"THE FUTILITY OF WORLDLY LOVE”

“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

Today’s verse is one of the most famous lines in the Bible. John tells his readers to avoid loving the world and the things it offers. But what does “world” mean? It comes from the Greek “kosmos.”

This verse speaks of the world system that contradicts God and everything He stands for. This invisible entity is controlled by Satan and his cohorts. It is a lifestyle that defies biblical standards and promotes self-love and gratification. It makes man the center of the universe and seeks to keep people from worshiping God. According to John, a person who loves the world does not have any love for God.

The Lord Jesus gives the same warning in His Sermon on the Mount, though He emphasizes the love of money as a deterrent to the love of God.

The Bible tells us to avoid loving the world or the things of the world because they are contrary to the love that comes from God. A writer once penned, “It is impossible for love of the world to coexist with love for God, just as it is impossible for light and darkness to be present at the same time.”

This world offers things that appeal to the human flesh—money, power, and pleasure. Due to the fallenness of our human nature, we can be easily enticed to run after these things. But if we only do a heart check, when we’re out busy amassing earthly things, we have little to no time left for God.

I pray that we exercise discernment and see the world for what it truly is: a distraction from our heavenly calling.

Pursue the Savior today!