Do Not Love the World - MSS

1 John 2:15-17

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Dismiss Kids / Elders Prayer

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I love this season of Fall. It was my favorite since growing up in New England. There's a smell. There is a different light. There are amazing colors. I love when I talk to people who visit New England in the Fall, as I just recently did with some church members.

Even as we grapple with the effects of sin, we have to admit that this world is beautiful. I really like the song by Louis Armstrong, "What a Wonderful World."

I see trees of green, red roses too I see them bloom for me and you And I think to myself, what a wonderful world I see skies of blue and clouds of white The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night And I think to myself, what a wonderful world The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky Are also on the faces of people going by I see friends shaking hands, saying "How do you do?" They're really saying, "I love you" I hear babies cry, I watch them grow They'll learn much more than I'll ever know And I think to myself, what a wonderful world Ooh, yes

With that said, it may come as a surprise to hear what John writes in our text today, 1 John 2:15:

1 John 2:15 (NIV) — Do not love the world or anything in the world.

It seems a little contradictory. We are told that God created the world and pronounced it good. We read through the Psalms and see how the inspired Psalmist praises the beauty of nature. And now John is telling us not to love the world. What gives?

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As we approach this passage, it's critical to first distinguish what John means by the word "world."

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It can be used to describe the creation, like in Psalm 19:

Psalm 19:1–4 (NIV) — The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

I don't think this is John's meaning here. I don't think he's saying we are not to admire the handiwork of God.

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The word "world" can also be used to describe human beings. John does use this in the famous passage in John 3:16:

John 3:16 (NIV) — For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

I don't think John is telling us not to love people. In fact, he has done just the opposite.

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1 John 3:16–18 (ESV) — By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

There is at least one more meaning that the word "world" can have: the world of sin that stands in aggressive opposition to God. The unredeemed world, a world under the control of Satan. This word can have very nefarious connotations and this is how John is using it here. This usage is more clear in these passages:

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1 John 4:4–5 (NIV) — You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

1 John 5:19 (NIV) — We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

John recognizes that there is a force in this world that is vying for our allegiance. Yet, the really tricky thing about this is that this force doesn't always show up in a red suit with horns carrying a pitchfork. That would be too easy. This force disguises itself in the ordinary stuff of life. This force uses the wonderful world that God has created and wants you to love it more than you love the one who created it. This force wants you to find satisfaction in the creation rather than the Creator.

But John is not going to leave it there—he will both define what he means by "loving the world" and then provide a reason to validate this command. So let's read more:

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1 John 2:15–17 (NIV) — 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.

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John seems to be saying that our hearts are not capable of loving both the world and the Father. As we love the world, the love for the Father is pushed out. It is a contradiction to say I love the world and then say I love the Father.

We see this—I cannot say I love the Red Sox and I love the Yankees. You cannot love Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. You can't love the Cowboys and the Eagles. There are some loves that cannot coexist, and John says this is one of them—you cannot love the world and the Father. This is not a new idea. Jesus said as much:

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Luke 16:13 (ESV) — No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Money is maybe too specific. The older translations stuck with the transliteration of an Aramaic word—mammon—which means riches, money, possessions, property. Or you might just say, stuff!

So what does that mean? Am I to disavow all the things I have and go live in a cave? Some have responded in that way. The monastic movement of the fourth century did just that. People would go out in the desert and just pray. They would eat only what would keep them alive. They owned nothing. I don't think that is in line with the overall teaching of the Bible. Again, Jesus had something to say about this:

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John 17:15 (NIV) — My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

So again, what does this mean? What does loving the world look like? Well, John helps us out with three descriptions:

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Lust of the flesh. Lust of the eyes. And the pride of life. These are the symptoms of world-loving people.

The lust of the flesh—it's being obsessed with satisfying the desires of our bodies. Of course there is a sexual aspect here, but it's much broader. Eating, drinking, sleeping, strength. All of these things we can fall in love with.

Lust of the eyes—it's being obsessed with appearance—clothing, houses, cars, beauty—anything that catches the eye. These things we can fall in love with.

The pride of life—ambition, self-glorification, social status, family heritage, our online footprint (likes and follows)—anything that makes you feel more important than others. This feeling we can fall in love with.

Again, the tricky thing is all of these things have been created by God, but when we love them, when we become driven by these things they pull us away from the love of God.

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Lust, in other words, means that instead of controlling our desires and using them as we ought to, we are controlled by them. They master us and dominate us. There are certain desires within us that are perfectly legitimate—they have been given by God, yes—but if we are governed and controlled by them, and our whole outlook upon life is limited by these things, then we are guilty of lust. That is the meaning of the word.

— Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking with God, Studies in 1 John

The temptation at this point is to say I am not governed by these things. I am not controlled by these things. I am not guilty of lust. I am not a prideful person.

Let's not brush this passage aside too quickly. We tend to engage in self-defense thinking we are all right while we picture co-workers and neighbors who have fallen in love with the world. Let's really look at our lives. If there is a sin that 21st century America is susceptible to, it might very well be this denial of how pervasively we are driven by these things we say have no control over us. The saying of Jesus is not to be readily discarded—it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

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The danger is approaching these words and interpreting them in such a way that makes us look all right while probably condemning other people. We are all experts at rationalizing our sins and explaining away what we do. It's interesting to hear how people often quote these verses, fondly imagining that they themselves are perfectly fine with regard to these words, yet their lives often display that they have completely misunderstood them.

— Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking with God, Studies in 1 John

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So, what can we do?

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Let me suggest this: Take note of how many times you use the word love and evaluate if that love is drawing you away from or closer to the Father.

When we say things like, "I love my house." Or, "I really love that car." Or, "I love watching football." Or, "I love these new pair of shoes." Or, "I love this new phone." Or "I love (you fill in the blank)." Whenever you say that word, check yourself. Is my love for this pulling me away from God?

I recently heard a person who said they only use the word love when they talk about their family. To say I love my wife and I love chocolate ice cream seems to be inconsistent at best and insulting at worst. When we use the word love we are giving things more value and more power than we ought to.

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A second strategy is to model the life of Jesus:

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Look at Him. He was never guilty of those sins of the flesh. He did not believe in outward pomp and show, in mere appearance. No, He was meek and lowly. He was the very antithesis of the loudness and vulgarity of the world and its delight in appearance and mere show. He lived with very poor parents. He was born in a stable, and His cradle was nothing but a manger. He worked with His hands as a carpenter, a manual laborer. And that is the Lord of glory, the Savior of our souls. That is the life which we claim is in us.

— Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking with God, Studies in 1 John

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Third, let me share this chart with you from Daniel Akin's commentary on 1 John, which may be helpful.

Worldly Approach

Kingdom Approach

The focus is on me.

The focus is on God.

Make as much money as possible.

Give as much money away as possible, and spend even yourself on others.

Live comfortably.

Life is not about comfort, but about doing hard things now so that we can reap rewards in the life to come.

Make a name for yourself.

Make His name great.

Do whatever makes you happiest.

Do whatever makes God happiest.

Teach your children to love themselves and seek self-fulfillment.

Teach your children to love and obey God.

Look like a model in a magazine and turn your physical appearance into an idol.

Treat your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and cultivate an inner beauty.

Offer "acts of service" when you feel like it (on your terms).

Be a servant, even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient.

Stay married as long as your spouse meets your needs.

Serve your spouse (the way Christ modeled servanthood), and choose to love them for life.

Come across as powerful, influential, and/or interesting.

Give preference to others in words and actions.

Use (worldly) wisdom to accrue wealth.

Value true wisdom (which is the fear of God) over all the treasures on earth.

Stay up to date with the fashions.

Be content just to have clothes.

The things of the world are passing away.

The things of the Father will abide forever.

I do the will of the world.

I do the will of the Father.

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Take note of the second to last item—1 John 2:17 (NIV) — The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

So do you really want to fall in love with things that will not last? Or, should I cultivate a love in something that will last forever?

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You may be proud of your personal appearance, but you will soon be old and haggard. You will be dying, and then you will have nothing to boast of. It is all passing. O fool, to glory in something that is so transient! Wealth, riches, learning, knowledge, social status—all these things are vanishing. They have the seeds of death in them. Christian people, how can we glory in things like that? It means we are blind to our own gospel, which starts by telling us that all of this is under the wrath of God and will be destroyed. It is all going to perdition, to eternal destruction. So those who live for these things are utterly inconsistent and show that they have never understood. If they belong to that realm, they will be destroyed for all eternity. They must come out of it and escape from it. They should glory in the fact that there is a new life in them, a new kingdom. And if they belong to this, they will abide forever.

— Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking with God, Studies in 1 John

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Imagine that—a life that lasts forever. It sounds too good to be true. But because we serve an eternal God who loves us with an everlasting love, and who has created us for something even more glorious than this present life, it's too good not to be true!

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1 John 2:15–17 (NIV) — 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.