What’s Wrong with the World?
October 22, 2024
1 John 2:15-17
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world nor 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 lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
Some days you look around and it seems the the whole wold has gone mad. So what’s wrong with the world? Are things really worse than they have ever been or are we just seeing the faults in the world system more clearly?
Some 2000 years ago, the Apostle John wrote his analysis of the world’s problems. He boiled it down to three things that cause all of the worlds problems.
- Lust of the flesh
- Lust of the eyes
- Boastful pride of life
If you think hard about it, it’s difficult to some up with any current problem that can not be put into one of these categories. Crooked politicians and war: boastful pride. Drug addiction and Diddy parties: lust of the flesh. Corrupt entertainment industry: lust of the eyes. I could go on, but you get the point. The world system hasn’t really changed since the age of the apostles, it’s just that the problems manifest if slightly different ways.
John’s solution was equally simple: Do the will of the Father. Having money problems? Do the will of the Father, work hard and tithe. Depressed and addicted to drugs or alcohol? Do the will of the Father and seek godly council. There are believers that can help you. Worried about the elections? Do the will of the Father. Pray for our leaders and go vote. The list is endless.
Now you may say that this is over simplified, and in some sense it is. But in solving problems, it is always good to remember Ocam’s razor: The simplest solution is almost always the correct answer. You can always complicate a matter, but starting with from the premise that you are going to obey the will of the Father will always lead you to His correct solution. Is this easy to do? Absolutely not! It was not easy for Jesus to go to the cross or for John to go into exile on the Isle of Patmos, but they did it because it was the Father’s will. Not all victories are realized in this world. We need to be aware that the Kingdom of God is not only on this world in this time, but is in heaven and is eternal. Doing the will of the Father in this world is guaranteed to produce blessings in the eternal kingdom, even if it looks like suffering and hardship in this world. So take heart, as Jesus said, “I have overcome the world”. (John 16:33)
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