Let’s allow the Bible to define the three motivations in v16.
·
“Lust of the flesh”: evil desire residing in the
flesh, sensual desire.
o
Rom. 1:24: God gave them over in the sinful
desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies
with one another.
o
I Thess. 4:5 "avoid sexual
immorality...control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in
passionate lust like the heathen who know not God."
o
2 Tim. 2:22: Flee the evil desires of youth
& pursue righteousness...
o
2 Tim. 3:4: "lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God"
o Illus:
"If it feels good, do it"
·
"Lust of the eyes" evil desires
belonging to the eyes, materialism.
o
Mark 4:19: "But the worries of this life,
the deceitfulness of wealth, the de-sires for other things come in & choke
the word, making it unfruitful"
o
I Tim. 6:9: People who want to get rich fall
into temptation and a trap & in-to many foolish & harmful desires that
plunge men into ruin & destruction
o Illus:
"Keeping up with the Jonses" "I've gotta have it"
·
"pride of life" vainglory
o
Wuest: an insolent and empty assurance which
trusts in it's own power and re-sources and shamefully despises and violates
divine laws"
o
James 3:13-16: wisdom of world=selfish ambition,
etc.
o
James 4:13-17: boasting about tomorrow
o
Dan. 4: Nebuchadnezzar
o
3 John 1:9: Demetrius who loved to be first
o Illus:
"Climbing the corporate ladder"
"Fight for your rights"
Is this really “everything”
in the world? Yes. To demonstrate this look at the two crucial “temptations”
to sin, the one in Eden and the temptation of Christ.
·
Genesis 3:1-7: temptation in Garden of Eden. It involved the lust of flesh: the fruit was good
for food; the lust of eyes: the fruit was pleasing to the eye; and the pride of
life: the fruit was desirable for gaining wisdom.
·
Matthew 4:1-11: temptation of Jesus. It involved the lust of flesh: Satan appealed
to Jesus’ hunger, "turn stones to bread;" it involved the lust of
eyes: Satan took Jesus to a mountain, showed Him the kingdoms of the world, and promised to give them to Him;
it involved the pride of life: Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, told
Him to jump down become famous when God saved Him.
This is the basis for the blessed truth found
in Hebrews 4:15-16, that Christ was tempted in all points like we are, yet
without sin. These three motivations
describe all that is in the world.
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