Faithfulness and loyalty. Those are two virtues that we like to see in others. The wife likes to know that her spouse is faithful to her. A company wants to know that the employees are loyal to them, and not giving “company secrets” to the competitor. A country wants its citizens faithful and loyal, as well. In our Scripture passage today, we will learn how we cannot pursue another love, that of the world, if we as believers are to be faithful and true to the Lord. Let’s look into our passage.
The Apostle John begins our brief passage with the statement that believers cannot love both the world and the Father, or God, at the same time. Scripture is very clear in teaching us that we cannot pursue worldly goals and still follow Christ. The term “world” that is used here would refer to the world system. We should take care of the physical world, and not pollute or destroy it. God made it and declared it good. However, the world system and its philosophies are a different matter. This is the domain of Satan. Because we belong to God, our loyalty and love should be with Him, not with sinful lusts and possessions. A person who truly wants to follow Jesus will desire to be more holy than he desires to be happy. He will love God more than he loves worldly things.
This life is not the end goal. As Christians, we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, and are not to love the world or what it offers (vs. 15). An absence of love for this world’s system, philosophies, and mind-set should characterize those who are born-again and belong to Jesus. If one has a love for the Satanically-controlled world system, then they can’t truly have a real love for God. There is no middle ground.
Worldliness has three attitudes, as we see in verse 16. First, lust of the flesh, a preoccupation with gratifying physical desires. Second, a lust of the eyes, in craving and accumulating material things, and bowing to the god of materialism. And thirdly, a pride of life, an obsession with status and importance. God values self-control, generosity, and humility.
Satan tempts us with whatever physical senses we are too preoccupied by. Our senses are good, but when we venture outside God’s intentions for them, they become an attempt to get our needs met outside the will of God. Satan also flashes all the things of the world in front of us. He tempts us to think they will make us fulfilled, and that we must have them in order to be happy. He also tempts our pride. We try to elevate ourselves over others, wanting people to notice us, commend us, and stroke our pride.
The world’s philosophies and ideologies are deceptive (vs. 16). They are raised up against the knowledge of God, and hold the souls of men captive (II Corinthians 10:3-5). The “flesh” is the sin-nature of man, the rebellious self dominated by sin, and in opposition to God. Satan uses the world system to incite the flesh. Our eyes are an avenue to incite wrong desires. And the “pride of life” is the arrogance and haughtiness we use to impress other people.
The world is the enemy of Christians. It is in rebellion and opposition to God, and is controlled by Satan. The world will pass away, (vs. 17), but God’s will is permanent and unchangeable. Possessions will pass away. However, those who do the will of God, who have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior, will live forever.
If we constantly listen to some music that is out of tune, we too will sing out of tune. We copy the people with whom we associate. We take thoughts from the books we read, the TV shows we watch, and radio programs we listen to. God tells us not to love the world, but instead to love His Word. When we follow His Word we can detect the false teachings of the world. Do not love and follow the world. Love and follow Jesus. There is only room for one master in our lives (Matthew 6:24).
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