“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.” - 1 John 2:15
Genuine believers love God and reject the world and all its philosophies.
As the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), Satan has designed a system that the Bible simply calls “the world” which refers to a system encompassing false religion, errant philosophy, crime, immorality, materialism, and the like.
Of it the apostle John wrote, “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. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:16-17).
The apostle John absolutely nailed the human heart! Don't let anyone tell you the Bible is not relevant. What John taught us is practical psychology!
lust of the flesh: sensuality (Hugh Heffner)
lust of the eyes: materialism (Frank Sinatra): His motto was, “He who dies with the most toys wins!” On his death bed he told his daughter he needed more money.
boastful pride of life: power & control (Donald Trump)
We all struggle with all three, but most of us seem to "specialize" in one over the others. Some of us are bent towards the sensual, others the need to possess things, and still others the need to rule. Outside of Christ’s redeeming power, every person is a slave to the world, whether they realize it or not!
Every person born will be bent towards the flesh, the eyes, or boastful pride of life!
When someone becomes a Christian, they acquire a new set of goals and motivations; the world and its lusts no longer attract but repel. They no longer love “the world, nor the things in the world” (v. 15).
At times we may be lured into worldly pursuits, but we are doing not what we love but what we hate (cf. Rom. 7:15). That’s because new life in Christ gives the believer a love for God and the things of God.
Jesus said those who follow Him are not of the world, just as He was not of the world. We still move about in it to do His will, but we are not of it.
That’s why Jesus specifically asked the Father to keep us from the evil one (John 17:14-16). We’re vulnerable to being sucked into this evil world’s system now and then, but our love is toward God. That love is what will redirect our focus toward heavenly priorities.
Do you reject the world and its false religions, damning ideologies, and godless pursuits? Instead, do you love God, His truth, His kingdom, and all that He stands for? If you reject the world and its devilish desires, that is a strong indication you have new life in Christ.
We live in an entertainment obsessed culture. Are you feeding any appetites with the entertainment you watch and listen to? Are you with one step fighting any internal struggles, but with the other step feeding them with the TV, movies, or music you watch and listen to?
Keep in mind nothing is neutral. Something is either moving forward or backward. But moving towards what? This is where the words of John come to mind. Are we supporting the system designed by Satan, or making a stand for Christ?
When Christians are moving in the same direction, we long for fellowship together because battling in the world’s system takes a toll on any soldier for Christ. Sweet fellowship heals wounds, encourages hope, and energizes the spirit.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they'll know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love.
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