Email from Abiding Place Daily Bread – January 16, 2025 (The Fifth Day – Genesis 1:20-23) 1 John 2:16 – Because all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father, but is of the world. The Desire Of The Flesh Everything in the world is antithetical to God. The satanic forces of Hell dominate this realm. There is nothing in the world that comes from the Father, directly or indirectly. Satan is the father of all sin and iniquity, and from him alone this darkness has issued (John 8:44). The primary means of enticing men and leading them away from God is through that which may be seen, felt, and gained. One of the first things we may ask then is: what is the difference between the “desire of the flesh” and the “desire of the eye”? The phrase used in 1 John 2:16, “he epithymia tes sarkos” (the desire of the flesh) is one of the identifiers of those who are not born of God (the Father). The desire of the flesh is a dimension of the wickedness that belongs to the world. It is opposite of the desire of the Spirit, and something that we belonged to prior to salvation (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 2:1-3). It is opposed to the love of the Father. The love of the Father teaches us to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live righteously, godly, and soberly in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12). The word ‘epithymiai’ means “desire” or “wish,” and it is used in both a good and bad sense in the Bible. In Philippians 1:23, Paul says, “My desire…is to be with Christ.” On the other hand, it is used in a bad sense in John 8:44, “The devil is your father, and you carry out the desires of your father.” John only uses the word ‘sarx’ (flesh) one time in his First Epistle in relation to the wickedness of the unredeemed man. When he uses the word two other times, he uses it in a good sense, referring to Jesus being manifested in the flesh (1 John 4:2, 3). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 1/16/2025
