Do not love this world...

[bobo81]

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.

1 John 2:15 (New King James Version)

I'm sure youve all seen this plenty of times. So what do you think this means? I see it having many meanings. I also see this passage confusing many as well. Any takers?

[Guest Zayit]

Things of the flesh too which 99% are connected by either sex or money.

[Gerioke]

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.

1 John 2:15 (New King James Version)

I'm sure youve all seen this plenty of times. So what do you think this means? I see it having many meanings. I also see this passage confusing many as well. Any takers?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Seek the kingdom of Heaven which is eternal, because the world will perish.

[Trust & Obey]

It's all gonna burn, bro!

That sums it up! We are not to love the things of this world. This is not a reference to environmentalism, but is speaking of the world system, of which Satan is the god of it.

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

This world is going to be destroyed along with everything in it.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Now, knowing this, what type of life ought we to be living?

2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Amen!

[Guest rick4truth]

I have personally struggled with this verse many times. It speaks of absolutes without room for compromise. I guess the real question is this; what is considered the world? I think that Jesus makes it clear when He said store your treasure in heaven because where you treasure is there your heart will be also, I'm paraphrasing the verse. Obviously we must live in the world and have cares in this world. If we have families we need to provide for them, own a car to go to work, etc.. There is a line we can not cross as Christians and it is very difficult to stay on the right side because of our flesh. Many say that rich people can't be Christians, but obviously that can not be true because they can do so much for the kingdom in way of sponsoring missionaries, helping the homeless etc.. However, I think the better off you are the more difficult it is to keep your heart in heaven. Jesus said to lose one's life and to deny yourself and I personally believe that if you do live a life of servanthood and humility and pray fervently for these two characteristics then God will give you a love for Him and heaven which will by far outway the desires for worldly things.

[apothanein kerdos]

YAY FOR GNOSTICISM!

Do not love the world. If we take this to mean the ontological, or metaphysical world, then God sinned. For God so loved the world...

The word "love" in 1 John is agapeo which means not to love or partake in the MORALS of the world. John is speaking about the ethical world, not the ontological world. Statements such as, "Love heaven because it's eternal, this earth isn't" is a purely gnostic statement. The book of 1 John was written to counter much of the gnostic teachings, so obviously John didn't mean for "love the world" to be taken in the metaphysical sense, but instead the ethical sense.

For more information on this, please check out this article I wrote.

[JesusisGod2]

"Love heaven because it's eternal, this earth isn't"

Hello S.J.

Actually heaven isn't eternal, There will be a new heaven and earth, however,The Kingdom of God is eternal.

2 Peter 3:10

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned

Revelation 21:1

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

In Jesus

kevin

[apothanein kerdos]

"Love heaven because it's eternal, this earth isn't"

Hello S.J.

Actually heaven isn't eternal, There will be a new heaven and earth, however,The Kingdom of God is eternal.

2 Peter 3:10

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned

Revelation 21:1

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

In Jesus

kevin

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's the point i was making. The fact is, the ethical world will not survive. However the ontological world will survive, it will simpy be "new" in the sense it has been remade by God and its sinful nature stripped of it. The fall shall be reversed. It is the finalization of atonement, the day for which we, and the entire world, looks forward to in anticipation.

[EricH]

John actually defines the world system he is telling us not to love in v16

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

1 John 2:16-17 NASB

So it is clear from the context, that the entity John is talking about is not unsaved individuals in the world, but the system that defines the unsaved world's values namely:

1. Lust of the flesh - things that appeal to the old sin nature

2. Lust of the eyes - things that cause us to covet

3. The pride of life - things that appeal to our own sense of self sufficiency

John is saying that we should not love this system. In other words we should not devote our lives to cultivating these values in our lives. He even tells us why in v 17

And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever

1 John 1:17 NASB

The reason we are not to spend the energy of our lives devoting ourself to the value system of the unsaved world is that it is a temporary value system. It is fading away. John is telling us that if we invest our lives in this value system, we are basically throwing it away. That is because these values will not follow us into eternity. And compared to eternity, this life-time will seem like the blink of the eye. Where would you rather invest your life. In a system that will last for the blink of an eye, or in eternity?

[Remnantrob]

If we focus too much on the things of this world than we are more than likely gonna give into those things. They will be the desires of our hearts and Christ might be there but he won't hold first place. I love that verse btw.