PODCAST
God So Loved
February 19th, 2023
1 John 2:15-25
1 John 2:15-25 is jarring. John warns us that those who love the world cannot love the Father (v. 15). This seems at odds with John’s gospel, which tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
These two passages use the word “world” in different ways. John 3:16 tells us that God loves His whole creation, and is working to redeem it through Jesus. 1 John 2:15-17 is using the word “world” to mean a culture that tempts us to selfishness.
Ironically, when 1 John tells us not to love the world, it means that we should not be tempted by our culture to indulge in selfishness. This call to selflessness is a call to love the people of the world with the selfless love of Jesus. We love the people of our world by not indulging in the kind of selfishness we see around us. The best part of loving who Jesus loves is living our lives with Jesus.
Author: Steven Malcolm
