Rejecting the World

"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" (1 John 2:15).

The world is opposed to everything God stands for.

Loving the world begins with thinking that God doesn't know what's best for you and is trying to cheat you out of something you deserve. That thought soon blossoms into a willingness to disregard God's warnings altogether and take whatever Satan has to offer.

Love of the world started in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day. Genesis 3:6 says, "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." What made them think the fruit was good for food or able to make them wise? God didn't tell them that. In fact, He warned them that they would die if they ate the fruit (Gen. 2:17). But Eve believed the serpent's lie and Adam followed suit.

Satan continues to propagate his lies but you needn't fall prey to them if you love God and remember that the world is opposed to everything He stands for. It is spiritually dead; void of the Spirit (John 14:17); morally defiled; and dominated by pride, greed, and evil desires. It produces wrong opinions, selfish aims, sinful pleasures, demoralizing influences, corrupt politics, empty honors, and fickle love.

You can't love the world and God at the same time because love knows no rivals. It gives its object first place. If you love God, He will have first place in your life. If you love the world, the love of the Father isn't in you (1 John 2:15).

Galatians 1:3-5 explains that Jesus says that "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore." Christ died to deliver us from Satan's evil system. What greater motivation could there be to reject the world and live to God's glory?

Suggestions for Prayer

Ask God for greater wisdom and grace to resist the world's influences.

For Further Study

According to Ephesians 6:10-18, how can you as a believer protect yourself against Satan's evil system?