1 John 2:15-17: Do Not Love the World

Introduction

https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/rare-mint-allergy-leaves-woman-wishing-she-allergic-peanuts-instead - Challenge of avoiding mint - have to stay away from people - imagine the difficulty.

Temptation is everywhere… t’s not easy to follow Jesus in a world that’s constantly pulling you away from God. Temptation is everywhere - on your screen, at your job, in your conversations.

You know that you live in a broken world that can absolutely corrupt your soul. You don’t have to be convinced to love the things of this world. Power, pleasure, success, recognition - it’s magnetic. If you’re honest - sometimes you crave what the world offers more than what God promises.

How do you avoid being influenced by a sinful world? Lock yourself up in your house and only venture out on Sundays to go to church? Join a monastery? Hide in a church bubble?

1 John 2:15-17 are powerful verses with a clear message: Do not love the world. This is not a polite suggestion but a soul-searching challenge. John challenging us to look in the mirror and be brutally honest: Do you love the world more than you love God? How you answer that question will determine the trajectory of your life.

I want to show you three truths from this passage that will help you break free from the world’s grip and cling to the love that never lets go.

Love for the world will rob you of intimacy with God.

Obey the commands of God: Love Him, love others. Hard to love God and to love others when your love is set on this world.

A simple statement: Do not love the world. What does John mean by world? What does John mean by love?

World = kosmos. The word used three ways in the Bible. It’s used to describe the people of the world (John 3:16). Obviously, we’re supposed to love the world in the sense that we love the people God created. Word also used to described planet earth itself - God’s creation. We don’t despise God’s creation. We care for the world. Creation mandate - have dominion by stewarding the earth for God’s glory. (Or, I can love the beauty of creation, a sunset, art, etc.)

Not loving the world does not mean we don’t enjoy or appreciate our culture. (CHS no longer no. 1 tourism - https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best-awards-2025-cities-us-11740107 - NOLA #2!?!?!) It’s good to see the diversity of people and celebrate our heritage, our arts, and what makes us distinct as a people. It’s good to enjoy our southern culture, or wherever you’re from.

In this context, world refers to the evil systems of the world that govern over the present age. 1 John 5:19, John 12:31, Ephesians 2:1-2 It refers to everything that opposes Christ and His work. Satan has sway over this world, ruling over the hearts of those who oppose God. Why would you love what Satan rules over?

Satan’s rule seen in the deceitfulness of man, in the pursuit of selfish ambitions, in the corruption of politics, in the oppression of people. Satan’s rule seen in drug and sex trafficking. Seen in the corporate world where the dollar is king. Seen in a fixation on the material, “I’ve got to have…” Seen in the hearts of people who reject God’s design for sexuality. Satan’s rule seen in our families when we’re more concerned about our kids making the grade or making the team than we are concerned about them walking with Jesus. You see Satan’s rule as everyone determines their own path and what is right for them. Everywhere you look you see evidence of the rule of Satan.

Sinful people love the rule of Satan. Agape = a committed love. Love = a desire for and a commitment to. People give their lives to pursuing what this evil world offers because this evil world promises something it can never give: satisfaction, purpose, and happiness.

John makes another emphatic statement: if you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you. You can’t be committed to the world and to God - just like you can’t be committed to your spouse and another lover at the same time. James 4:4 - You adulterous people. Friendship with the world is hostility toward God.

How do you know if you love the world?

You think little and talk little about God. You are apathetic about your faith. You don’t think about how God would have you to live, and you certainly don’t engage others in Gospel conversations.

You pursue what you want with greater passion than you pursue God. You think about what you want a lot.

You talk about the world way too much. You are highly influenced by the culture. The lifestyles that you see celebrated are the lifestyles you celebrate. Overly concerned about politics. Overly talkative about your comforts, your wants, your desires, what you’re going to do, what you have done, etc.

You are often in conflict with other people. Worldly people fight because everyone is out for themselves. People that love God love others and seek reconciliation.

You live in a constant state of discontentment. Whatever you gain or accomplish, it’s never enough. You always want more.

You refuse to live an open-handed life. You don’t think about giving. You think about getting, taking, and receiving.

The result of loving the world is an apathetic relationship with God. If you wonder why you lack in intimacy with God perhaps it’s because you are far too intimate with the world.

Luke and the alligator… What are you thinking? Are approach to the world… Not thinking…

Love for the world creates a longing in you that can never be satisfied.

Satan is crafty. He will deceive and convince you that what this world offers will satisfy your heart.

He did it with Adam and Eve. Gen. 3:6 - Eve saw the forbidden fruit was good for food (lust of the flesh), saw that it was delightful (lust of the eyes), and took pride in possessing it because of the wisdom she would obtain. But… that forbidden fruit did not satisfy Adam and Eve. It isolated them from God. Satan lied.

vs. 16 - Satan deceives you through the lust of the flesh - Greek connotation - to be hot for something. A deep craving… that occupies your thoughts and desires that’s contrary to the will of God. Flesh = to live a life dominated by the senses. A desire of the flesh is not of God. A desire that begins to control you - something against the will of God that consumes you, that you can’t stop thinking about. That you think you will not be happy in life until you have it.

