Stop loving the world!

The Apostle John teaches us, “Do not love the world nor 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 and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Here’s a concise look at the passage and its context. Not loving the world: The world is what we leave when we come to Christ. This doesn’t mean hating people, but rather not prioritizing worldly desires and pleasures above God and His will. In the Bible, the term world can refer to the earth and physical universe (Hebrews 1:2; John 13:1), but it most often refers to the humanistic system that is in opposition to God (John 15:19; 1 John 4:5). When the Bible says that God loves the world, it is referring to the human beings who live here (1 John 4:9). And as His children, we are to love other people (1 John 4:7; 1 Peter 1:22). The parable of the Good Samaritan makes it clear we cannot pick and choose whom to love (Luke 10:30-37). Satan is the god of this world, and he has his own value system contrary to God’s (2 Corinthians 4:4). We’re told exactly what Satan’s system promotes: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. Every sin imaginable can be summed up in those three evils. The passage emphasizes that loving the world is not compatible with loving God. As disciples of Jesus, we have to force the world to deal with us, not its idea of us! Be encouraged!

Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., Bible Expositor & Teacher