Loving the Father

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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions – is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world…

1. This is an imperative use of the verb ‘love’
2. We are not to love the world
3. We are not to love the things in the world

If anyone loves the world…

1. This is the conditional use of if (Gk-‘ean’)
   1. It raises doubts concerning the fact that born again Christians end up loving the world
   2. It is most unlikely that genuine Christians will love the world
2. If that were the case,
   1. The love of the Father will not remain in such people
   2. God the Father will cease loving such people
3. The implication thus is that true Christians will not love the world

For all that is in world – the desires of the flesh…

1. The world is full of worldliness
   1. The desires of the flesh
   2. The desires of the eyes
   3. The pride in possessions
2. All of these are contrary to who and what God the Father is
3. This is part of the reason why the love of God is not in ones who love the world

And the world is passing away…

1. Added to this is the impermanent and transitory nature of the world
   1. It is passing away
   2. It is passing away along with its desires
2. Contrarily, those of us who do the will of God abide forever
3. This is another reason why the love of God the Father is not in one who keeps on loving the world (and the things in the world)

CHALLENGES TO TAKE UP

1. Let us stop loving the world
2. Let us rather seek to grow in loving God the Father
3. Let us set our hearts and minds on things above