15 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. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Commentary
Vs. 15 “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.”
Here we are warned not to love the world, nor the things of the world because if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. For love for the world is the antithesis of love for God, for one cannot love this world and not find themselves opposed to God. Therefore, we are also commanded not to be conformed to this world, conformed to its lusts, pursuits, and godless and selfish values, but to be transformed by the renewing our minds so as to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom 12:2), because what one loves always reveals what one is (James 4:4).
Love for the world then is love for all that is that
has been born out of this world, born out of mankind’s sinful and evil and rebellious
hearts, and thus ultimately represents Satan the ruler of this world, who promotes
and prompts mankind to do and pursue all that is opposed to God. From its outright
denial and rejection and open hostility towards God and His Rightful Reign and Rule
(Psalm 2; Habakkuk 2:13-14), to is corrupted morals and degenerating values
(Psalm 11:3), which only mislead individuals and societies and nations to their
own destruction and ruin (Lev. 18:24; Prov. 14:34). And so, we as children God,
born of the Spirit of God, must not follow, nor be caught up in the spirit of
the world, of the age in which we live. For having our eyes now opened wide we
see we all the horrors of this world, horrors that are even being boldly and
vilely portrayed and promoted and prompted for people to follow by every means
of this world. Therefore, as elect and chosen by God, though we live in this
world, we are to come out and be separate from this world, separate from all
that is of this world (consider 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; Jude 5-23; Rev. 18:1-4). Therefore,
to love this world is to hate God and the Kingdom of God, where true love,
peace, righteousness, and joy rules and reigns forever!
Vs. 16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
Here then is the essential breakdown of what drives this world, first mentioned then is the lust of the flesh. That is all of the sinful and degenerate desires of the flesh, basically the unregenerate nature of humanity. In Leviticus chapter 18 and 20 and Romans 1:18-32 we get a good picture of what this entails and what God thinks of it. While in Lev. 18:24-25; James 4:1 and 1 Peter 2:11 we see the dangers of it on individuals and nations. Next mentioned is the lust of the eyes which is essentially covetousness, which can be coveting wealth, possessions, people, or even positions or power (Deut. 5:21). Next to the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes is what leads people to do and pursue that which ultimately harms themselves and others (consider the sin of Achan in Judges 7). Last mentioned but not least is the pride of life, which is the ultimate folly, for through it, people deny their own origins from and dependence upon God. Now born out of this “philosophy” is the great lie of the self-made man, and yet no man has made himself, nor can any man sustain himself, unfortunately though for many they through their own pride do not see this until they are brought low by their own circumstances, or directly by the hand of God Himself (consider 1 Sam. 2:7; Job 14:5; Psalm 33:16-19; 49; 75:7; Ecc. 8:8; 9:11-12; Jer. 27:5; Daniel 20-20-22; 4:23 etc.).
Vs. 17 “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
This world, what it values, what it pursues, what it thinks is so right and desirable and important here and now is all passing away. Therefore, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ keep focused on the eternal, on doing the will of God, as He reveals His will to us, because our lives down here are but for a moment, and doing the will of God here assures us of having a quality of life in heaven for all eternity that cannot be equaled or rivalled by anything that this world has, or has ever had. Therefore, do not be swept up in the lust of this world, for all that is of this world is heading for the eternal flame. Therefore let us all who believe be caught up in doing the will of God, which begins by first believing in and then following the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus becoming a people first prepared, and then preparing ourselves for the Lord and His Kingdom Coming (2 Peter 3:10-13).
Scripture Quotations
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