“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world… 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”
1 John 2:15-16
“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” 1 John 2: 17
“…know ye not that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4
Do you love the world? I am not speaking of the beauty and wonder of the earth itself, but of the organized and structured systems of which it is built.
We have been deceived. Our attachments and desires weigh so heavily upon our souls that we do not even realize we are suffocating. We love our jobs, homes, and cars. We love our habits, routines, and schedules—from eating at our favorite restaurant to watching our regular television programs, we would rather do anything than serve and worship God. We are overlords of our own little universe. We love our wealth, status, and prestige. We love the little niches we have carved for ourselves. If we see something someone else has, we compare it to what we have. Our souls are forever wanting, our appetites never full.
We are but faintly aware that there is a vacuum at the core of our being, a desperate void that longs to be filled. Our little microcosm provides pacification without fulfillment, a counterfeit peace which distracts our attention from the sorrowful longings in the soul.
But Jesus promised us a different kind of peace than what the world provides: “My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, giveth I unto you” (John 15:27). Isn’t that interesting? The world offers us a form of peace, but Christ offers us a “peace which surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:7). And this peace is not obtained by knowledge or effort but by faith: “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).
You see, by loving the world, we unwittingly serve its ruler, Satan, the prince of this world (John 12:30, 16:11). He currently deceives all nations and peoples of the earth (Rev. 20:3).
One of the biggest lies the devil sponsors is that only gross evil originates from him. But scripture declares that, “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). His world policy is based on both human good (self-righteousness) and evil. Satan incorporates as much good into the world as possible while still maintaining his objectives. What are those objectives? To prove God a liar and bring in a counterfeit peace, thus obtaining the worship and glory rightfully due our Lord.
This may come as a shock, but the presence of evil in the world is something of an embarrassment to Satan, for it illustrates his impotence to execute his plan. Misery and depravity are not by his design, but rather, are the result of a creature attempting to take on more than he could ever possibly administer.
So this is why we cannot love the world, for it is all the cosmos diabolicus—the devil’s orderly, structured world system. Cosmos diabolicus is a latin theological term that refers to Satan’s domain and the scope of his authority. The cosmos diabolicus is vast. It includes governments, art, politics, media, education, the economy, commercialism, morality, and yes, even religion! It represents man’s attempt to live separate, apart from God. All of these systems in the world work together to numb man, to provide a counterfeit peace that cannot be sustained. And the revelation of scripture is that it all must ultimately be destroyed, not just the evil, but the entire heavens and earth must be annihilated and re-created (2 Pet 3:7, 10; Rev 21:1).
So whether you consider the world in its microcosm (i.e. our habits, routines, and the little empires we have amassed) or in the macrocosm (the cosmos diabolicus—governments, religion, the economy, etc.), just remember to keep it all in perspective. Don’t get duped into accepting that counterfeit peace offered by Satan and his world. For it is only meant to deceive you and distract you from your purpose in Christ.
Don’t love the world, but seek the Kingdom of God and all else will be added to you. We may be formed of the dust but deep in the heart of man is the fiery morning star seeking to shine forth. Though we were born terrestrial “earth creatures,” we have a dormant celestial identity, the mystery of which is unlocked in the heart by faith:
“… having received the promises… and were persuaded of them, and embraced them… (they) confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth”
(Heb 11:13)
We may live in the world, but we are not of the world.
Larry Word
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