Have you ever lived by a set of rules your church imposed upon you? Perhaps you inflicted them on yourself. Don’t go to the movies. Don’t go swimming or even to the beach. Don’t go to dances. This is legalism, and even in 2022, it is still alive and well.
Why would someone create a set of man-made rules that aren’t even in the Bible? It began with the Pharisees and has continued in many denominations.
Legalism seeks to control our behavior, but what about our hearts? What’s the difference between going to a movie theatre and staying home watching something similar on tv? God sees both, but people only see us at the theatre. Who are we trying to please?
Many times, newborn Christians create these rules to avoid loving the world. Certain denominations place these burdens on their members. So, what does not loving the world look like if it’s not a strict code to follow?
The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 2:
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 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. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:15-17 NIV)
Clearly, John wanted to get to the root of the problem: an unhealthy concept of love. We can monitor our behavior and live by rules created by men, but that will never correct the real problem. Who do we love?
In my early Christian life, I had a passion for traveling and remodeling my house. Both take money. When God called me into ministry as a writer and speaker, my passions changed, and so did my budget.
God demands to be number one in our hearts. Is that selfish on His part? No, not when He sacrificed His only Son to die in our place so we can spend eternity with Him. He wanted a forever relationship with us because of His great love for us, so He has the right to command our love for Him and others.
When we love the world, we have moved God out of first place and slid that evil world system into first place.
Exactly what does John mean by "the world"?
He’s not referring to movie theatres, swimming pools, vacations, or that new carpet for your living room. John referred to the world system ruled by the devil, the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:1-2).
The heart problems accompanying love for the world include (but are not limited to) materialism, status, climbing the corporate ladder, entertainment, and image. We might ask why this is a problem.
John gives us that answer in verse sixteen. The world is filled with temptation and sin. John lists the three avenues that lead to all sin: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We can find all three temptations when the serpent tempted Eve to doubt God and choose sin.
God gave the beauty of sexual intimacy to husbands and wives to share within the marital relationship. Immorality occurs when the lust of the flesh seeks sexual satisfaction outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Sex isn’t our only lust.
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." (Genesis 3:6 NIV).
Hunger is not sinful, but overindulgence or gluttony is. Eve had an entire garden of food to choose from, but the serpent drew her to the one tree God had forbidden. Satan still tempts us like that today.
At salvation, we became new creations, but we still live in a body of flesh. Daily, we battle the flesh, just as Eve did in the Garden of Eden. Sometimes, our flesh wins. The things we lust after are part of this world.
Next, Eve looked longingly at the shiny fruit. She saw it, and she wanted it. Have you been there, my friend?
I’ve given myself a budget, and hanging on the sale rack is the most beautiful dress in my favorite color. Since it’s on sale, we skip the price tag and head right to the dressing room. It’s a perfect fit, and I feel beautiful in it. That’s usually when I hand it to my husband, and before we reach the register, he whispers, “I don’t think this is on sale. It doesn’t have the red dot, and the price is ….” The price far exceeds my set budget, but I have fallen in love with it. That’s how Eve felt as she stared at the forbidden fruit.
Don’t we all love to say, “look what I did?” From early childhood, we learn to strive to do our best. Then we strive to outdo our best. We get the pats on the back and congratulations. Nothing wrong with that.
Satan had placed doubt in Eve’s mind when he told her the fruit would make her like God, knowing good and evil. She also believed his lie that they would not die. The death wasn’t only physical, but a spiritual death that separated the first couple from God.
I feel I walk a thin line with pride. Authors and speakers achieve many accomplishments by the grace of God, but when does it become pride? Once someone encouraged me to be proud of what I had accomplished as a blind person. I knew her intent was harmless, but I answered, “Carolyn could do none of that. That’s all God.” That’s not false humility. I know myself better than others, and I am in awe of what God has done in my life. I also know that the applause of the world sounds good, and I must remind myself over and over that the only applause that matters comes from God.
The world is passing away.
The final point John makes is that this world is not eternal. Everything is temporal. Job lost everything precious to him: flocks, servants, and all his children. He grieved when he lost his health, but Job refused to curse God.
We can’t discuss the love of the world without hearing from James. He penned:
"You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'" (James 4:4-6 NIV)
If we didn’t get the point from John, we definitely get it from James. When we love the world, we become the enemy of God. Is that too harsh? As time winds down, the world loses its appeal to us. God gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). He doesn’t give us those worldly desires we lust for. No, He plants His divine desires in our hearts.
I can hear an old song on the radio, and for a moment, I might tap my foot or sing along. All of a sudden, my life before Christ flashes across my mind. No longer can I enjoy the song because it reminds me of a shameful life of sin. The world cannot bring us pleasure. It certainly cannot bring us the joy and peace of knowing Jesus Christ.
Why does James use the term "adulteress people"? Loving the world in the life of a Christian is equivalent to a married person having an extramarital affair. That’s how serious this worldliness thing is.
Don’t beat yourself up. Look at the last verse in the passage from James. God gives us more grace. God doesn’t stand over us like a drill sergeant ready to strike us with a lightning bolt each time we fulfill the lust of the flesh or the eyes. When we get a bit prideful, He gives us the grace to handle it.
When we credit God for everything we have and do in life, we will give Him the glory. As we grow closer to God and walk with Him longer, the world will lose some of its shine. The most important thing to take away is the attitude of your heart. Where does your heart stand, with God or with the world? It’s not a matter of following a list of dos and don’ts. It’s a matter of the heart.
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