What does really "do not love the world" mean?

[mat007]

Working, attending school or planting trees (keeping the world natural and healthy) means loving the world? ("loving the world" in God's context)

Does this mean we worship the evil one?

[Guest]

At any given time  when we are studying the word of God;it is beneficial to us to read the words of God in context.  That means we study all surrounding text around a particular verse as well as cross reference  with other scriptures and its context. Commentaries are helpful as well..

 

 

1john 2:14I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15Do not lovethe world or anything in the world. If anyoneloves the world, the love of the Father is not inhim. 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.…

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.

 

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 15-17. - Secondly, walking in the light excludes all love of the world. This is another form of darkness. Verse 15. - Love not the world. Obviously, both "love" and "the world" are used in a different sense in John 3:16, where it is said that "God loved the world." The one love is selfish, the other unselfish. In the one case "the world" means the sinful elements of human life, in the other the human race. It is most important to distinguish the different meanings of κόσμος in the New Testament. Connected with κόμειν and comere, it means 

(1) ornament (1 Peter 3:3); 

(2) the ordered universe, mundus (Romans 1:20); 

(3) the earth (John 1:9); 

(4) the inhabitants of the earth (John 3:16); 

(5) all that is alienated from God, as here and frequently in St. John's writings. The things of the world are not those things in the world which may become objects of sinful affection, such as wealth or honour, still less such as scenery or physical objects. St. John is not condemning a love of those material advantages which are God's gifts, nor of nature, which is God's work. He is forbidding those things the love of which rivals and excludes the love of God - all those immoral tendencies and pursuits which give the world its evil character. The world κόσμος is order; the things in the world are the elements of disorder - those things which arise from each man making himself the center of the world, or of some little world of his own creation. These rival centers clash with one another, and also with the one true Center. All this St. John forbids. With τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, cf. τί η΅ν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ (John 2:25). Note the μηδέ (not μήτε), nor yet: "Love not the world; no, nor any of its ways." As so often, St. John goes on to enforce his words by a negative statement of similar but not identical import. Love of the world absolutely excludes the love of the Father. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Some important authorities have τοῦ Θεοῦ for τοῦ Πατρός; the balance is decidedly for the latter.

Matthew Henry Commentary

2:15-17 The things of the world may be desired and possessed for the uses and purposes which God intended, and they are to be used by his grace, and to his glory; but believers must not seek or value them for those purposes to which sin abuses them. The world draws the heart from God; and the more the love of the world prevails, the more the love of God decays. The things of the world are classed according to the three ruling inclinations of depraved nature. 1. The lust of the flesh, of the body: wrong desires of the heart, the appetite of indulging all things that excite and inflame sensual pleasures. 2. The lust of the eyes: the eyes are delighted with riches and rich possessions; this is the lust of covetousness. 3. The pride of life: a vain man craves the grandeur and pomp of a vain-glorious life; this includes thirst after honour and applause. The things of the world quickly fade and die away; desire itself will ere long fail and cease, but holy affection is not like the lust that passes away. The love of God shall never fail. Many vain efforts have been made to evade the force of this passage by limitations, distinctions, or exceptions. Many have tried to show how far we may be carnally-minded, and love the world; but the plain meaning of these verses cannot easily be mistaken. Unless this victory over the world is begun in the heart, a man has no root in himself, but will fall away, or at most remain an unfruitful professor. Yet these vanities are so alluring to the corruption in our hearts, that without constant watching and prayer, we cannot escape the world, or obtain victory over the god and prince of it.

biblehub.com

Blessings  

[simplejeff]

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4 hours ago, mat007 said:

Working, attending school or planting trees (keeping the world natural and healthy) means loving the world? ("loving the world" in God's context)....

No.

But realize most people everywhere love the world or the things of the world.

4 hours ago, mat007 said:

Does this mean we worship the evil one?

Each is judged for everything that they do,

as written in YHWH'S WORD.

[WalkingMyFishLikeABoss]

On 7/11/2017 at 0:15 PM, mat007 said:

Working, attending school or planting trees (keeping the world natural and healthy) means loving the world? ("loving the world" in God's context)

Does this mean we worship the evil one?

I believe it means don't think that this life is all there is. And materialism shouldn't be a priority.

[Joefizz]

Well as it is written"to be a friend of the world is to be at enmity(WAR) with God" so simply do not value this world and it's wiles,above God or Heaven,in order to quote"not love the world",this does not mean you cannot have possessions nor does this mean you cannot quote "like" possessions but when you "love" them or "the world" over God whom made the world and made it possible for anyone to have "possessions",to do so would be"idolatry" as well as going against God.

Edited July 15, 2017 by Joefizz
misspelling

[Joefizz]

7 hours ago, Sojourner414 said:

Joefizz, Blueyedjewel, simplejeff and WalkingmyFish have the right of it: when we place anything between us and the Lord, that thing (not just physical objects, but money, power, position, etc.) can become an idol. Scripture here is not saying we cannot have anything or be in this world, but that we are not to practice its' ways or indulge in its' "spirit" or thinking.

Indeed,well said,Sojourner,!

[Lostlamb1978]

Being worldly, sinful nature, love of money, sin of ommision and commission, when you accept Christ as lord and savior you feel the holiness of the spirit.

[Mike 2]

On 7/11/2017 at 0:15 PM, mat007 said:

Working, attending school or planting trees (keeping the world natural and healthy) means loving the world? ("loving the world" in God's context)

Does this mean we worship the evil one?

In order to get the full meaning of anything written in the bible we must come to the understanding that we live a duel life 

There is a you living inside of that body.

We are constantly subject to how we are perceiving what is around us and how we respond to that.

That is us living in the world.

The bible tells us that that is only temporary and that our real life is found in our spiritual life, that part of us that is not physical but spiritual/ emotional and that's what we should focus on based on what Jesus has taught us

Learning to respond to the spiritual needs of others is a big part of what Jesus is talking about. We often have conflict when we see a spiritual principal that the bible teaches, conflicting with what our culture or society says is the norm. 

That's when we have to choose not to pursue the love of the world around us and choose to follow the teachings of Jesus despite how we feel we might be at a disadvantage in light of everyone elses standard.

Looking after the earth is a good thing, unless you start having relationships with people and God being pushed into second place.

[listener24]

What are the most powerful drives in life, when love and the Lord are not the drives? 

The praise from other people - John 5:44 (and many other verses in the Gosepel )

The desires of flesh - Matthew 5:28 (and many other verses in the Gosepel )

Money used with selfishness - Matthew 6:19–20 (and many other verses in the Gosepel)

When someone starts to live moved by real Love, he starts to realize how most of this world is driven by such goals. (Luke 4:6)

And then it's easy to understand why Jesus said "my Kingdom does not belong to this world"

Edited December 2, 2017 by listener24

[4LdKHVCzRDj2]

On 7/11/2017 at 1:15 PM, mat007 said:

What does really "do not love the world" mean?

Idol worship. When we love anything more than God, be it our flesh, family, desires, or any other created thing we commit idolatry.

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." - John 4:23

God give us what we need to believe and stay with Him, no matter what happens.

"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake," - Philippians 1:29

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." - 1 John 5:4