“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 NASB1995)
The word “love” here means “to prefer.” We are not to be
those who prefer (embrace, desire, choose) the world – the lust of the flesh
and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. We are not to prefer
what is of human flesh, and that which is contrary to the will and purpose of
God for our lives. We are not to long for and desire what is of our sinful
flesh and is ungodly and unholy. We are not to be worldly people, in other words,
who prefer what is immoral, sinful, rebellious and opposite of what is holy and
godly.
For Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross so that
we will die with him to sin and now walk in holiness and righteousness, in
walks of obedience to his commands. We are no longer to live as the ungodly do,
according to the sinful passions of the flesh. We are not to be selfish people
who do whatever it is that our flesh wants while we disregard what God wills
for our lives. But we are to be separate (different, unlike) the world because
we are being conformed by God to the likeness of nature of Jesus Christ, our
Lord.
Yet, we live in a day and time when it is barely
distinguishable between the church and the world. “Christian fellowships” often
mimic worldly gatherings, where people gather together in groups to play games,
have fun, tell jokes, eat food, watch movies, and say nothing about Jesus
Christ and of our walks of faith in obedience to the Lord for the encouragement
of one another. And there is nothing inherently evil about playing decent games
and having good clean fun, but the world is now replacing the Lord in so many
people’s lives.
And so many people professing faith in Jesus Christ are no
different, in lifestyle, and in practice, from those who make no professions of
faith in the Lord Jesus. They all just blend together as one. And that is what
Satan wants. And that is why he has convinced so many people to alter the
gospel of our salvation to exclude God’s requirements for death to sin and
walks of obedience to our Lord in surrender to God’s will and purpose for our
lives, in holy living. For Satan wants us to not be different, but to be like
the world.
But if we prefer to live like the world, and to follow after
fleshly, worldly, and sinful desires, rather than to follow our Lord in
surrender to his will, in walks of holiness and in obedience to our Lord, then
the love of God the Father is not in us. We are not in fellowship with Jesus
Christ, and therefore we do not have salvation from sin and eternal life with
God if we continue in that practice, and if we do not repent of our sins and
now obey God, in practice. For it is the one who does the will of God who has eternal
life with God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John
6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1
Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32;
Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2;
1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Do You Love Me?
An Original Work /
July 24, 2013
Christ’s Free
Servant, Sue J Love
Do you love Me now?
Will you seek My
face?
I have given you
My love and My
grace.
Will you walk with
Me
Ev’rywhere I lead?
Will you find in Me
All of what you
need?
Won’t you meet with
Me
Down upon your
knees?
Will you obey Me,
And do what I
please?
Will you hear My
voice
Speaking now to you?
I am couns’ling you
To abide in truth.
I have died for you;
Taken all your sins
–
Crucified with Me,
You have been
forgiv’n.
I have set you free
From your slavery,
So that you can now
Live in victory.
Love Not the Things of the World
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