YOU MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN THE LOVE OF THE FATHER OR THE LUST OF THE WORLD

SCRIPTURE:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15—17)

OBSERVATION:

            John sounded out a command and not a suggestion.  He said, “DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD OR ANYTHING IN THE WORLD.”  This is a strong command.  There are many attractive things in the world.  There are many seemingly good things in the world that seems to attract people to it. However, it’s not about things in the world that John warns about.  It’s about the condition of people’s heart and their attitudes.  The world operates in a very different place than God.  We are always given a choice about God and the world. 

            Jesus also made it clear that we cannot serve two masters because either we love one or hate the other.  John is giving the same reasoning here.  We must choose between the love of the world and the love of the Father.  If we choose the world and its ways and attitude, then it’s a clear indication that the love of the Father is NOT in us.  I must decide between the love of the Father and the love of the world.  John then put it very clearly, saying; FOR EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD is a life that is against God.  The world operates on LUST OF THE FLESH or fleshly desires.  LUST OF THE EYES is a life that is always guided by what the eyes see and desire and the PRIDE OF LIFE. 

            These are attitudes that are not of God.  They are all about human desires that are based on “LUST.”  A LUST is a strong desire that consumes a person that they hunger for it.  It is a hunger usually to fulfill a selfish human desire that does not glorify God.  This is why John differentiates what the love of the Father is with the Lust of the world.  The desires that humans have are often in conflict with their love for God.  The worldly desires are NOT from God. 

            John again emphasizes that the world and its DESIRES will pass away, but the one who does the will of the Father lives forever.  Worldly desires lead us to do what we want to do.  But our love for the Father leads us to do his will.  The one who loves the will and its desires WILL PASS AWAY, but the one who does the will of the Father WILL LIVE FOREVER.  Quite a stark contrast between the two lives.  We must choose life. 

APPLICATION:

            I struggle with the temptation to live in the Love of the Father or the lust of my desires.  It is not always an easy thing to do to live between two choices.  But I am grateful that the Holy Spirit reminds me of the stark contrast between living for my desires and living for the will of God. I choose to live for God no matter what my flesh pushes me to do.  I choose the life I have in Jesus daily. 

PRAYER:

            Jesus, thank you for reminding me of the love of the Father for me daily.  Please give me your wisdom so I may continue to make the right choices and follow your will in every circumstance.  I thank you that you love me and remind me today to choose right and to reject the spirit of the world around me.  I look to you for guidance and wisdom.  I choose you, Lord, over my sinful, self-centered desires.  Amen!