World Connection! (part 2 of 4)

God so loved the world that He sent His Son to provide the means of eternal life. In what way is OUR OWN LOVE DIRECTED in connection with this world? To what are OUR AFFECTIONS attached!

John exhorted. . .
“(15) 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. (16) For all that is in the world -- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions -- is not from the Father but is from the world. (17) And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” ( 1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

Not love the world? But isn’t that what John 3:16 stated “God so loved”? The world John had in mind here is different than what was noted in the words of Jesus in John’s Gospel. The term “world” may refer to this globe on which we live, the people living on it, or the tendencies (worldliness or worldly things such as the inclinations of fleshly man) of the world. In the context of John’s exhortation he noted the world to which he was referring as “the things” in it in contrast to what is associated with the Father. To love “the things in the world” can easily sidetrack us from the things of God. Therefore our focus needs to be most on that which is lasting, rather than on that which will pass away. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy he noted those whose lives were marked by misdirected AFFECTIONS; being lovers of self, money, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, heartless, not loving good, and lovers of pleasure instead of being lovers of God. ( 2 Timothy 3:2-4 ESV) What is that toward which OUR LOVE is being directed?

In this world we are to be involved not in doing the world’s will, but rather in having a LOVE AFFAIR WITH DOING THE WILL OF GOD. It is through the abiding connection with God’s Will that we have the assurance of abiding forever. Let us guard against OUR AFFECTIONS being connected to the wrong realm. May we instead find the ways in which while living in this world we can connect with it in the LOVE OF GOD so as to draw others toward Him and the wisdom of His Will.

Have a great day MAINTAINING PROPERLY DIRECTED AFFECTIONS!
Carl

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