Do Not Love the World

This morning we continue in our study through the first letter of John as we consider 1 John 2:15-17. The main point of these three verses is, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.” This is the main argument and only command in our passage. John gives two reasons not to love the world. First, he says, “For [or the reason you should not love the world], all that is in the world, — the desire of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world" (1 John 2:16). Second, “And [the other reason], the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17). The command to not love the world is a call to continually direct our desires, attention, and thoughts to God and the things of the Father. John says, "Do not love the world," not because it is not easily loved, but because the love of God is supremely more satisfying. Don’t love the world, because the eternal reward of Jesus is far greater than the vanishing desires of the world. Jesus possessed everything, yet became poor. He deserved glory, yet accepted shame. He died on the cross, He was cast out, so that we might be brought home to the Father. Jesus gave up His life for us and secured something far more lovely, satisfying, secure, joyful, and eternal than anything of the world. We will not be free from the love of the world, until the love of God becomes more real, beautiful, and good to you. May God give us grace to see how everything we're longing for and desire from the world is ours in Christ, much more permanently and purely in the Father through Jesus Christ the Son by the power of the Spirit.