1. Encouragement and the Test of Worldly Love
1 John 2:12-17

2. Big Idea:
God wants you to be assured of your salvation and He wants you to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

3. 1 John 2:12-14
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

4. Little Children
Forgiven
Through His name’s sake

5. Fathers
Know Christ

6. Young Men
Overcome the evil one

7. Children “Teknion” – “little children” – affectionate term
“Paidion” – “children” – needs moral training and guidance; young in experience.

8. Fathers
Know Christ

9. Young Men
What is the secret?

10. Psalm 119:9-11
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. 10 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. 11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

11. 1 John 2:15-17
15 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. 16 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. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

12. Test #3 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.

13. Matthew 6:24
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [a]wealth.

14. James 4:4
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

15. Charles Spurgeon
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. These two things are such deadly opposites that they cannot live together. Where the love of the Father is, there cannot be the love of the world. There is no room in us for two loves. The love of the world is essentially idolatry, and God will not be worshipped side by side with idols.

16. Thomas Watson
You may over-love the creature. You may love wine too much, and silver too much; but you cannot love God too much. It is our sin that we cannot love God enough. How weak is our love to God! If we could love God far more than we do – yet it can never be proportionate to His worth; so that there is no danger of excess in our love to God.

17. Choose your Love
The World
God
Can’t be both

18. To yield to the lust of the flesh is not to love the Father but the world.

19. To yield to the lust of the eyes is not to love the Father but the world

20. To yield to the lust of the boastful pride of life is not to love the Father but the world

21. What is God’s will for you?
Romans 12:2
2 Corinthians 7:9-10
1 Thessalonians 4:3
1 John 2:1a; 3
1 John 2:10
1 John 2:15a
Matthew 6:33