Verse 15: Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Verses 15-17 comprise John’s appeal to believers to separate from their affection for the present world. But first, it is necessary to understand what Scripture describes as the world concerning its character, the ruler, the occupants and its future.
The reason this particular study is so vitally important for believers is stated concisely by Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer:
It is this, the specific study of what is one of the greatest doctrines of the New Testament, which many worthy men have failed to pursue; and, because this body of truth is so little apprehended, the great company of believers are unaware of the enmity which the world system sustains towards God and His people.1
So what is this world we are not supposed to love?
World Defined
In the New Testament, the predominantly used Greek word cosmos [κόσμος] is translated 186 times in our English for ‘world’. Bishop Trench explains the classical usage of this word:
‘Ornament,’ and obtaining this meaning only once in the New Testament (1 Peter 3:3), where we render it ‘adorning’…from this it passed to that of order, or arrangement.2
Biblical language scholars appear to agree with this analysis that Scripture employs the word cosmos to describe an orderly arrangement and specifically that it indicates an order in opposition to God:
The world, and everything that belongs to it, appears as that which is hostile to God, i.e. lost in sin, wholly at odds with anything divine, ruined and depraved.3
The New Testament writers clearly portray that the world is at odds with anything Divine, and that we are commanded to avoid being stained by the world (James 1:27), becoming friends with it (James 4:4) and embracing its lusts (1 John 2:16).
Who Rules?
The significance of cosmos is descriptive of the culture in which we live; that there is one who rules, wielding unscrupulous control over a cleverly structured order. While most people believe the world is the sum of all its parts, all the varying ideas and personalities, all of the different races and sexes, the Scriptures state otherwise. They reveal the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), and that “the whole world lies in the power of” this ruler, described as “the evil one” (1 John 5:19). This evil one is a real person, Satan, “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) and identified as “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Satan boldly asserted his controlling powers over the world when he tempted Our Lord in the wilderness:
“I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (Luke 4:6)
Dr. Alva McClain observes:
It is significant that Christ did not challenge Satan’s right to make the offer to surrender these Kingdoms. He viewed them as in Satan’s domain, so that Satan had the right to do with them as he willed.4
Our Lord proclaimed that Satan’s rule is only temporary and will eventually be cast out (John 12:31) and was eternally doomed (Revelation 20:10). However, we are assured by the Apostle Paul that Jesus Christ “is the head over all rule and authority” (Colossians 2:10).
The Wisdom of the World
It should be observed that for someone to rule they must have a plan of action, a philosophy that moves their plan forward. Scripture identifies that Satan’s wisdom is designed to oppose God’s wisdom. Paul asserted that “the world through its wisdom did not come to know God” (1 Corinthians 1:21a), and warned believers about this Satanic wisdom:
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8; cf. Galatians 4:3)
The ‘elementary principles of the world’ is descriptive of cosmic thinking that comprises all the opinions, values, aspirations, norms and standards of Satan’s world system that are indifferent to the Word of God. Against which Paul commands believers:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing [renovating] of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
The Occupants
There are only two categories of people that occupy the world according to God’s Word: (1) those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and (2) those under the controlling influence of Satan. There is no third possibility. Mankind, including believers, will either follow the wisdom of the Creator contained in the Word of God or they will embrace knowingly or obliviously the ‘elementary principles’ of Satan’s world system.
For most of those who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior, their eyes have been opened “so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18). While, those who have rejected Jesus Christ go about their lives unaware of Satan’s reign since he has blinded their eyes so that the light of the truth of Jesus Christ is obscured (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The Scripture makes it apparent that regrettably many believers are captivated by Satan’s world system and embrace his wisdom. Otherwise, the warnings to believers to “not love the world” would be unnecessary.
Conclusion
Believer’s today need to realize that our culture is ensnared by this Satan controlled world. It is considered ‘normal’ only based upon what the satanically influenced majority deem to be normal. It is a very foul place because of its ruler who blinds the eyes of mankind and has also been doing a rather nice job of blinding the eyes of God’s people. Satan does not work alone. He has his children of wrath and his demons—the “spiritual forces of wickedness” (Ephesians 6:12), indulging themselves with “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Ephesians 2:2-3). With Satan, they “unite as the ‘world’ to oppose the course of the believer.”5 But just as he is not alone in his efforts, we too are not alone. For John writes:
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he [Satan] who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
The hope and assurance of the Church is that Jesus Christ controls history (Revelation 1:8, 17b; 22:13), “despite the existence of opposition and evil in the world.”6 Therefore, we can overcome the corruption of this satanic world system. But we must become unified in our efforts to confront the ‘world’ according to Divine directives which have been given to us in God’s Word on how to live in this world even though we “are not of this world” (John 15:19).
[1] Chafer, (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 6.180.
[2] Trench, Richard C., (1975). Synonyms of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p.214.
[3] Arndt, W.F., Gingrich, F.W., (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, p.446.
[4] McClain, Alva J. (2009). The Greatness of the Kingdom. Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, p. 432.
[5] Barnhouse, Donald Grey, (1965). The Invisible War, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, p. 81.
[6] Thieme, R.B., Jr. (2022). Thieme’s Bible Doctrine Dictionary, Houston, TX: R.B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, p. 146.
© 2024 David M. Rossi
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