Friday, 23 April 2021

Don't love the world

 

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. 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. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. - 1 John 2:15-17

 

Don’t love the world, John writes. This clearly can’t mean that we are not to love the people of the world because God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die for the world. We must love the people of the world and show them God’s love. The world system is doomed for destruction so why would we keep loving it?

 

How can we possibly hope to love the world and love God at the same time?

 

The word is passing away. It will all be gone one day.

 

On the other hand the word of the Lord will abide forever. We are faced with the eternal choice of live for now or live for forever.  If we are saved we are top set our affections on things above. We are to look at the invisible instead of the visible temporal things of this rotten old world.

 

Don’t waste your love on stuff that is not going to last. Moth and rust are going to rot all those things. They are nothing more than word, hay and stubble.

 

Let’s not let that stuff get in the way of following Jesus. Let’s deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus instead.

 

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