1 John 2:15-17 New Living Translation
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 a) And this world is fading away, b) along with everything that people crave. c) But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
Looking at the word “world” in our text, the New International Version of the Bible the word “world” is used six times and in the New Living Translation of the Bible it is used five times. The way John applies the word “world” in the context of these three verses, he is referring to the present world system. In our first week of study, we understood John’s application of this word in the following way. World – “This is the secular system and those who live by the standards of this system.” “Secular denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.” “Secular system or Secularism is a belief system that rejects religion or God in the affairs of man.” “So, when John says, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you …”, he is telling us that we are not to love the world system in which we live.”
The Fire Bible also give us a good explanation of the meaning of “world” in the context of the verses we are studying. “…the vast world system that exists independent of God (i.e., going its own way without regard for him) and basically opposed to him. It is how things in the world have operated ever since the first humans gave in to Satan’s temptation, disobeyed God and brought the curse of sin upon all of creation.”
The Fire Bible sums up very clearly what we have been studying these last two weeks that John is teaching us in these verses. “To love the world means to be closely related to and associated with its beliefs, behaviors and customs. It means being devoted to or accepting of its values, interests, practices and pleasures. It involves taking pleasure in or enjoying what is common in the world, but is offensive to God.”
Continuing our study in verse 17a, when John says, “And this world is fading away…”, we need to realize he is not referring to global warming or the aging and decaying of our planet. But he is referring to “…the vast world system that exists independent of God (i.e., going its own way without regard for him) and basically opposed to him.”
The first question that comes to mind and taking into consideration what we studied in the previous weeks; “if things are increasingly going from bad to worse, then how is this world “fading away” or diminishing? “If the world (world system) is “fading away”, shouldn’t things be getting better for the disciple of Christ?
To correctly answer this question, we need to know what John means when he says in 1 John 2:17a, “And this world is fading away” or in the NIV, “The world and its desires pass away”. The following excerpts will help us understand.
- Faithlife Study Bible – John declares that the oppressive systems of human societies are coming to an end.
- Moody Bible Commentary – “fading away” “…transient. It therefore makes little sense for the believer to crave worldly things since they will not endure.”
Note that “fading away” or passing away, are the worldly systems philosophies, values and beliefs all of which the Christian should not love, or seeking to experience. The worldly systems its beliefs, behaviors and customs. its values, practices and pleasures.” are temporary, are not eternal, hear today and gone tomorrow.
Disciples of Christ should be seeking after the eternal things that come from God that do not fade away, things that are our present inheritance and also will be our future eternal reward.
Colossians 3:23-24, (A Christian’s work ethic)
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
1 Peter 1:3-6
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 John 2:17b, “along with everything that people crave.” The second part of this verse is clearly referring to the three points of verse 16 that we studied last week. 1 John 2:16, “For everything in the world — a) the cravings of sinful man, b) the lust of his eyes c) and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world.”
In our studies of the last two weeks, we have been looking at what the apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:15-17 in the New Living Translation of the Bible. Looking at verse 17b from the New International version of the Bible, there is a difference, However, putting them helps understand in verse 17b with more clarity. Note what is underlined, the New Living Translation says, “But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” And the New International Version says, “but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” In other words, this simply means, doing the will of God is pleasing to God.
Taking into consideration the context of what is stated in verses 15 and 16 about a Christian loving the world, we all must ask ourselves this question. Are there things of this world that we are more passionate, zealous and fervent about (“love”) than being passionate for what pleases God? One way to find out is look at a person’s Facebook page, what are they saying? What are they adamantly and continually supporting and or arguing with others about? With Facebook and other social media websites even the photos a person posts will disclose both good and bad to others what is important to that person. However, as disciples of Christ we all must ask ourselves another question; are there things in my life of more importance than doing God’s will?
Every disciple of Christ who says they love God must remember that if we, support, or promote what this world offers which is “associated with its beliefs, behaviors and customs, and or “being devoted to or accepting of its values, interests, practices and pleasures”, is damaging to our relationship with God. “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”, 1 John 2:15b NIV. Because most are a contradiction to what pleases God and also to what scripture teaches us which we studied last week,
Three harmful consequences for a Christian for loving the world.
- Loving the world destroys our fellowship with God and our love for God, 1 John 2:15.
- Loving the world denies or rejects or contradicts our faith in God, 1 John 2:16.
- Loving the world jeopardizes our future with God, 1 John 2:17.
At this point someone might ask, well then what are these things of the world, be more specific. If we read God’s Word and sincerely seek to do His will, the Holy Spirit will speak to you about what God’s Word says and many things in our lives that are not pleasing to God and are contrary to His will for us as His Children.
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.
John 14:23-24
“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
1 John 3:24
Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.
Doing what pleases God is the result of living in the will of God. Waren Wiersbe gives us this insightful explication. “John is contrasting two ways of life: a life lived for eternity and a life lived for time. A worldly person lives for the pleasures of the flesh, but a dedicated Christian lives for the joys of the Spirit. A worldly believer lives for what he can see, the lust of the eyes; but a spiritual believer lives for the unseen realities of God. A worldly minded person lives for the pride of life, the vainglory that appeals to men; but a Christian who does the will of God lives for God’s approval.
As disciples of Christ how much of loving the world that we know is part of our lives but we find it hard to give up because of the fear of being different or even ridiculed in the eyes of those who find it convenient to love the things of this world? Missionary martyr Jim Elliot wrote, “He is no fool who gives (up) what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Ephesians 4:17-19
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
Ephesians 5:15-18
15 Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
“The world gets into a Christian through his heart: “Do not love this world” “Anything that robs a Christian of his enjoyment of the Father’s love, or of his desire to do the Father’s will, is worldly and must be avoided. Every believer, on the basis of God’s Word, must identify those things for himself. A Christian must decide, “Will I live for the present only, or will I live for the will of God and abide forever?” – Wiersbe
Pastor John
