THURSDAY 16th
1 John 2:15–17
‘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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.’
John moves in this next section to an important instruction to the Christian community, I can hear the emphasis that would be in his voice as he makes it, ‘Do not love the world or the things in the world’. He continues to describe what he means, do not love ‘the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life’ these things, which are the unholy pleasures of the world are not from God. All that the world has to offer is but temporal and results in emptiness and will eventually lead to eternal separation from God.
What is important for the Christian community is to love the things of God, for this will lead to eternal life, to eternally be with God in his presence. John puts it this way ‘whoever does the will of God abides forever’.
The devil has made sure that the things of the world are attractive and tempting so that he can ensnare or trap individuals to remain in them and to attempt to allure those who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be drawn back into them. The devil is a sly old fox, he will do everything he can to get us to take our eyes of the prize of the high calling in God to look at the pleasures and the desire of the world, he would love to see us get side-tracked and allured into his trap of deceitfulness. He would love to get us to think that somehow we are missing out. We need to listen to John’s instruction and ensure that we ‘DO NOT LOVE the world or the things of the world, but remain focused on the One who alone can give and has given to us eternal hope.
One of the steps we can take is to simply learn to say NO. NO to enjoining with others in those things which would be considered unsavoury or unfavourable for a man or woman who claims to follow Jesus. Saying NO when a friend or colleague seeks to get us to participate in activities that would bring shame upon our testimony as a child of God, saying NO to anything that would cause us to be interrupted and possibly side-tracked in our daily walk with Jesus.
There are some other Scriptures that can help us to understand the seriousness of this instruction of John’s and the importance of us to heed and obey it.
James, the brother of Jesus says this ‘You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God’ James 4:4.
Romans 12:2 ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.’
Scripture is clear, we cannot on the one hand say we love God and on the other hand love the things of this world. To love God and at the same time love the things of this world is like committing adultery, which is all about being unfaithful.
I will close with some verses from Titus 2:11-14 ‘For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.’
God has given everything to redeem us and to purify us, we should be willing to give up the world and all its pleasure so that we can live only and ever for him. After being washed, why on earth would we want to return to wallow in the mire of this world.
Let nothing now my heart divide;
Since with thee I am crucified,
And live to God in thee.
Dead to the world and all its toys,
Its idle pomp, and fading joy,
Jesus, my glory be! MM553