1 John 2:15-16 (NKJV) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For 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.
Satan showed Jesus the world and what it could offer as a form of temptation. All temptations come through the eyes and work through our emotions so that we would succumb to them. Longings, strong desires, impulses, and passionate cravings, whether for material goods or validation from people, come through our senses.
Governed by sinful nature and senses, the “old man” is a slave to sin, dictated and driven by the need to gratify oneself, often instantly. Many people are in debt because they use their overdrafts to satisfy their instant desires for material goods. The “old man” ’s security is established on possessions and achievements. His understanding is darkened, and his thinking is closely associated with the world’s values and principles.
Mammon was our god before receiving Christ. We took pride in our assets, achievements, and lifestyles. In the story of the rich young ruler (Luke 18:8-23), Jesus asked him to give everything away and follow Him. Jesus wasn’t against him possessing great wealth and power but was dealing with the god of mammon in his life because no one can love God and mammon simultaneously. Therefore, to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, he would have needed to give up serving the god of mammon. Sadly, the rich young ruler had great wealth, and his security was in his wealth, power, and social status. It was too much for him to give up. Many are still struggling with the same problem today.
We were in the kingdom of darkness dictated by our sinful nature, and Satan was our god. We identified in our doing and sense of self-worth. We were tormented emotionally because we felt insecure whenever we fell behind others. This insecurity caused us to behave irrationally and harshly towards others and even to live immorally just to be accepted or be known as people of significance.
A polar bear belonging to the Russian circus had been in a cage since he was young. When the circus went bankrupt, and he was released into the Arctic, instead of running away from his captors, the bear continued to walk in the imaginary cage, waiting to be fed. Similarly, are you still living in the “old man” and old lifestyle after receiving Christ? The devil attempts to deceive us that we still belong to his kingdom, but the Apostle Paul teaches us to live our lives differently since we have been freed from the bondage of the evil one, moved into a new kingdom, and become a disciple of Jesus Christ. To live out of our being in Christ and enjoy a transformed life, we need to have faith in the new creation realities.
Sermon Series: Faith in the New Creation Realities
享受在基督里的新生命
约翰一书 2:15-16 不要爱世界和世界上的事。人若爱世界，爱父的心就不在他里面了。因为凡世界上的事，就像肉体的情欲，眼目的情欲，并今生的骄傲，都不是从父来的，乃是从世界来的。
撒旦曾向耶稣展示世界及其一切荣耀作为试探。所有的试探都是通过眼目而来，并作用于我们的情感，使我们最终屈服于它们。无论是对物质的渴望，还是对他人认可的追求，这些渴望、强烈的欲望、冲动和激情的追求，都是通过我们的感官进入内心的。
受罪性和情欲支配的“旧人”是罪的奴仆，被满足自我、尤其是即时满足的需求所驱使。许多人因此背负债务，使用透支来满足对物质的即时欲望。“旧人”的安全感建立在拥有和成就之上，他的心思意念被蒙蔽，思想与世界的价值观和原则紧密相连。
在信主之前，玛门（财物）曾是我们的神。我们以自身的资产、成就和生活方式为荣。在富有的少年官的故事中（路加福音18:18-23），耶稣要求他变卖一切，跟随主。耶稣并不反对他拥有财富和权势，而是要处理他生命中对玛门的依赖，因为人无法同时侍奉神和玛门。因此，若要全心跟随耶稣，他必须放弃对玛门的事奉。可惜，这位少年官拥有极大的财富，他的安全感完全建立在财富、权势和社会地位之上，这让他难以割舍。时至今日，仍有许多人在面对同样的问题。
我们曾活在黑暗的国度里，被罪性所支配，撒但成为我们的神。我们的身份建立在所做的事和自我价值感上。每当落后于他人时，我们就会感到不安，因而在情感上备受折磨。这种不安全感促使我们对他人表现出不理智和严苛的行为，甚至为了得到接纳或赢得所谓的重视而活在不道德的生活中。
一只属于俄罗斯马戏团的北极熊，从幼年时起就被关在笼子里。后来马戏团破产，当它被释放到北极时，这只熊并没有逃离过去的捆绑，反而仍在“想象的牢笼”中踱步，等待有人来喂养它。同样，信主之后，你是否仍然活在“旧人”的模式和过去的生活方式中？仇敌试图欺骗我们，让我们以为仍属于他的国度，但使徒保罗教导我们，既然已经脱离恶者的捆绑，进入了神的国度，并成为耶稣基督的门徒，我们的生命就应当有所不同。要活出在基督里的新生命，并享受更新的生活，我们必须凭信心接受新造的真实身份。
讲章系列：信心与新造的现实
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