1 John 2:16 English Standard Version (ESV) For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

We begin this verse with everything, all that is in the world. Then we narrow the focus, desires and pride. The KJV uses lust rather than desire. That narrows the meaning even further. We desire many things that we have no intention of possessing. Lust moves to take action to possess.

The footnotes for pride of life seems to support that line of thinking by calling it pride of possessions. What is the necessity in narrowing the field from all things to specific intentions? Is it to call attention to the more common temptations upon which we might act? The stronger the temptation the harder it is to resist.

We admire God’s handy work. The Rocky Mountains offer up some grand scale views that are soothing to the soul in contemplation of His creation. Does that good thing create in us a desire to buy the lot with the best view to build a home? Does that home have to be grand enough to be worthy of the view with large expanses of glass? Suddenly a good thing has turned to a desire to possess. Surely that cannot be wrong if we can afford such a place. Surely it cannot be a sin.

This is a simple example of how anything in the world can be turned into a sin. It is one thing to admire if it is temporary in design and not a focal point. Take a photo and put it in a frame. We would be able to enjoy the memory without endangering pride of possession.

“Man desires first with his eyes,” Hannibal Lector. Even the insane understand.

John 4:48 English Standard Version (ESV) So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

God speaks to us in many ways. He tells us that we can see Him through His creation according to Romans 1:19-20. Those are signs and wonders. Thousands of people have interpreted those signs and wonders in many ways. They created false gods to explain those signs and wonders. Fire gods, wind gods, water gods, gods of war, male and female gods, even animal gods.

Jesus came to show mankind the Father. Ref. John 8:19 His demonstration of power over life and death, over illness, blindness and creation itself became well known. Still there was this need to see signs and wonders to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. The scriptures told of Him and the scriptures were not enough.

“If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” John 8:19b is the key wording. They didn’t take the time to know Him. Even though the scriptures told of His coming, they did not believe the scriptures. John 4:45 makes it plain that if they had known the Father in the scriptures they would come to Jesus to know Him.

A proper interpretation of the scriptures will allow us to recognize Jesus when He calls to us. We will not believe in vain like so many before us. We will know Him and learn of Him and understand that the only two signs we truly needs is being born again and being given the Holy Spirit as our comforter. Being born again means we are no longer that person sold under sin, helpless and lost. Receiving the Holy Spirit corrects those two aspects of our past humanity, being lost and helpless.

All the misunderstandings we had about the scriptures will be corrected by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth.