“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.”
If anyone loves the world,
This phrase begins the first of three reasons why we should not love the world. An absolute God cannot fellowship with someone who loves the world.
The word “if” indicates [in the Greek] that some Christians will love the world. They do not love God, for they love something else.
PRINCIPLE:
Buying into the world’s value system puts our Christian life in great peril.
APPLICATION:
Most Christians who talk about loving God do not actually love Him at all. They are in love with love, but not in love with God. They may say, “Oh, how I love Jesus. Isn’t Jesus wonderful?” but not love Him at all. This nauseates God ad infinitum. All that is, is maudlin sentimentality.
Christians who talk about loving God but do not engage with His provisions and assets do not love Him. We need to know something about God before we can love Him.
People who talk about loving God but do not actually love Him approach love as something casual. It is not enough to sing, “Oh, how I love Jesus.” We must know why we love the Lord Jesus.
2 Co 5:14-15, 14 “For the love of Christ [Christ’s love for us] compels us because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”
