Because of my IFB background, I find myself sometime thinking about verses like this:

1Jn 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Wanting to demonstrate one's love for the Father, and that the love of the Father is in them, I suppose its understandable to go to the extreme and avoid anything that's enjoyable in the world. If all these things described are not of the Father, and it seems it'd be anything that non-Christians enjoy and brings them pleasure, you stay away from those things. You don't handle it, you don't taste it, you don't touch it if it has anything to do with the world. Which reminds me of this verse...

Col 2:20-23 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Regarding the first passage:

1) How are we to apply the verse to our lives (if its different from what I described above)?

2) When we examine our lives, how do we determine if we love the world?

__________________
B.Howes
Framingham, MA

Great questions, deep ones.

It's easier for me to understand this in terms of things that are inherently sin ("lust of the flesh") and priority of affection ("Love not the world...").

It has been said idolatry is perhaps the most basic human sin. John Calvin refers to the human heart as an "idol factory." Both are reflected in this verse. Idolatry is self worship ("the flesh") and loving things God created more than Him as Creator.

Now God is working things in this world according to His good ends. There is a transformation going on in the midst of bad and evil things. We can't completely comprehend that, but God is redeeming tribes, nations, kindreds and tongues for His glory.

One of the truly remarkable things is that God did create many good things in this world, not as a substitute for Himself, but he did pronounce His Creation good. Sin affects everything, but at the same time, He is in the process of redeeming it and He lets His people enjoy some of that as they seek to serve Him... and not the things of this world.

What we do with our time, thoughts, money shows a lot about what we value.

If we avoid His claim on "our" money (e.g. tithe) and "our" time (e.g. sabbath), it shows we need to repent, forsake and make restitution with a right heart, by His grace, before Him.

__________________
Scott
PCA
North Carolina


"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)"
Hebrews 10:23

It is necessary that we be in the world (not in a monastery) but while being in the world it is necessary that we not love it.

1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.

__________________
Bob, elder, RBC Louisville. 1689 LBCF

"... Of such also, or of those who make a credible profession of being such, all those particular churches consist, which constitute our Lord's visible kingdom. ... Consequently, all the subjects of His government must have spiritual dispositions, , and yield spiritual obedience- obedience proceeding from an enlightened understanding, an awakened conscience, and a renewed heart."- Abraham Booth 1788

Good thinking. Its interesting that some argue we don't need to keep the Sabbath because we're not under the law but under grace, etc. Maybe they're right, but if we see keeping the Sabbath as something we have to do rather than something we want to do, that's very telling.