God loves the world and the second is telling us that we are not to love the world. The first scripture is describing God's love for his creation. God created the world and all of the living creatures in it. But God does not love the wickedness man perpetrated upon the world. The second scripture is the start of a group of verses describing the wickedness of the world caused by sin. All of the wickedness and sin of the world we are not to love, but we are to love the individuals of the world and tell them of the great redemption of Jesus Christ.
1 John 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.
The wickedness of the world is what tempts the Christian away from the love of Christ. It is this wickedness that we are to despise. All of the wickedness of the world is shown on the television like the lust of the flesh. There are shows on the television that promote witchcraft, adultery, fornication, homo-sexuality, and other sins of the flesh. This is what we are not to love. This is also the world that man created for himself out of the good world that God created in the beginning. God loves his creation, but not what it was turned into.
John 3 tells us of God's love for his creation and his desire for the return of his creation to the creator. Jesus is the way that the sinner can become a saint of God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way to become redeemed than by believing in Jesus Christ.
John 14:1-10
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Whereas the world will tell you that there are many ways to heaven, the Bible tells us that Jesus is the only way. Without applying the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to your life there is no hope. God loved the world enough to send Jesus to die so that you might live.
3014 E Street Philadelphia, PA 19134 Church Office Phone: (215) 634-3637 Published by: Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy (215) 535-4037
Services:
Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11:30 AM
Sunday Morning Worship . . . . . . . . . . 12 NOON
Sunday Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:30 PM
Wednesday Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 PM
Copyright © 2001 LeRoy D. Cressy
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
transcript as long as the copyright and this
permission notice appear.