This world caters to the lust of the flesh every where you turn.

The lie: It’s ok to embrace your desires as long as you don’t act on them. e.g., “It’s ok to look as long as I don’t touch…” “I can’t help what I desire.” NOT TRUE. Put sin to death, even sinful desires asking God to give you Christ-honoring desires. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Lust of the eyes - Lust of the flesh often driven by lust of the eyes.. You see it. You see what your neighbors have. You see your friends success. You see that person you find attractive and you lust. What do you alway your eyes and mind to linger on?

This world puts what’s contrary to God’s Word in front of your eyes all the time and tells you it’s good (just think of all the commercials you see… You can’t watch a commercials anymore without seeing two men holding hands. Or, think about the companies sexualize every product they sell.) The enemy plays right in to our sinful nature.

Instead of bringing every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) you let your mind and heart linger and the desires grow.

Pride in one’s possessions - arrogant spirit of self-sufficiency. I don’t need God. Rather, I just need what I want. It’s a desire for autonomy, independency, and a pat on the back. “Look at what I’ve accomplished.” Or, it’s to look down on others because of what we possess - “I’m an American…” Or, Pride in your career compared to someone else, education, race, money, etc.

John clear: this is not from the Father. It’s from the world.

Being of the world is a matter of your heart. Worldliness is not a problem that’s outside of you. It’s a problem that is inside of you that you only overcome as you submit to the Spirit of God.

The result of worldliness is destruction!We see it first hand. Marriages breaking. Lives given over to addictions. Fathers never at home because they’re working so much. High schoolers stressed out because they’re taught that the measure of their worth is the grades they get, the college they get accepted to, and the career path they choose. People letting this world define for them what’s satisfying, what’s good, what joy-giving instead of people being defined by a relationship with Jesus and living for His will.

The relationship we should have with the world is one of opposition, not one of embracing. This world is not out for your good. It’s out for your destruction. When you give in to the lusts of your flesh, it doesn’t satisfy you. It leaves you dissatisfied.

What does loving the world produce in you? Not produce the Fruit of the Spirit in you. It produces restlessness, anxiety, greed, depression, anger, jealousy, etc.

John is making it clear. Loving the world isn’t just about what you do. It’s about what you desire.

Two big asks you need to make of God because we need a work of His Spirit!

Ask the Spirit to expose your sinful desires. What do you crave that is contrary to the will of God? What is it that you think must have to make your happy? Or, what is it that if it was taken away from you would make you miserable? What are you lusting after? You can’t deal with your sinful desires until you expose them for what they are.

Ask the Spirit to fill you with Himself instead of trying to fill the void with worldly desires. You’re trying to fill your life with what will never satisfy, when God wants to fill you with Himself because He satisfies. (Isaiah 55) - Realize your wasting time, energy, and resources if you are trying to find satisfaction in what is opposed to God.

Love for the world will leave you empty and condemned.

vs. 17 - The world - Satan’s rule - is passing away. Satan will be defeated. Why would you give your life to what will ultimately pass away when instead you can give your life to what lasts forever?

At the end of your life, if all you have is what you’ve gained from this world, you ultimately have nothing (Mark 8:36).

To live under the influence of this world will ultimately lead to your separation from God for eternity.

But, live for the will of God, and you will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). A new heaven and a new earth that will be far better than this broken and sinful world.

How do we do it? How do we grow in our love for the Lord instead of love for the world?

Surrender daily to Christ, not the culture. Why let the culture dictate your values if it is passing away? Begin each day, “Jesus, show me how to live for you each day, not for this present world.”

Fill your mind with God’s Word, not the world’s noise (Romans 12:2). What noise do you keep listening to that needs to be turned off? You’re not going to live well for Jesus if you’re constantly shaped by entertainment social media, politics, or the opinions of others. What’s your spiritual growth plan? What if you picked onep noise making app on your phone to delete this week, and instead replaced it with memorizing Scripture? Install fighter verse… (Will I delete Twitter? I’ve gotten good at scrolling twitter and not so good at memorizing Scripture.)

Love people instead of using them. That’s what John is calling us to in this letter. But, the world calls us to use people to get what we want even if that means we abuse them or hurt them. For some, it’s the people we claim to love the most that we use the most.

Enjoy the world without being of the world. The systems of this world are evil, but God’s creation is good. Enjoy a sunset. Enjoy a vacation. Go to the beach. Enjoy the arts, but enjoy it to the glory of God. Always give Him thanks.

Choose eternity over temporary pleasures. Colossians 3:2 - Don’t settle for what won’t give you real life. Embrace the One who makes life new - the One who lived the life you could not live, died the death you deserve, and rose from the dead three days later so you could have the promise of eternal life. What God promises you in Christ Jesus is far greater than anything this sinful world will promise you. Embrace Jesus today.