Love Not the World Part 2
The dichotomy of love, whether to embrace it or to abstain, takes on a profound significance when we consider God's boundless love for the world with the Apostle John's caution against worldly affection. This stark contrast in Biblical teachings is not a mere intellectual exercise but a profound matter that demands our utmost attention and contemplation.
To Love or not to Love the world as God did
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him" John 3:16, 17.
The word world is the same in John 3:16 and 1 John 2:15. In Greek, "kosmos" means "something ordered." It is an "ordered system" like the universe or the world. From this Greek word, we get the term "cosmetic," which is used to treat the face as a whole. It is an ensemble, if you will, that performs together.
This performance is an interesting thought. Shakespeare coined the phrase, "All the world is a stage, and all the men and women are merely players; they have their exits and their entrances." But what is the play about, some will ask? Ney, none other than the incredible hypocrisy of humanity behaving one way in their heart and quite another before their peers.
It is for this world that welcomed God's Son with open arms when they thought they might be healed, fed, and rescued from the tyranny of Rome. Nonetheless, when stirred by the religious elite, they turned on Jesus like a hungry animal. Why? For three years, while healing all their infirmities, He told them the truth about their condition and the dire circumstances they would face upon death.
To Love or not To Love the World as God sees it
God's love is all the more spectacular when we consider that God has always been PERFECTLY aware of all mankind's hypocrisies, deceptions, and wretched behavior. He could never be fooled because He saw it all before it happened; He is not constrained by time. And here is the real kicker: He gave His Son anyway.
God's love is the perfect example of dying to self. Do not think of God in terms of men who need to die to self. We are sinful, and when we embrace the will of God in Jesus Christ, we are going from evil to profound good. When God chose to send His Son in the place of and as a substitute for the punishment that people deserve, He was dying for inherent evil while being intrinsically good. It does not make sense that God, who is good, should pay the price for the evil coming from the wicked hearts of men. Nevertheless, though it makes no sense, it is all the more loving.
To Love or not to Love the World, as John Instructs us to
"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
Is God asking us to do something different than He did? God loved the world. The answer is an emphatic no! We go into the world as gentle as doves and as wise as a serpent. We seek to pluck the wicked out of the fire without getting burned. Jesus gave Himself without ever compromising by word, affection, motive, deed, or thought. Can we say the same? As a man, Jesus Christ lived life to perfection. We are more vulnerable than He could ever be. We are warned that getting too close to the fire can be corrupting. Biblical theology can be profound, and there is a good reason for that: we need to be so entwined with Jesus Christ and find our identity in Him so we may escape the wilds of the devil.
To love the world or not to Love the World as Jesus did is the only way for a well-saved man or woman to fulfill God's will and word without going astray. Do you know your Bible backward and forwards to keep your feet on the straight and narrow, or are you too busy? I pray you will be busy about that, which will keep you safe from the world while reaching out to it.
Tommorrow I am going to post my Podcast entitled James: Do Not Love the World's Riches. Look for it on this website, I hope and pray that you will be blessed if you do.
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