Before we put this passage in its context, let’s briefly note one thing: the nature of love. The Greek is, of course, the familiar agape (noun, the love of the Father) and agapao (verb, love not the world). There are three things to note.
First, love is exclusive. You cannot love the world with the love of
the Father. Friendship with the world
is hatred towards God (James 4:4). You
cannot serve two masters … you cannot serve God and money (Luke
16:13). So here: If anyone loves the
world the love of the Father is not in him.
Second, love is obedience. Jesus said this repeatedly in the Upper Room
Discourse (John 14:15,21,23,24,31). In
the last reference, Jesus used Himself as the example: I love the Father and
I do exactly what my Father has commanded.
This is something to note in 1 John.
The motivation to love the brethren is not obedience. It is the love of God. W love because He first loved us. The love of Calvary is what motivates us. But when you love God, you obey Him. So, we cannot say we love Christ and live in
disobedience to Him at the same time.
Last, love is sacrifice. Greater love has no one than this, that he
lay down his life for his friend (Jn. 15:13). There is a longer section on this in 1 John
4. The centerpiece is 4:10: This is
love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son as an
atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The Bible is full of those who loved the
world. The Pharisees loved money (Lk.
16:14). Jesus spoke of those who love
themselves (Jn. 12:25), and those who love the praise of men (Jn. 12:43). Diotrephes was a church leader who loved to be
first (3 Jn. 9). Demas loved the world
so that he left Paul when he was in prison (2 Tim. 4:10). Jesus made the point about who is and must be
the chief object of our love: Anyone who loves father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me (and also son or daughter; Mt. 10:37). Our love for God must be with all our heart,
soul and mind (Mt. 22:37).
Now, in the context of 1 John 1-2, the issue
if fellowship with God. There is no
joyous fellowship unless we come into His presence with one love. The imperative is, love not the world.
There are two causative statements
behind this in our passage. First, if we
love the world the love of the Father is not in us. If we say that we know Christ then we can
never be right or confident in His presence unless our exclusive, obedient and
sacrificial love is set on the Father. Second, the world is passing away. To live a life of love for the world is to
opt for what is temporal. That is not
the life of Christ. The life He manifested
and lived and gives to us by faith is eternal life. We are not living that life if our love is on
what is passing away. He who does the
will of God will abide forever.
Love not the world, neither the things
that are in the world.
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