Focus 40 – Extreme Love
March 10,
2013
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love this world nor the
things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of
the Father in you. 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. And this world is
fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what
pleases God will live forever.
Love can be complicated.
When love is directed in healthy ways it brings out the best in us. It makes us better people who are more
strongly connected to God, ourselves, others around us, and what gives us
purpose and direction. When love isn't directed in a healthy way we pursue that which will bring us harm, disconnect
us from others, destroy our self-image, and lead us away from God. Love is the primary motivating emotion of our
lives. We must give careful attention as
to how it is directed.
According to this scripture, love of the world is a bad thing. What makes it bad? The world was created by God after all. When God created all things he proclaimed
them good. How could something that God
created to be good turn bad? To
understand this we have to understand what the scripture means when it refers
to the world. Simply put, the world
spoken of here is the world apart from God.
This is the result of sin entering the world God made. Sin took God’s good creation and brought the
possibility of bad. Loving the world
apart from God craves physical pleasure, a desire to consume or control
everything we see, and pride in our abilities with no thankfulness given to
God. God loves the world. God sent His Son to the world in order to
save it. When we love the world apart
from God we disconnect ourselves from knowing and experiencing God’s love.
The world apart from God will not last. It exists for a time and a place due to the
mercy of God. There will come a day when
the world apart from God will end. All
that is gained through loving this world will fade into nothingness. Misdirected love will not lead us to
everlasting life. Love that is directed
to God and the things God loves will last.
That love causes us to live forever.
What do we love? What do we
crave? Are they the things of this world
or God?
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