8/3/25 “Worlds Apart”
“Worlds Apart”
1 John 2:1-17
It’s often said that “Men are from Mars, and Women are from Venus”….
There was even a famous self-help book by that name published back in 1992.
…The book takes a deep dive into the fundamental differences between men and women when it comes to how they each communicate and process information…
Like the planet Mars, men are described as being relatively cold, rational, isolated creatures who – for the most part – see their primary responsibility within a relationship as that of ‘problem solver.’
Women – on the other hand – like the planet Venus….are described as being relatively warm, empathetic, social creatures who tend to see their primary responsibility within a relationship as that of ‘emotional facilitator’
These characteristics of men & women are – of course – generalities….
Not all men fit the ‘Mars’ description of having an icy demeanor.…
and likewise, not all women are Venus-like caldrons of boiling hot emotional instability… (I added that last part)
Have you ever thought about how different the actual planets of Mars and Venus really are…?
They are both Earth’s neighbors, yet they are polar opposites in many ways…
Venus is about the size of Earth…It’s a scorching-hot planet with a thick, toxic atmosphere with clouds of Sulfuric acid.
These atmospheric conditions on Venus make it like a super-charged greenhouse – pushing surface temperatures through the roof…
In fact, the average surface temperature on Venus is 862 degrees Fahrenheit….that’s hot enough to melt lead
….almost as hot as the water in Lisa’s shower every morning.
Mars – on the other hand – is very different than Venus.
Mars is about half the size of Venus….and it has a very thin atmosphere that – combined with its further proximity from the Sun – makes it a very cold planet.
NASA has sent a couple of land rovers to Mars (I think they originally got’em from Jay’s Powersports over there in Reedsburg)
….the Rovers consistently send back pictures of a dry, desert-like landscape… With – unfortunately - no sign of Marvin (the Martian)
(Show Pic of Marvin the Martian)
The average surface temperature on Mars is a balmy Negative 51 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mars and Venus are – In almost every respect – worlds apart from each other.
Our passage of scripture for this morning also tells us about two ‘Worlds’ that are very different from each other…
Unlike the physical worlds of Mars and Venus…the two ‘Worlds’ – or ‘Ways of Living’ that John describes and contrasts are spiritual ‘Worlds.’
They are:
1) The World System….characterized by sin and rebellion against God. In other words, Satan’s realm of influence and deception here on Earth.
And
2) The World of Life…characterized by a love for God – and living in obedience to His will and purpose. This is also known as God’s ‘Kingdom’….His realm of influence and truth here on Earth.
Every human being lives in one of these two worlds.
You are either a citizen of ‘The World’, aligning yourself with a system of values, desires, and pursuits that are contrary to God’s will…
…Or you are a citizen of God’s Kingdom, aligning yourself with Christ and a system of values, desires, and pursuits that harmonize with God’s will…
There is no middle ground – you cannot live in both worlds at the same time…
…In the same way that someone cannot live on both Mars and Venus at the same time.
This is the thrust of our passage for today…
John is teaching us here in these 17 verses that we are either serving God…or we are serving Satan.
He is elaborating on the theme we looked at last week…light and darkness.
We are either walking in the light of obedience to God…
or we are stumbling around in the darkness of sinful disobedience….
John begins chapter 2 by reminding us why he is writing this letter to begin with.
He begins in verse 1 (1 John 2:1) “My dear Children, I write this to you so that you will not sin….”
Here is the over-arching purpose of this entire letter…
John understood the temptations, distractions, and heresies present at the time that were all capable of drawing God’s children into sin…into darkness.
…And John understood the seriousness of sin – and how devastating it always is in one’s life.
So – out of love for his brothers & sisters in Christ - he writes this letter to remind the Churches – including you and me today - to remain obedient to God’s Word.
As you will see - the entire book of 1 John is kind of a spiral of repetition surrounding the central theme of good vs evil.
John understands that human beings tend to forget things….we need to be reminded….some of us need to be reminded a lot!
A few weeks ago, right after our final worship song and opening prayer, Lisa reminded me to say something during the announcements that wasn’t in the bulletin….
….Do you think I remembered to do it?...NO.
…I forgot to convey the information literally seconds after she reminded me!!
…That’s pathetic, right?
Well…we all – to varying degrees – are forgetful creatures…
So…this is why you’ll see a repetitive structure of topics and themes here in the book of 1 John…
The Holy Spirit inspired John to write this letter in such a way - because – I believe - He knows how forgetful we humans are…
Look at the end of verse 1 (1 John 2:1) “…but if anyone does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
John understands that all of us – at some point – fall into sin.
He expresses that truth back in verse 8 of chapter 1 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
As Christ-followers, we strive for perfection – but we will never fully attain sinlessness while in these bodies of flesh…
This is why John reminds us that – when we do sin - we have someone who comes to our defense before the Father…an advocate…a “defense attorney”, if you will.
