"Love not the world, neither
the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." -1st John
2:15-17
There are a few Scriptures in the
Word of God that come to mind for me more than others. 1st John 2:15-17 is one
such passage of Scripture. When I see what the sinful world has to offer, I am
often reminded of the Words... "Love not the world..." Tragically,
most people love the world. They love the sin. They love the nightclubs. They
love the pornography. They love the booze. They love being cruel and abusive.
They love those who mock and curse
God. They love gambling. They love worldly movies the entertainment. They love
worldly music. They love worldly TV shows. They love worldly singers and
actors. They love anything that is unholy and against God. They may claim to
love God, but John 14:15 teaches they do not.
What is the World?
What does the Bible mean by the
term "world?" The world is that mass of humanity which has alienated
itself from God and is therefore hostile to the cause of Christ. The world
lives for frivolous and meaningless things. So many people's minds are consumed
with their automobile, or their new barbeque. Others live for fishing and
hunting, or the latest fashion from France (usually some cheap looking
garbage).
It is tragic that the Word of God
means so little to so many people. Do you not understand that the same God Who
spoke the universe into existence also Authored the Bible? Yet people spit on
the Word of God by completely ignoring It. The world lives for its
belly..."Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose
glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things" (Philippians 3:19). This
describes the average person today, living for number one (self).
The world is nightclubs. The world
is materialism. The world is living for money, for a career. The world is
everything that this temporal life has to offer which draws us away from God:
away from holy living, away from obeying the Word of God, away from praying,
away from living for Jesus, away from soulwinning, away from giving to the
Lord's work, away from going to church, away from righteousness, and even away
from getting saved. The world is our enemy! It is God's enemy (James 4:4). If
we are friends of the world, then we are enemies of God!
All That is in the World
The "world" to which the
Bible refers to is BOTH the sinful world and the materialistic world. Something
doesn't have to necessarily be sinful to be worldly. For example:
There is nothing wrong with owning a car or a motorcycle, but you can easily
turn that object into a god that consumes your heart and mind, and that is
sinful. God warns us about ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD: the Lust of the eyes, and
the LUST of the flesh, and the PRIDE of life. So many people today are filled
with wicked pride, they don't care about Truth, or about the Lord Jesus Christ.
The pride of man is perhaps the
strongest known element in the universe. Pride sends people to Hell. Pride
keeps people from coming to Christ for salvation. Pride causes people to hate
and kill. Pride is what causes the feminist to mock God in rebellion. Pride is
what causes the world to hate Jesus Christ and those called by His name,
Christians. So many people are living without God. And then there's
those who profess to know God, but God is last place in their life. They do NOT
obey the Word of God.
God wants to be all-in-all in our
life. God doesn't just want to be first in your life, because then He won't be
a part of all the other priorities you have. We must include God (and the
Teachings of the Bible) in everything we do. Many people think they are putting
God "first" by going to church on Sunday, but then they forget about
God and His Word for the rest of the week. They are really putting God last in
their life.
To place God first means that we
look to the Scriptures for answers and guidance in every facet of our daily
lives, and then obey the Bible. Of course, you cannot even begin to please God
or put Him first until you've been BORN AGAIN by the Spirit of Christ.
Satan Only Shows Us the Neon Lights
of Sin City
The Devil never shows us what's
hidden behind the neon lights of Sin City. God hates the casinos, the
prostitution, the booze, the heathen music, the illegal drugs, etc... but He
loves the sinner's soul. The world hates God. The world is like a man shooting
a gun in one hand while playing a saxophone in the other, he drowns out the
cries of his victims with the saxophone. Is this not the world? While millions
upon millions of children are murdered through godless abortion, the music and
movies of Hollywood captivate our every thought.
While millions of children are
starving to death around the world, people are enamored with their hobbies and
toys. The Devil always shows us the well-watered plains toward
Sodom, but he doesn't show us Sodom. Lot "pitched his tent toward Sodom
(Genesis 13:12)," and before you know it... he lived in Sodom. The Devil
always looks for the weakest link, a way in. The world is controlled by Satan
(2nd Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2).
