1 John 2:15-16 (NIV) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

One of the things that I love about God's Word is that it pulls no punches. It speaks the truth and then let's you decide whether you will believe it and then live by it. It also is very sobering and challenges you to think about things that you would normally ignore. A good example of this is the passage of scripture above. Without it, you would think that it is okay to love the world that you live in and still love your Heavenly Father. But God, knowing the corrupting influence that the world has, wakes us up to what should be obvious. The world system goes against just about everything that God stands for and against the truth that He speaks and that He is. He is truth, but the controlling forces of the world would have you even doubting His existence.

Our problem is that we naturally love the world and the things in the world. We love them because they appeal to our sinful nature. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is what builds up the flesh and satisfies it...momentarily, that is. Then the flesh looks for and must have more. If we love these things, then the Word of God rightly points out that the love of the Father can't possibly be in us. There is no way that you can love a world that looks to denigrate or even deny the existence of the God that you love. The world, including its operating system, is manipulated by the prince of the power of the air, which is none other than Satan. There is no way that we can love the world and love God.

But how do we get the power to change the way we think and what we love? Well since its true that if you love the world, love for the Father is not in you, then the opposite is also true. If you love the Father, then the love of the world is not in you! It's one or the other. It can't be both and the evidence of one of those loves in your life excludes the existence of the other. Ask the Lord to pour His love into your heart through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). As He does, you will be so filled with His love and love for Him that any love of the world that was in your heart will be expelled because there will be no room for it. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and then love for the world will never be an issue with you. 

Pastor Joey Vazquez