Some of you are of the “Perry Mason” generation…you remember watching this intelligent fictional lawyer defend his clients on TV in the late 50’s and early 60’s.
I was more of the Ben Matlock generation…another fictional defense attorney in the late 80’s and early 90's….he was kind of quirky…but he always came out on top.
Folks, If you are a genuine believer in Christ, you have someone far better than Ben Matlock or Perry Mason representing you in ‘God’s Courtroom’
You see….when we sin…the Bible teaches that Satan – like a prosecuting attorney – is quick to make accusations against us.
Revelation 12:10 says, (Referring to Satan) “….For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”
When we sin….when we ‘Miss the Mark’ of spiritual perfection demanded by God….therefore, God’s Holiness demands there be a penalty paid…
…And Satan knows this.
This is why he lobbies – before God - for the death penalty to be applied to each and every one of us - each time we commit a sin of disobedience before the heavenly Father…
But John is reminding us here that Jesus is our defender…and not only is he our defender…he is our savior.
You see, Jesus knows we are guilty – yet he defends us anyway….not something Perry Mason would probably do, right?
But Jesus is no ordinary defense lawyer….He is God the Son who – not only defends us before the Father – but also took upon himself the penalty for our sinful disobedience at the cross…
Romans 6:23 says that the “wages of sin is death”
Someone needs to die for the sins that we commit…
…And that person would normally be us - if Jesus hadn’t gone to the cross in our place…
This is why we love him and worship him…
This is why we strive to live in obedience to him…
Not to earn brownie points with God….not to deposit spiritual currency into some heavenly bank account of salvation…
No…we live in obedience to God because of what Jesus did – and continues to do – for us.
Verse 2 (1 John 2:2) states it very clearly, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins….”
It’s all about Jesus, folks.
That’s why when we gather together to worship….like we’re doing this morning
…we make certain that no other person, place, or thing receives honor and praise….we are here this morning to worship Jesus – and Jesus alone.
Verses 3&4 (1 John 2:3-4)
….These are some of the most important verses in the entire Bible – because they teach us how to gauge our faith…
These verses are both comforting – and convicting – at the same time.
Here’s what they say:
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him’, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.’”
John continues this thought in verse 6 (1 John 2:6) “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
Finally, he ends this section in verse 9 (1 John 2:9) “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness”
John isn’t pulling any punches here…
…He’s certainly not worried about ‘filling the pews’ or keeping the church coffers stuffed, is he…
He’s basically calling out those people who claim to be followers of Jesus, but who really are not genuine believers…
He’s exposing hypocrites within the church by providing a simple set of standards by which all true believers live by.
It’s easy to say that you’ve given your life to Christ – but the proof is in how you live…
Last Sunday, I (sort of) dressed up as a cowboy to help promote our upcoming VBS program…
…but you wanna know a secret?.…..I’m not really a cowboy!
I’ve never learned to rope and ride…
…I’ve never worn a six-shooter…
…I’ve never rode a pony on a cattle drive
I maybe shoulda been a cowboy….but I’m not.
Sadly, there are people sitting in churches every Sunday who say they are followers of Jesus….yet the manner in which they live their lives says something different.
It’s easy to say you know the savior…that you have a saving relationship with him…but, far more importantly, does the savior know you?
Jesus says in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
…and in verse 23 (Matthew 7:23) He says “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Maybe some of you here this morning have been putting the cowboy hat of Christianity on your heads for quite some time….
…but deep down, you know you aren’t a genuine Christian - it has never been your true identity.
…deep down, you know that you’ve been holding back from fully surrendering to him….
…deep down, you know that you have yet to selflessly take up your cross and follow him in humility…
…deep down, you know that you have unconfessed, habitual sin.
….deep down, you know that you lack evidence of regeneration in your life….
…and that the works of righteousness you have committed…they’ve been motivated by a sense of pride rather than a by a sense of gratitude and love…
If this is you this morning….Repent!...Truly come to the Lord….and take heart!
It’s not too late to repent of your sins and accept the free gift of salvation that comes only through the blood of Christ!
If there is breath in your lungs and blood running through your veins…you still have time to truly accept Jesus as Lord and savior of your life.
Praise God!! Amen?
…Fully surrender to the savior today and watch how He will completely change your inner most desires…
…desires you once had for the world and its sinful ways….will supernaturally transform into a desire to love and serve the King of kings and Lord of lords…
It doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly get healthier physically…or that you’ll get an anonymous check in the mail for a million dollars…
But…It will mean something far better than health or wealth….it will mean eternal life is now yours….and that you can be assured of it!
Assurance of one’s salvation is also what John is talking about in these verses.
