When John wrote to believers the command to ‘love not the worldî’ he wasn’t speaking of the beauty and majesty of God’s creation. No, he was referring to the evil, corrupt world system that is ruled by the god of this world, the devil. Satan offered to Jesus all the glory, affluence, and influence of this world if He would simply compromise and by-pass God’s order. Of course, Jesus refused. However, each believer is confronted by the devil’s worldly snares. You see, this world and its system does not know God, and the Lord has placed us here to be its light because it is in darkness and corrupt.
God called Israel out of Egypt that they might serve Him because no one can serve God and the world at the same time. The spirit of this world and the Spirit of God are diametrically opposed, and the two cannot co-exist in the same place. He is, after all, God’s Holy Spirit, and the world is anything but holy! Whenever a believer begins to flirt with worldly plans and pursuits be sure that the loving, chastening hand of Jesus will soon arrive, because Christ does not want His bride condemned along with the world.
To come to Calvary is the final nail in the world’s coffin. The Lord wants us to shine in this world, not swim in its slime. We must follow closely the exhortation in Psalm 1:1-2 because we are flooded by many other philosophies that simply are not of the Lord.
Jesus went to the cross for the people of this world that all who turn to Him would have everlasting life. God’s eternal plan is to rescue man from sinking in the world. Noah had to get into the ark to be saved from God’s righteous condemnation of the world; likewise, man must get into Christ to be saved from eternal destruction.
Saints, keep yourself unspotted by the world. Don’t put yourself at odds with God over some worldly pleasure. Resist those things, and escape the corruption that comes with them. You’ve been saved to overcome; don’t settle for anything less.
