Answer
A theme in John’s letters is love. In 1 John 2:7–11, the apostle encourages believers to exercise brotherly love, which Jesus exemplified. Next, in 1 John 2:12–17, he warns believers about a different kind of love that is contrary to everything God stands for, a love that God despises: “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 all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (verses 15–16, ESV).
Why is loving “the world” and “the things in the world” a sign that God’s love is not in us? In the Bible, the world is used in several senses. It can refer to God’s creation (the world of nature) and humanity (the world of people). But in 1 John 2:15 the world does not reference either of these.
“The world” in 1 John 2:15 is the fallen world system comprising the values, beliefs, and heart attitudes that are in barefaced opposition to God. In a state of sin and rebellion against God, “the world” and those ruled by it are under the control of Satan (John 14:30; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 6:12), who is “the prince of this world” (John 12:31).
The love of the Father is not in those who love the world because they have not yet been redeemed. They do not know God, who is love, nor do they love Him (1 John 4:8–11). They are separated from Him by sin. They cannot see their need, because “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
In Ephesians 2:1–5, the apostle Paul describes the experience of loving the world before salvation: “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” (Ephesians 2:1–5, NLT).
Before salvation, we did not have the love of the Father in us; rather, we craved the evil things of this world and followed the passions of our sinful nature. We “loved darkness more than the light” (John 3:19–20). But, thanks be to God, “Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live” (Galatians 1:4, NLT). Our Savior chose us to come out of the world (John 15:18–19).
After salvation, with the love of the Father living in us through the Spirit of Christ, we no longer “conform to the pattern of this world” but are “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind” (Romans 12:2). We begin to understand that “friendship with the world” makes us “an enemy of God” (James 4:4, NLT). At last, we can “know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us,” and we, in turn, “give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16, NLT). We can only possess God’s love and love like He does if the love of Jesus is in us (1 John 3:11–17; 4:20; John 14:19–24).
We cannot love God and love the world at the same time. “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world” (1 John 2:16, NLT). Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other” (Luke 16:13, NLT).
The world represents our self-centered life without Jesus. The world is separated from God and seeks its own way. When we live for ourselves, we do not live for God. If we love the world, we do not love God—the love of the Father is not in us. Ultimately, such a path leads to suffering and judgment (see 1 Corinthians 3:12–15; 11:27–34). One day, this world will fade away “along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever” (1 John 2:17, NLT).
