Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Love the Father, Resist the Sins of this World

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:13-17

Key verse: 15 " Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world,”

DEVOTION

One of the first Bible verses children memorize is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” This verse became well-known in American society during the early 1970s because of a man “15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world,”
named Rollen Stewart, who would strategically position himself at popular sporting events so that the television cameras would capture his sign that simply said, “John 3:16.” Naturally, people would open their Bibles to see what it said. Because of this man, generations learned about the love of God that is available to them. Rollen Stewart is now in jail, serving three consecutive life sentences for multiple kidnapping charges. (The topic of Christ being preached out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, can be discussed within CEF another day.) 
In my early years as a believer, I struggled with the 1 John passage, specifically verses 15-17, because the gospel of John clearly states that God loved the world so that He gave His beloved Son as the ultimate sacrifice. How then can our God ask us not to love the same world? 
The answer is Semantic Range! This simply means that any one word may have distinctive and different meanings. Kosmos is the Greek word for “world” used in both passages, but in John 3:16 it means “humanity” while in 1 John 2:15, it refers to the “sinful world system.” 
This makes complete sense! We must love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. God also demands that we love our neighbors and His creation just as He loved humanity! He does not want us to love the unchecked physical or sensual desires of our flesh, materialism, and greed that lead to jealousy, pride, and self-centeredness, which are in rebellion against God’s standards. He demands we love Him and His creation - not to withdraw from people or the world physically, but to resist its immoral values, which corrupt us!

 

PRAYER

 Dear Lord, teach us to love You and our neighbors sincerely, and help us avoid loving the corrupt values of the world for our gain. 

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 “Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them through his blood.” - When I Survey the Wondrous Cross by Isaac Watts


Dr. Ron Jacob
Long Island MTC, New York

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