We are not to love what the world offers

I John 2:15-17 (NLT)

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

The emphasis of this passage is that the world (kosmos in the Greek) and God are opposite.  We are told not to love the world nor the things it offers you.  The things it offers you include a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything you see, and the pride that accompanies your achievements and possessions.  Yet it is this same Greek word that is used in John 3:16 that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, Jesus Christ.  So why are we not to love the world while it’s clear that God loves the world?

Kosmos has several translations from Greek to English. One is “inhabitants of the earth, the human family”.  This is the focus of the world in John 3:16.  Another is “the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ”.  This is the focus of the world in I John 2:15 and other passages like Romans 12:2.  The worldview of man and the worldview of God are different.  God created the universe including mankind to live in harmony with Him and with one another.  Original sin by Adam and Eve, caused by the same lustful and prideful temptations described in I John 2:15, separated man from God.  God still loves all people in His creation, despite their sins, while He hates what their sins have produced in the world.  Lust and pride have resulted in horrific wickedness in the history of mankind.  Lust and pride have produced an evil world system of rebellion against God, selfishness, lying, stealing, hate, sexual immorality, covetousness, and all the other evils that Jesus lists in Mark 7:21-22 and Paul lists in Gal 5:19-21.       

The three temptations—craving for physical pleasure (lust of the flesh), craving for everything you see (lust of the eyes), and the pride that accompanies your achievements and possessions (boastful pride of life)—that attack us every day were the same three temptations that the devil used to tempt Jesus (Matt 4:1-10).  Turning stones into bread (Matt 4:3) represented lust of the flesh.  Telling Jesus to jump off the temple (Matt 4:5-7) represented boastful pride.  Offering all the kingdoms of the world to Jesus (Matt 4:8-10) represented the lust of the eyes.  Jesus resisted and refused all three, all by quoting Scripture, setting the example for how we should resist the temptations of the world. If you profess to be a Christian, you act like one by resisting the temptations of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life.  These evil ways are not to characterize your life.  However, so many times we fail to resist them. 

God is not the source of evil.  He is the source of love.  Evil someday will be eliminated forever.  The world’s way and all its cravings will be done away with.  And those who please God will be saved.  The good news of the gospel, the really great news of the gospel is that all you need to do to please God is to accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Savior and do all you can to follow Him as Lord of your life.  You will stumble at times, but God will forgive you as many times as you ask for His forgiveness.

In the context of this passage, what must you do or stop doing in order to please God?  What world cravings do you know you have that are wrong and must be stopped?  What Scriptures can you use to help you resist succumbing to these cravings?  The availability of Google and Bing search engines will help you find the appropriate Scriptures to arm you to defend yourself against habitual cravings you know that you have.  Also being accountable to another Christian is a valid way to help you resist certain temptations in your life.  Do you have a Christian family member or friend you can trust to help you change and please God because of your new resistance to your former cravings/lusts?