I may just be turning into a cynical old man - but I don't think so. The fact is, I'm just not surprised by anything I see or hear these days. But that doesn't mean that I'm passive or content to adopt an "It's all good" attitude and move on. Especially when it comes to my own life. The longer I walk with the Lord the more aware I am of grand daddy Adam's DNA in my life. I'm not too proud to admit that the essence of sin - self-centeredness - is evident in so many ways and on so many levels. While the American evangelical church seems to be focused on condemning sinners for sinning, I'm concerned about the roots that are evident in all our lives. What is the diagnosis for this moral disease? How does it really work?
A passage in John's first letter strikes me as having significant insight into the inner workings of sin. "Everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world" (2:16). It's interesting that John uses the heading of "the world" to describe these elements. John's use of "world" is often defined as "the system of society organized independently from God." It is the best human beings can do without God. In that sense, it summarizes the essence of idolatry, of sin. John begins by exhorting us to not be attached to this system. By definition, separation from God is death. An attempt to organize our lives, corporately and individually, without God at the center, will always bend toward corruption and destruction. Putting ourselves instead of God at the center is idolatry and summarizes our human moral dis-ease and its inevitable consequence.
John describes "all that is in the world," everything systems of idolatry have to offer, everything the world values, as "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." I'm sure you've read somewhere else that "lust" is just the word for "desire." It can be used either positively or negatively, depending on the context. All basic human desires and needs have been created by God. However, if you disconnect them from God, normal human desires with "self" at the center quickly turn into idols. In fact, the tendency is for those desires to become compulsions, and when those compulsions run their course, they become masters and we the slaves. It's amazing how we start out at the center, replacing God, and end up enslaved to base desires gone wild.
The human body has very elemental desires that can become increasingly compulsive and controlling. Whether it be the desire for food and drink or for sexual contact, what is a normal desire can be so separated from God that it begins to "have the mastery." It is so important for us to remember that, ideally, "the body is meant for the Lord," that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit," and that we are to "honor God" with our bodies (see 1 Corinthians 6:12-20). I'm convinced that we don't spend enough time reflecting on what food and sex would look like with God at the center. What is God's purpose for these normal human needs and desires? We can easily understand what the desires of the body look like when they become self-centered compulsions.
Our eyes have their own, although related, issues. It has been said that the eye is the window of the soul. Jesus taught that "the eye is the lamp of the body" (Matthew 6:22). With our eyes we are able to appreciate the beauty of all God has made. We are able to find direction and keep a healthy focus in life as a result of our eyes. However, separated from God, a normal human desire can easily become a compulsive "need" to see. And when our sight is self-centered, it has the power to literally rule both our minds and our bodies. Compulsive, idolatrous "seeing" can lead to a wide variety of exploitative and destructive behaviors.
The phrase, "pride of life" is translated in several ways:
- "the pride that comes from wealth and importance" (TLB)
- "wanting to appear important" (Message)
- "the pride in riches" (NRSV)
- "the arrogance produced by materials possessions" (NET)
- "the glamour of all that think splendid" (Phillips)
This phrase literally means, "the bragging and boasting concerning all areas of natural, biological life." A strong word for "pride" is used by John. One lexicon defines it this way: "an insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights; an impious and empty presumption which trusts in the stability of earthy things." A perfect picture of human-centered, self-centered pride. There are plenty of healthy reasons to boast. "In God we make our boast all day long" (Psalm 44:8). On the other hand, the arrogant and wicked man "boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord" (Psalm 10:3). "Feeling proud" is not necessarily a bad thing. But what is the source and center of the pride? A pursuit of ego-gratification results in a broken, empty life. There's nothing more toxic than an insecure leader.
The more I think about it the more I see "the pride of life" as the central issue. The empty boasting that can run through my thoughts has the power to lead me down a spiral staircase of self-centered behaviors. It has the power to motivate and justify compulsive looking. It's a fairly small step from compulsive looking to compulsive physical "acting out." Without the grace of God acting on my heart, at the center, transforming my boasting - my sense of worth and entitlement - all other aspects of "the world" are really very predictable.
This reflection reminds me of one of my favorite passages in Jeremiah: "This is what the Lord says: 'Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the Lord" (9:23-24). Boasting about intelligence, physical strength, and riches sounds a lot like the lust of the flesh and the eyes and the pride of life. In fact, these three areas are the basis for the value system of this world. We value these things and we value people who have more of these things than others. But the Lord makes clear what he values: kindness, justice and righteousness. And we will also value these things to the extent that we know and understand the Lord.
John concludes with these words: "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever" (verse 17). Every aspect of this world system is temporary by nature. Focusing our values and desires on temporary things seems fruitless in the end. The only long-term value and meaning to be found in life comes from doing the will of God. Indeed, to know God is eternal life.
