In the previous post, verses 10 and 15 were reviewed together. If you did not notice, the teachings of these two verses are complete opposites. Verse 10 is an exhortation to love the brethren, while verse 15 exhorts against loving the world. Curiously, however, the word “agape” is used for love in both verses. How can we express the highest form of love when directed at the world?
Today, we’re covering 1 John 2:15-17, and John exhorts against loving the world and the things of the world, for “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of love, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”
The instruction in verse 15 is to not prize the world above all else and to not be unwilling to abandon it or believe we cannot do without the world. When agape is understood to include sacrificial giving (i.e., lay down your life for your brother), the instruction here is to not seek after the world in the same way. Can we not sacrifice ourselves, our family, our liberty, and many other parts of our lives when we are devoted to the world? A workaholic certainly sacrifices family time, and the addict sacrifices quality time.
The difference between verse 10 and verse 15 is the object of our love. A love for the world is a form of idolatry, while love for others to the point of taking the gospel to them is a form of sacrificial obedience to Christ. One love seeks to fill ourselves with the pleasure of the world, and the other love seeks to empty ourselves through obedience to Christ. Love for the world is selfish, while obedience to Christ is selfless.
Our default is selfishness, but our calling is unto selflessness. We cannot be selfless until we are determined to imitate Christ and live out Christian perfection.
John’s exhortation to not love the world is founded on two principles. The first is that the world turns on lust and pride. 1 John 2:16 The second is that the world and everything in it are passing away, contrasted to God who lives eternally. 1 John 2:17
Pride seems to be the first sin of Lucifer, and it is the serpent’s appeal in Genesis. We see Lucifer’s pride in Revelation 12 in that he fights to the bitter end against God and the forces of righteousness. Anyone who will fight against God does so out of pride. Isaiah 14:4-23 and Ezekiel 28:12-19 also provide insight into pride. Pride is what drives nations and governments to become cruel and corrupt, and this pride seems to be found in Lucifer as well. Pride is rebellion against God, and Revelation 12 certainly lets us know that Lucifer is leading a full-on rebellion. Pride was at the root of the first sin on earth in Genesis 3:1-7.
This word lust is quite interesting. The same word is used in Luke 22:15, Revelation 18:14, and Philippians 1:23 where the word is used for devotion to Christ. Lust is an earnest desire and a longing. As with love, lust can both be a longing after righteousness, or it can set desire on things which corrupt and are forbidden. A desire for holiness and righteousness is rooted in selflessness, while lust of the world and lust of the flesh are rooted in selfishness.
As with love, desire can be directed toward righteousness or toward evil. One redeems our love and desire while the other corrupts love and desire.
Knowing that this present world is passing away should give us pause about holding onto things too tightly. Would it change our perspective if we knew that our vehicles, houses and prized possessions will one day decay and be burned up? We certainly cannot take them with us out of this world. All this highlights a misplaced desire. We should not set our desires upon things which cannot last. Rather, our desire is to be set upon the eternal, and then, it is to be placed on the eternal Christ.
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