Proclamation:
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for The
Father is not in them. For everything in
the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
comes not from The Father but from the world.”
1 John 2:15-16 (NIV)
Explanation:
These words were written by the apostle John, under the
influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to all who believed in Jesus, The
Christ. He begins this second chapter by
urging them not to sin. He tells them
that if they know and love The Lord God, then they will keep His commands. (1
John 2:1-6) He also tells them that
anyone who hates his brother or sister still lives in darkness. (1 John
2:9-11) Then he tells them not to love
the world or anything in the world because if they do, then the love of The
Father is not in them. He goes on to
warn them not to deny The Son of God, (1 Peter 2:22-23) encouraging them instead
to hold on to that which they have already been taught so that they will be
ready when The Lord returns. (1 John 2:24-29)
Application:
Nothing in this world should be more important to us than
The Lord God. We should not make gods of
anything in the world by giving them the primary place in our affections. We must put God first. (Exodus 20:3) There is nothing wrong with having
possessions, dear friends, or love ones.
The problem comes when we place too much importance on them and value
them above The Lord. If we love the
things of this world that much, then we are serving the prince of this world,
Satan. (1 Corinthians 2:6) If we put God
first, then all of the other things will be given to us. (Matthew 6:33 and Luke
12:31)
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