In verse 3 (1 John 2:3) he says, “We Know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands”
And verse 5 and 6 (1 John 2:5-6) read, “….This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
Our natural, unforced obedience to God’s Word is our assurance that we have a genuine relationship with him…
Jesus says in Jon 8:31 “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples”
To the regenerated soul, following the commands of God isn’t seen as a burden…it’s seen as a duty that we gladly embrace….
Why?...because we love the Lord….we love our “boss”
Have you ever had a horrible boss?
It’s hard to love & obey a grouchy, demeaning, unfair, angry boss, right?
Well, our “boss” in heaven is the opposite of that kind of earthly boss….
Our heavenly boss is loving, faithful, kind, fair, and trustworthy.
This is why we love him…and this is why we live to please him.
…And when you have a natural desire to follow his commands…to be in the Word…to Pray….to fellowship with other believers…
….you have full assurance that you are a saved child of God.
Finally, in verses 15-17, John deals with the world….and the importance of staying away from its corrupting influence upon our lives.
First of all, when scripture speaks of ‘The World’, it does not mean the created order of things.
Even though nature has been stunted by the effects of sin, there is still beauty to be experienced in the natural world….
‘The world’ also does not mean mankind in general.
As with nature, man has been twisted by the presence of sin, but humanity in and of itself is not what John has in mind here in this passage.
A biblical definition of ‘the World’ would be this:
The World is the invisible, spiritual system of evil – the realm of existence in which we live that is governed by Satan and his influence.
In Ephesians 2:2, the apostle Paul describes Satan as being the ‘Ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
In other words, the spiritual condition of the world will naturally default to sin and disobedience, rather than holiness and obedience…
Just as our universe is naturally dark…unless there is a source of light that pierces the darkness…
The world will always be antagonistic towards Christians – That is, genuine, Bible-believing Christians.
…Oh, the world loves so-called “Christian churches” that have replaced God’s Word with man’s philosophies and cultural preferences of the day.
Remember how Jesus said in John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”
John warns us in verse 15 (1 John 2:15) “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Just as Mars is vastly different from Venus, here we are told that the world and its ways are vastly different from God – and His ways.
One simply cannot live in both worlds at the same time….they are, quite literally – worlds apart.
The church at Laodicea in the book of Revelation is scolded by Jesus for trying to have one foot in each realm….
The people in this church paid lip service to the things of God…but their hearts were strongly attracted to the allurements of the world and its system of sin.
They are described as ‘luke-warm water’….useful for neither a cold drink, or a hot bath.
Does anyone recognize the name “Demas”?
Demas was one of Paul’s close companions in the ministry for quite some time, but – ultimately - he leaves Paul in favor of the things of the world.
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.”
Thessalonica was a bustling city with a wide array of worldly and hedonistic pleasures for the senses…
…and Demas fell prey to its enticements.
Looking ahead to verse 19 (1 John 2:19) John tells us that since Demas – and those like him – those who desert the faith….these people were never genuine believers to begin with.
…they never truly surrendered their lives to Christ.
In verse 16 (1 John 2:16) John describes 3 general ways in which the world draws man into sin.
Man’s cravings, the lust of the eyes, and prideful boasting….
Cravings are those things in the world that our human nature naturally has a tendency to lust after….
We can crave things that are spiritually neutral – or even beneficial – to us….but when they are obsessed over, it falls into the realm of disobedience.
Food is a perfect example.
Food is good…we need it to survive….
But when we obsess over it – and idolize it - to the point where we live to eat, rather than eating to live, then gluttony becomes an issue…
The ‘Lust of the Eyes’ is very similar to ‘Man’s Cravings’
Both can refer to an inordinate passion for something…
‘Lust of the Eyes’ carries with it the idea of seeing something – and wanting it.
Sexual sin comes to mind here…
I think of King David walking around on the rooftop of his palace and noticing the beautiful Bathsheba….and desperately wanting to have her…and eventually sinning mightily against God in the process of obtaining her as his wife.
Eyes are a gift from God….,they allow light to come in.
But…they can also be used to let temptation in as well.
In the words of the famous Sunday school song: “Oh be careful little eyes what you see”
Finally, boasting….which stems from Pride.
It can be said – And I believe it to be true – that pride motivates all other sin.
It is the condition of the heart that seeks to elevate oneself over everything – and everyone – else.
According to John MacArthur, “Pride is the corruption of the noblest parts of man’s essence, his rationality and spirit that were created for him by God.”
When we sin through pride, we seek fulfillment in things that glorify the creature rather than the creator..
…In essence…we set ourselves up to be the god of our life….and by so doing…we sin mightily against the one true God of the Universe.
In conclusion, John leaves us with an encouraging thought here in verse 17 (1 John 2:17) where he states, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”
Brothers & Sisters…if you have genuinely given your life to Jesus…you have absolutely nothing to worry about….nothing to cause you anxiety…nothing to fear.
You are serving the Lord of lords who one day will welcome you into His presence for all eternity…
….by the blood of the one who gave his life for you.
Let’s Pray.