1st John 2:15-17, “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. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
This passage of Scripture always intrigues me as a Christian. The Bible
admonishes us about loving the temporary things of this world. I think a
parallel Scripture passage to 1st John 2:15-17 is found in the Gospel of
Matthew...
Mark 9:43-48, “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Did Jesus literally mean to pluck out your own eye, or to cut off your own right hand, if it is hindering you from coming to Christ to be saved? Yes, He most certainly did! But please don't miss the key word in what Jesus said, “better.” The dear Savior said that it would be BETTER to maim yourself in humility, if that is what it takes to compel you to BELIEVE the Gospel to get to Heaven. It would be much BETTER for you to spend the rest of your life disabled, even a crippled quadriplegic in a wheelchair, if it means having eternal life; than to live a temporary life on earth full of riches, pleasures and good times and then burn in Hell forever. That is what Jesus is saying here.
I like to use this Scripture passage to encourage crippled people who are stuck in a nursing home. I like to use this Scripture passage to encourage blind and deaf people, who have to struggle from day to day just to get by. I like to use this Scripture passage to encourage people who have messed up their life by crime, and are now spending decades or life behind bars in prison as punishment. Such people, who are suffering woefully, can have the blessed HOPE of eternal life. Best of all, it is completely free! It is better to spend one's life incarcerated in prison for this short earthly lifetime, and then go on to enjoy eternal life in Heaven with Jesus, the angels and the redeemed saints; than it would be to live freely with all the enjoyments that this earthly life has to offer, and be cast into the Lake of Fire forever (Revelation 20:12-15).
In fact, from listening to testimonies of prison inmates, I have learned that many people who never would have been saved, did come to Jesus Christ while in prison. Unfortunately, I do not think that mass-murderer Jeffrey Dahmer got saved in 1994. The local Wisconsin pastor (Roy Ratcliff) who allegedly led Jeffrey to Christ is a Church of Christ (COC) minister. The COC teaches the popular heresy that you must be water baptized to go to Heaven. This heresy in theology is called “Baptismal Regeneration.” There are no exceptions. Of course, Baptismal Regeneration is a false doctrine, a damnable lie of Satan which cannot produce the new birth. The only way to be born-again is to trust Jesus Christ alone (John 6:28-29, 40, 47). After reading the book that Roy Ratcliff handed to Jeffrey Dahmer, Dahmer wanted to be water baptized to get saved. That is so sad. If you watch Jeffrey's baptism on YouTube, you'll hear the minister telling Jeffrey that his sins have been cleansed away. That is NOT how you get to Heaven dear friend. I am fully convinced that Jeffrey Dahmer went to Hell, and that is sad. God Himself is not willing that ANY should perish (2nd Peter 3:9).
We are admonished in the inspired Word of God not to love this temporary world. 1st John 2:15-17, “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. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” We are admonished not to love this WORLD, and neither ought we to love THE THINGS in the world (i.e., the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life). When Jesus said it is better to cut your hand off, He is speaking about the lusts of the flesh. When Jesus said it is better to pluck your eye out, He is speaking about the lust of the eyes.
John 3:20 explains this, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” Jesus is NOT saying that you must turn away from your sins to be saved, which would be WORKS for salvation. The Bible says in no uncertain terms that a sinner can only be saved by FAITH WITHOUT WORKS (Romans 4:4-7; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5). The following helpful quotes are all taken from the same sermon by Pastor Dennis Rokser titled: “GETTING THE GOSPEL RIGHT & WRONG”...
“The issue at salvation isn't repenting of your sins, the issue is changing your mind about the one who died for your sins, Jesus Christ.” —Pastor Dennis Rokser
“You can slip off the front pew of this church and go to Hell, because no church can save you.” —Pastor Dennis Rokser
“The issue at salvation isn't repenting of your sins. Now that's not saying that you don't have to know you're a sinner. Otherwise why would you need to be saved? But it's changing your mind about the Savior who died for your sins, so as to trust in His finished work alone.” —Pastor Dennis RokserRemember, it's not...
FAITH IN CHRIST, PLUS;
it's...
FAITH IN CHRIST, PERIOD.
The greatest things in life are not things. Amen! The joy and passion of my life for the past 20 years has been my website ministry. It is my labor of love alone. Sadly, my former rebellious wife abandoned me in 2006 and wickedly divorced me. She doesn't realize it yet, but when she divorced me she also detached herself from all the rewards she would have received as my wife. Since March of 2007 when the divorce was finalized, she has no part in me or my labors for Christ. Each day since she abandoned me on March 20th, 2006, I have cooked my own meals, washed my own clothes, had no lover to satisfy my needs, and have had no life's partner. Proverbs 31:11-12, “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” The famous preacher, Charles Weigle (1871-1966), who wrote the lovely hymn, “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus.”
The Word of God proclaims Jesus as Almighty God Who came in the flesh (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-3,10,14; John 8:57-59; John 10:33; Colossians 1:9; 1st Timothy 3:16; Revelation 1:8). Jesus is the Creator of the universe (John 1:1-3,14).
Thank Jesus for His grace and mercy and for the precious blood which He shed for our sins! No John, you don't need to look for another. JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD!
John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
