"Do Not Love the World"
“Love not the world, neither the things that are of the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all in the world that is of the lusts of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”
— 1 John 2:15-17
In many places in God’s word, we are called and even commanded to love. We love because God is love. We love because God first loved us. We are to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. The world knows we are Christians by our love and our love for one another. We are even to love our enemies. We were created with a great capacity to love.
But John’s “new commandment” (see v.7) seems to stand in contrast to all the commands to love. It even seems to stand in contrast to one of our most beloved scriptures, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish; but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Why is John saying, “do not love?”
Simply and frankly, even love can be sinful, and we live in the midst of a culture that desperately needs to hear that message. We seem to be bombarded every day with “love is love” and how can we be against love however it manifests itself. If any two people love each other, should they not be allowed to marry? Certainly, Christians can’t be against love because God is love and we are called to be loving. But John is making it very clear, love can also be sinful. What could possibly make it so? Under what circumstances would love be considered sinful? Love becomes sinful when it is directed at the wrong object which John says is “the world” and “the things that are of the world.” If these are loved, we sin. But “the world” seems a bit abstract and vague. What does he mean?
John, in his gospel and letters uses “world” in three ways. The Greek from which “world” is translated is not the same in every case. In some places he is using “world” to refer to all of creation. His second use relates to the people that inhabit our world that God created. Neither of these are what John is referring to when he says love not the world. The third use refers to the spiritual realm that is in direct opposition to God and in rebellion against His kingdom. It is this third use that John is referring to when he says to not love the world. Do not love that which is in open rebellion against God and His kingdom. This is the is the realm or kingdom of the devil. Your love becomes sinful when it is directed at that system that is in direct opposition to God. This becomes more obvious when he says that this world, the one that is in direct opposition to God, is filled with “lusts of the flesh”, “lust of the eyes”, and “the pride of life.”
If the object of love that fill one’s life are the worldly things that retard and hinder and endeavor to stop the forward movement of God’s kingdom, then God’s love does not dwell within. And we love something that will not endure and in the end, pass away. Someday there will be a new heaven and a new earth and the kingdom of the devil will have been defeated. Until then, we must live in the world that John describes. One that is corrupt and full of evil. And one that calls evil good and good evil and desires to allure us with our full capacity for love, to love what it offers.
Because some succumb and fall prey to its alluring ways, tolerance creeps into the body of Christ. Speaking about the last days, Nephi describes the time (our day) when the nations of the Gentiles “will be drunken with iniquity, and all manner of abominations.” (2 Nephi 11:116) And in that day, even in the churches, “there shall also be many which shall say, Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God, he will justify in committing a little sin: yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this. And do all these things, for to-morrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.” (2 Nephi 12:10-11) There are too many who “go to church” but tolerate sin in their life.
Jesus knows our every weakness. He knows how attractive the glitz and glamour of the world would be to us so before he went to the cross, He prayed. His prayer is recorded for us in the 17th chapter of John. In it, Jesus did not ask the Father to take His disciples out of the world. In fact, Jesus commissioned them to go into the world as His ambassadors. Instead, He asked the Father to protect them from Satan and his schemes, to guard them from temptation, and to make them holy through the truth of His word. He knew they could not be partakers of worldly things and fulfill their commission.
“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” (John 17:15-17)
And then He includes you and I in His petition before the Father, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.” (John 17:20) Jesus wants us to be in the world living lives that bear witness of Him, but He does not want us to be of the world and He asked the Father that we would be kept from its lust and pride. We can overcome because greater is the power that is in us than the power that is in the world. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. If we seek Him diligently, we will find Him. If we ask, we will receive. If we knock, it will be opened to us. (see Sec. 85:16) A.B. Phillips penned it well:
If alluring paths deceive me, Hold me closely by thy side.
Bid, O bid the tempter leave me; Let my heart in thee abide.
More than ever, I have felt that we must make a clear and distinct separation from all “worldly” things. The things that John is saying we should not love. James, who addressed the church in his letter, makes this distinction even more stark when he says that even friendship with the world is deeply troublesome. “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
Paul had to address worldliness and tolerance that had crept into the church at Corinth. He reminded them that they were to be the dwelling place of God but in order for that to happen, they had to separate themselves from their worldly ways. “… ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye the separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:16-17)
Jesus is coming. He desires a bride that is adorned but not with worldly accoutrements. Immerse yourself in God’s Word. Make it your delight. Know the truth inside and out so you can recognize lies when you hear them. Obey what God shows you in His Word so your life will be holy and above reproach. Yield to the enticing’s of the Holy Spirit. He is coming.