Why
We Fight
The fields of psychology and
sociology attempt to explain the why of
how people think and act. As it turns out, the New
Testament tells us explicitly.
The
World and All That’s In It
First, it would do to explain what the Bible means
by the term world. A linguistic definition
is inadequate. The Bible originally was spoken or
written in many languages over many generations
(where meanings within the same language can
change). So equating world to a
contemporary meaning of the koine Greek term cosmos,
from which it is often translated in the New
Testament, is not wholly accurate. The meaning must
be judged from context.
Consider that men of biblical times did not have
cognizance of Earth as a planet orbiting the sun, so
the term world does not mean Planet
Earth. Earth, as we know it, is closer to the
biblical notion of land. Even today, one
could call a handful of soil earth, but
would never do so for a handful of sea water. To the
men of biblical times, land, sea and sky were
comprehended as separate domains.
In biblical context, what world does mean
is the domain of mankind, or what we would call
civilization, culture or society. Depending on
specific context, it can mean all mankind living on
earth, or the subset of those estranged from God, or
the zeitgeist of God-estranged culture. In this
topic, I refer to world in the latter
sense, particularly, the motivation of people whose
thinking is derived from ungodly imperatives. The
following scripture from the book of James, lists
these imperatives as the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life.
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. [1Jn
2:15]
The lusts of the flesh is an archaic English
idiom for the desires of the body, whether arising
from physical need or chemical addiction to
biophysical states, whether induced naturally or
artificially through substances. Lust suggests abuse
- a general excess in or deviance from pragmatically
satisfying an urge based in legitimate need.
However, read in the biblical context, lust can be
giving any desire, legitimate or not, priority over
other essential imperatives, such as doing no harm
to others or yourself.
The lust of the eyes is the desire to have
things that you see others have. It includes
covetousness and obsessions. It is any abstractly
construed, material desire of the imagination, based
upon erroneously placing faith and hope in obtaining
things to achieve security or happiness.
The pride of life is nearly equivalent to
egotism in the modern idiom, but is more
encompassing. Pride is a concern for one’s relative
standing in the evaluation of others, but it
includes a more sinister aspect – a desire for a
dominating supremacy over others. Pride is more
subtle than lust. Lust as a motive is obvious if you
are paying attention, but pride can be insidious and
self-deceiving, masquerading as other seemingly
noble motives, such as honor, zeal, patriotism or
righteous indignation.
Now that’s it. At the root of all things that most
people do is one or a combination of just these
three motives. How do we know? Because James tells
us that they are all that is in the world.
The
Abiding Three
In contrast between the world’s motives and those of
the kingdom citizen is this -
And now abides these three
- faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these
is love. [1Co 13:13]
As explained earlier in this
topic and in the Godfaq (About
Faith), faith is confidence in God’s
integrity. This is a growing confidence as we get
to know God better.
For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of
God unto salvation to everyone who believes -
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith, as it is written, “The
just shall live by faith”. [Ro 1:16-17]
The effect of progressing in
degrees of faith is a greater revelation of God’s
virtue, and that in turn, becomes the basis for
our own just conduct.
An
Ancient Hope
You can contrast hope from
faith, if you think of hope as strategic and faith
as operational. Faith is confidence in God’s
integrity and reliability, and it helps you deal
with problematic events, to wit:
Above all, taking the
shield of faith, by means of which you shall
be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked. [Ep 6:16]
“Quench the fiery darts” is
event handling, fire-fighting, crisis management.
Faith helps us get through in the short run and
helps us stay the course in following Jesus. Hope,
derived from faith, is an expectation for
something to be realized in the long run,
something worth working for over time, worth
waiting for, and worth sacrificing for. Hope
motivates us to work a strategic plan.
Hope is a virtue built by a progression of virtue
acquisitions, beginning with faith.
My brothers, count it all
joy when you encounter various temptations,
knowing this - that the trying of your faith
works patience. But let patience have its
perfect work, that you may be mature and
complete, wanting nothing. [Ja 1:2-4]
Therefore being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access
by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not
only so, but we glory in tribulations also,
knowing that tribulation works patience, and
patience, experience, and experience, hope.
And hope makes us not ashamed, because the
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Spirit who is given to us. [Ro
5:1-5]
The principle hope of believers
is that each of us will, one day, be raised from the dead in
a newly designed body, free of pain or weariness,
and impervious to temptation or sin.
Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according
to his abundant mercy has rebirthed us unto a
living hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that doesn’t
fades away, reserved in heaven for you, who
are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time. [1Pe 1:3-5]
In fact, this hope was the
primary focus of the early church. In the epistles
(or letters) to the churches in the New Testament,
several begin or end with an emphasis on this
hope.
Now the God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace in believing, that
you may abound in hope, through the power of
the Holy Spirit. [Rom 15:13]
We give thanks to God and the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus,
and of the love which you have to all the
saints, for the hope which is laid up for you
in heaven, of which you heard before in the
word of the truth of the gospel… [Col
1:3-5]
But I would not have you to be ignorant,
brothers, concerning them which are asleep,
that you sorrow not, even as others which have
no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so they who sleep in Jesus
will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the
Lord - that we who are alive and remain unto
the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them
who are asleep. For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of
God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever
be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one
another with these words. [1Th 14:13-18]
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of
Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect, and the acknowledging of the truth
which is after godliness, in hope of eternal
life, which God, who cannot lie, promised
before the world began… [Ti 1:1-2]
Behold, what manner of love the Father has
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God; therefore the world doesn’t
understand us, because it didn’t understand
him. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and
it does not yet appear what we shall be; but
we know that, when he shall appear, we shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
And everyone who has this hope in him,
purifies himself, even as he is pure.
[1Jn 3:1-3]
Note that our primary
occupation as believers is not coping with life,
although God will help us with that, nor seeking
how God can help us with our own agenda, but
looking forward to, pressing onward toward, and
waiting patiently for, a wholly supernatural
existence, which we have in part today.
…you were sealed with
that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the down
payment of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession, unto
the praise of his glory. [Eph 1:13-14]
Defined
By Love
We must never forget, that
above all other things, God is love.
Whoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him,
and he in God. And we have known and believed
the love that God has for us. God is love; and
he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God
in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that
we may have boldness in the day of judgment,
because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love
casts out fear, because fear has torment. He
that fears is not made perfect in love. We
love him, because he first loved us. [1Jn
4:15-19]
For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
authorities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord. [Ro 8:38-39]
Because God has loved us, we love each other.
Beloved, let us love one
another, for love is of God; and every one
that loves is born of God, and knows God. He
that loves not, knows not God, for God is
love.
In this was manifested the love of God toward
us, because that God sent his only begotten
Son into the world, that we might live through
him. Herein is love, not that we loved God,
but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be
the atonement for our sins. Beloved, if God so
loved us, we ought also to love one another.
No man has seen God at any time. If we love
one another, God dwells in us, and his love is
perfected in us. [1Jn 4:7-12]
The love of God in us defines
who we are, and governs what we do.
But if any man loves God,
the same is known of him. [1Co 8:3]
For this is the love of God - that we keep
his commandments; and his commandments are not
grievous. [1Jn 5:3 ]
Love works no ill to his neighbor; therefore
love is the fulfilling of the law. [Ro 13:10]
Above all things have fervent love among
yourselves - for love covers a multitude of
sins. [1Pe 4:8]
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto
eternal life. [Ju 1:21]
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