Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

No améis al mundo, ni las cosas que están en el mundo. Si alguno ama al mundo, el amor del Padre no está en él. ¹⁶ Porque todo lo que hay en el mundo, los deseos de la carne, los deseos de los ojos, y la vanagloria de la vida, no proviene del Padre, sino del mundo. (RVR 1960)

Those who know me know my love for the Epistle of 1 John. Yet like all of the bible it can in the wrong hands be misquoted or misapplied. 

Here we have a good example there are many today who misapply the instructions of God found in verse 15 let us break it down:

Context: In v.1-6 John reaffirms Christ as our advocate with the Father, He is the propitiation for our sins. Then in v.7-14 he reminds the brethren to ‘walk in the Light’ and ‘love one another’.  Our main text is a warning to the church and it’s people: 

v.15 John can not make the warning any simpler or clearer; Do not love the world or the things in the world. How many churches and those “seeking” churches (note I did not write seeking God), love the world and all its trappings. They bring all the worldly things they can cram (Coffee shops, Gymnasiums, Rock climbing walls, the list goes on) into a facility in just to lure (like predators) bodies into their buildings. The churches are attempting to provide an experience for those seeking to experience God. Really is that what the Great Commission is all about? 

What does God have to say about this? If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Ouch, that is stepping on some toes. 

v.16 Why is the “world” such a danger to the church and its people? For all that is in the world— (the world can not and will not separate itself from) the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life^[a]— (All that the world has to offer, all that is of the world and you bring into the church thereby polluting it) is not from the Father but is from the world. 

Conclusion: As the old saying goes “There are always two sides to a coin” in this case there are two sides or actions on this verse both wrong. The one letting the world into the church we discussed above.  The other is the legalistic view where one takes separation from the world to an extreme. They are so concerned about looking pious and righteous they avoid any sense of interaction with worldly affairs. 

Why Christians Don’t Love the World

• Sermons, Grave to You/ John MacArthur
•  62-16 / Oct 27, 2002