1 John 2:15-16

1 John 2:15-16 - Do not Love the world or anything in the world. If anyone Loves the world, the Love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has or does - comes not from the Father but from the world.

What is it that you Love? We are instructed to Love God and Love people. When Christ came He was our example. He lived a life of Love, showing us how to Love God and how to Love people. Christ also showed us what it means to deny yourself and the world. He resisted sin and temptation and followed the plan God laid out for Him. Now we must follow His example.

In this passage John talks about how we must not Love the world. He tells us that if we Love the world God’s Love cannot be in us. If there is anyone (besides Jesus) who knows about the Love of God it is John. He was the disciple that saw himself through the eyes of God as the one whom Jesus Loves.

As we look at this message of Love we must remember that ‘where your  treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ Whatever you value as your treasure is what you Love the most. If you love the world, then you value the world the most. On the flip side though if you Love God you find that He is your treasure.

So John tells us not to love the world and then he also explains what he means. Really it is your heart and attitude toward the world. It’s not the stuff itself that is bad, it is your attitude toward it that can make it bad. We see John talk about the ‘cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has or does.’

You see, It is not the things themselves, it is our attitude toward those things. It is the craving, lusting and boasting that make the things bad. Don’t let things consume you, that is what it means to not love the world. Instead let God consume your heart and your mind.