“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.” (1 John 2:15 ESV)
The missionary task is, in one sense, to love the world. Missionaries take the gospel to the ends of the earth because they have a genuine love for those who have never heard the gospel and are lost in their sin. They recognize that every single human being on the face of the earth has a soul that will never die, and they follow Christ’s commission to reach them with the life-giving truth of the gospel. In this sense, we love the world in that we love the people who fill the world. Love for God results in love for the world.
However, as missionaries give of themselves because they love the people of the world, they must do so in a way that communicates a hatred of the world as the fallen creation that is in rebellion against God and is passing away. They—like all believers—must let go of their hold on the things of the world that will crumble to dust. Money, possessions, power, honor, beauty, and countless other pleasures the world offers should counted as nothing by those who truly love God. We may say, then, that love for God cannot result in love of the world.
This latter understanding is precisely what John has in mind when he says, “Do not love the world.” The regenerate person is to have no affection for that which is in opposition to God. As David says in Psalm 139, “Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies” (vv. 21-22). David’s statement is not antithetical to the missional duty but goes hand in hand with it. If the missionary is to be faithful in his or her task, there will necessarily be a separation from and hostility toward the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is our duty to hate that which hinders the building of God’s church and God’s kingdom. Thus, the love of the world and the love of God are mutually exclusive.
The chief affection of one’s heart cannot be both for the world and for the Lord. John’s exhortation is to put off the love of the world that comes so naturally to us, along with the “sin which clings so closely” (Hebrews 13:1), in order that we may walk in the light as we have been commanded to do. Not only is this how we live a life of obedience to Christ, but it gives strength and meaning to our work. If our affection is wholly toward the Savior, our labor for the Savior will be joyful and satisfying.
While it may be true that our emotions and affections are not always entirely under our control, it is our responsibility to cultivate rightly ordered affections. We will struggle with proper love as long as we remain in this body corrupted by sin, but we ought always to strive to heed John’s warning to not love the world.
John continues by saying, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” The person who loves the world is at odds with God to such a degree that he exposes his lackof love for the Father and the Father’s lack of love for him—he is spiritually separated from God.
John’s letter is replete with spiritual litmus tests so the readers “may know that [they] have eternal life” (5:13). Conversely, the one who fails these tests may know that he or she does not have eternal life. If we find that our chief love is the things of the world, we may know that we stand condemned, and our only hope is to repent and believe.
The things of the world are alluring, and our hearts are always prone to love them. If we are to be saved and to have assurance of that faith, it is only through the love of God penetrating our hearts and replacing our affection for the world with an infinitely greater affection for himself.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
The world is full of the momentary pleasures of sin which entice our hearts. Satisfy us with yourself and expel the love of the world so that we would be filled to overflowing with love for you.
For Christ’s sake, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for audiovisual ministry in Bangladesh.
- Wednesday: Pray for missionaries in Togo serving in well-drilling ministry.
- Thursday: Pray for missionaries in Chile serving with the Ensenada Discipleship Center.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries serving with the English Center.
- Saturday: Pray for missionaries working with Lost and Found Farm in the Philippines as they serve vulnerable children.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries serving in leadership development.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries serving in Mongolia.
Featured Opportunity to Serve:
Operating Room Manager
Location: Togo
We are looking for a registered nurse with at least two years of operating room experience to manage the operating room at the Hospital of Hope in Togo, Africa.