The World Passeth Away, and the
Lusts Thereof
Oh how wicked are the hearts of men
and women (Jeremiah 17:9). Do you not realize that nothing will matter 100
years from now except what you did with Jesus Christ and the Word of God?
That new car will one day be
returned to the earth in the form of scrap. In fact, EVERYTHING you own will
one day be returned to the dust of the earth from which it came. So many people
want to fight, go to court, and get even with others over money and materialistic
THINGS. My friend, the best things in life aren't things. Life itself is a
miracle of God.
The ability to go to work is a gift
from God. Our health is a gift from God. Children are a gift from God. Yet, so
many people take it all for granted and spit on God by rejecting the inspired
Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ" (2nd Thessalonians 1:8).
I must warn you that Revelation
21:8 says that "unbelievers" will be cast into the lake of fire, the
second death. Are you so foolish that you'd be willing to spend all eternity in
suffering and misery, just for a season of sinful pleasure in this wicked
world.
100 Years from Now
The millions of women who have
murdered their child with an abortion, will all be dead in 100 years. The
doctors who murdered the children will all be dead in 100 years. The godless
puppet Supreme Court who does as they are told will all be dead in 100 years.
The wicked people who make, distribute, and sell beer will all be dead in 100
years. The wicked people who own and operate the vile gambling casinos will all
be dead in 100 years. The evil bankers, lawyers, and politicians who are
destroying America will all be dead 100 years from now.
The wicked producers of rock-n-roll
music, rap, and adulterous country will all be dead in 100 years from now. The
godless music video producers and all the sleazy idols like Britney Spears will
all be dead 100 years from now. Their beauty will fade in the decades to come
and they will be replaced by more fools for Satan. Your world WILL pass away.
You were born with nothing and you can take nothing with you... "For we
brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out"
(1st Timothy 6:7).
He That Doeth the Will of God
Abideth Forever
"And this is THE WILL of him
that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may
have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." -John
6:40
The Bible is not asking us to give
up the world to be saved, as some foolishly believe. Certainly, the world is
wicked and NO believer should be of the world. However, all that God requires
for a person to be saved is simple faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour. The Word
of God is warning that a person's love for the world will prevent them from
coming to Christ for salvation. Jesus tells us the reason why the unsaved world
will not come to Him in John 3:20... "For every one that doeth evil hateth
the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be
reproved."
The world offers sinful pleasures,
materialism, and self-gratification; ALL of which are directly opposed to Jesus
Christ and the Word of God. God is simply telling us is 1st John 2:15-17 that
we need to get saved, and if it's the pleasures of sin that are keeping us from
coming to Christ, then we need to forsake the world and come to Christ. This is
what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:29-30 when He said it's better to pluck out your
eye or cut off your hand, than to go to Hell.
Jesus said a man would be much
better off if he were disabled (or crippled), than to be cast into Hell whole.
It is one's love for sin that keeps him or her from coming to Jesus. The reason
is because you can't be a Christian and truly enjoy sin, not the same way
unsaved people can... and unsaved people KNOW IT, which is exactly why they
refuse to come to Christ for forgiveness.
99% of the earth's population will
ALL be dead 100 years from now. What will anything matter then? What will all
of the money, fame, and pleasure in this world matter when we are dead and
gone? Are you willing to risk your eternal soul upon the foolish assumption
that the Bible is not God's Word? For eternity's sake, you had
better be right. Have you ever studied the Bible? It is frightening. The Bible
has NEVER been disproved. Don't you think you should at least do a thorough
investigation into the matter? Are you afraid you might find the Truth?
Where will you be 100 years from
now? You can KNOW for certain (1st John 5:13). You need to get saved friend,
i.e., you need to be BORN AGAIN by the Incorruptible Word of God. Please click
on "God's Simple Plan" below to learn how simple and free it is to
saved.
This world is temporal, but God
offers to us "eternal LIFE" through Christ Jesus. What a Wonderful
Saviour!
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