Choose that the Father Loves
[ The Fleeting World Opposes Eternal God ] Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the boasting of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
Choose that the Father Loves
Do not love the world
—Jesus when He was on earth, told very clearly, “The command that I give is that you should love God and love one another, as you love yourself.” Love was given to His apostles and followers or to believers. It was a command, not suggestion.
The same, God told:”Do not love the world or the things in the world.”
—Sometimes our priorities with regard to love are not consistent with Christian morality. God should be loved above all, but we live in the world where people love things in the world over the One Who Has Created Everything.
That’s why John, the beloved apostle wrote extensively about love. To that extent, “God is love, Love is God.” He wrote in his epistle. People used to ask “Why there is four gospel?” There are Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The fourth gospel extensively narrates about the love that’s been showered upon human beings, the love that should flourish and flow in and through us. That love should discard the love for the worldly.
If anyone loves the world,
—it’s a conditional statement.
the love of the Father is not in him.
—Yes, these two are, according to John, incompatible. They don’t go together. Nobody can sail two boats simultaneously. Love of money or that of the world and the love of God do not coexist. You have to give up one and embrace what your heart says is the right thing.
For everything in the world
— everything in the world. Is there anything that is excluded? No. Everything means everything.
the desire of the flesh,
Paul also says “The spirit is willing but flesh is weak.” Definitely. Flesh is weak. It is fading, it is decaying, it is dying, it will disappear. That is why we cannot prioritize carnal over spiritual.
the desire of the eyes,
—eyes are one of the worst that can lead us into any sort of sin, if you do not have a right awareness or control over it. We are living in a world where industry entices people to buy, all that they do is place icons holding that, wearing that, using that advertisement.… people want to see, enjoy and possess all that they love to see… be it a jewel, be it a car, be it a electric or electronic gadget, be it a human being, be it a costume, be it a shoe, or what not.
and the boasting of life
—we are living in a world where people boast about so many things, about their knowledge, about their talent, about their educational prestigious background, about their family, about their ethnicity, about their color, about their salary, about their capabilities of many sort.
John says, “is not from the Father”
—these things, boasting is devil’s duty. The person who believes in the Father has the same attitude of His Own Son Jesus.
Didn’t the apostles say, “Let the mind of Jesus Christ be with you. Let it be the same with you as it was with Him.” ? If you have something else, it is from the world. So we need to have a clearcut distinction whether we are going to be with the Father or with the world.
Joshua told, “Me and my household we choose the God, the Lord.” , and the people regretted their choice of the world and worldly.
May we not fall into the temptation of the world and worldly, cardinal, desire of the eyes or boasting. But, at any cost, choose to always cling to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Loving Father, Thank you for warning us against the fleeting world and its desires. Let Your Spirit give us conviction that we may hold on to You, and only choose You and Your Son and Your Spirit. In Jesus’ Most Humble Name, Amen.