Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:15-17
Now that we are clear on who we are, and what the realities of life in Christ are, John turns to the world around us. John isn’t referring to the natural world, he’s referring to the world of Mankind; the culture, society, the impulses, the way things are here… in this I don’t mean “culture” in the sense that John is speaking against literature or music or opera or culture in that sense, but instead the impulses and ways of men and society. If we were to say that we live in a “dog eat dog world,” we would be referring to the impulses and ways of this world; that is more like what John is getting at. John is telling us that we are not to love the world or anything in it and if we do, we have a spiritual problem for sure.
The “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” are often cited as the three main categories of sin. Clearly these do not come from God, for as John puts it, they come from the world. If you think about it, so much of what people consider important has more to do with impressing others than with anything else. Why are we so often driven by career advancement? Why do we need some much stuff? Why is your living room fancier than your bedrooms? Why do you need the fancy car instead of the economy car? Must I spend $100.00 on a tie? Why do we want what somebody else has? Our knee-jerk answer to these kinds of questions might be sin. John goes deeper than that; this comes from the world. Jesus nailed the thought down when He said that w prefer the praise of men.
In the final analysis, this world, its ways, and everything in it will pass away, but the love of God endures forever. Our Lord showed us a life that was lived for the love of God. Isn’t that where our love should be? I’ve heard people say that we are here to fix the world, but I must state clearly that this is a mistake. We were never commanded to fix the world, no! The world is passing away! We are commanded to share the love of God through Jesus Christ with people, so that they may be saved from the world’s fate.
Life Project Blog 
Always think passages like this need more time and focus than they usually get. Slice and dice this passage and you have “Christians hate the very world their God created”. And “don’t enjoy anything it is all sin”.
Your “dog eat dog” phrasing is helpful, because I can think of one bit of fruitful lusting in my life. And if that is sin, I am guilty – and happily married as a result. We all are in one way or another. Just like any passion becoming so important the important stuff gets sidelined. I would venture even “god stuff” comes into that category at times.
Good stuff that distracts us from God can be a problem for sure… kinda like a idol…
Another test of salvation we can appy to ourselves or others: Do I love the world, or do I love God? It seems the two are mutually exclusive.
kinda like loving money or loving God…
“The ‘lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life’ are often cited as the three main categories of sin.”
“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”
“Appetite”…… “Attractiveness”…… “Autonomous Judgment”
Echoes… way back then…. back then…. then… now…. echoes. Think John may have been “tuned in” to something Absolute and True? Like giving his “beloved children” some “universal passwords” to access wisdom and truth?
Pretty much!
Thanks for posting this. One of my favorite texts on “radical” Christianity. Radical because it is nothing like the dog eat dog world.
Amen, thanks!
Great post with a needed reminder for all of us.
Thanks!
Well said! This goes along with a verse I looked at this morning. John 17:14: Jesus prayed, “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
Excellent verse, thanks Stephen!
Eve had everything and it still wasn’t enough! We always want more. We are telling God that He isn’t enough. How sad for us. The things in this world will pass but God is forever. “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt. 6:24) Thanks for this insightful post, Don.
Thank you!
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