Christ Church Bromley

A friend and I had a bit of wake up call this morning when we read the Bible together. 1 John 2:15 tells us not 'to love the world or the things in the world'. John defines the world very carefully for us in the next two verses. The world he has in mind is not a spinning globe but a system of organised rebellion against the Creator of the spinning globe: 'the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions'. It is all passing away. All the world loves most will become a few handfuls of dust.

It's all too easy to love what we can touch and see, but harder to love the God we cannot see. It's all to easy to desire what my friend has and want what he has got. God calls that coveting and it robs me of my contentment in obeying Him (which is foolish since doing the will of God means living forever v17). It's also easy to be proud of what I've got, a nice flat, house, car, all well furnished and looking good. It says look at me. What my life should be saying is look at the God who gives life that lasts forever.

If I love this world then, according to John, the love of the Father is not in me (v15). So I'd better pray: "Lord spoil the world that I may find my riches and my boast in Christ my God".