FEBRUARY 26 TUESDAY
LOVE NOT THE WORLD
MAIN TEXT: 1 John 2:15-17, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man 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 pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
Second text: 2 Corinthians 5:1-3, For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.
For in this tent we groan, longing, to be further clothed with our heavenly habitation if indeed, when we have taken off, we shall not be found naked.
A sound Christian life is a lifelong battle against three great enemies; the world, the flesh, and the devil. From our main text, John says, “Do not love the world,” he means the world as it is arrayed in rebellion against God.
A better meaning of this text is further explained in the next verse: “for all that is in the world, the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world”. The word translated “lust” means intense or unrestrained sexual craving, or an overwhelming desire or craving.” Lusts are cravings that control you.
Lust has as its focus pleasing oneself, and it often leads to unwholesome actions to fulfill one’s desires with no regard to the consequences. Lust is about possession and greed.
The fuel to fulfil lust takes a negative toll on the spiritual life of a person and makes them tied to this world forgetting that this not the final destination. Because of what loving the “world” does to the human soul, it makes it impossible to love the father. So in conclusion, is it a sin to enjoy things in the world provided by God our father?
Some Christians hate earthly pleasures, like nice food or comfortable clothing, is that what it means to love not the world? The answer is no, but we should be caution of our heavenly home and recall that this pleasure are a passing phase.
May God help us understand.
DO NOT BE SURPRISED, BROTHERS, THAT THE WORLD HATES YOU.
Prayer Point: Lord help me not to be consumed by the love for earthly things.
BY BISHOP NGOZI DURUEKE (HE REIGNS CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL) To send your testimony, write us: mylivingwaterdevotional@gmail.com.