Love And Loyalty In A Dangerous World
Do not love the world … For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of his eyes and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
1 John 2:15-16
It’s easier to worship what is seen than what is unseen—which helps explain why many love the creation and neglect the Creator.
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But as Paul points out in Romans 1, love for the world, when set above love for its maker, opens the door for a downward spiral of degradation—a theme John explores in chapter two of his letter, and Andrew Murray probes in this insight.
WALK WITH ANDREW MURRAY
“The world is the power that mankind has fallen under through sin. And the god of this world, in order to deceive mankind, conceals himself under the form of what God has created. The world surrounds the Christian with temptations, as was the case in the Garden of Eden. We find in Genesis 3 the three characteristics which John mentions:
“1. The lust of the flesh—‘The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food.’
“2. The lust of the eyes—‘… pleasing to the eyes.’
“3. The pride of life—‘… desirable for gaining wisdom.’
“And the world still offers us desirable food and much to please the fleshly appetites.
“Christian, you live in a dangerous world! Cleave fast to the Lord Jesus. But remember: There must be daily fellowship with Jesus. His love alone can expel the love of the world. Take time to be alone with your Lord.”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
Food, wealth, beauty, knowledge—none of these is, of itself, evil. The problem comes when you—like Eve—shift your love and loyalty from the one who made you to the things he made for you.
As Andrew Murray suggests, the cure for a misplaced love for the world is deeper love for the Lord, a passion that grows with every hour you spend in his presence.
