1 John 2:15 (King James Version)
15Love 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.
PARAPHRASED: Entertain not the ungodly multitude of this universe, neither the things that are in its harmonious arrangement. In case a certain one welcomes or approves of the present condition of human affairs, the affection of the Father is not in him.
MEANING: Let’s look at the first part of this verse, which says: “Love not the world”. What this says to me is – the word “love” used here means: to welcome, to be fond of, to be contented with, & ultimately God’s love (just to name a few). The “world” of which this speaks of, is the world of mankind.
So essentially, this is saying – we shouldn’t find ourselves contented with or well pleased with the harmonious arrangements of this ungodly (world). Why? Simply because, the world as we see it has been decorated & embellished by the present condition of mankind & all of its inhabitants will be totally destroyed!
It’s like this: when we welcome something or someone, that’s saying (whether we like or not) we approve of it or them. Therefore, if we entertain the ungodliness of this world (for whatever reason), we are displaying love for it.
Now, before anyone starts questioning the places & events that Jesus took part of, HOLD ON! Jesus has the “agape” love, which is the attitude & nature of God. Therefore, Jesus is not content nor has He approved of this world. How do I know this? It’s because He died on the cross for all of the sins of this ungodly world (mankind) & was raised from the dead for all that repent & believe in Him (John 3:16).
In other words, Christ was presented as the solution for this world, not the self-destruction of it (John 3:17-18)! Meaning – the verdict has already been presented as GUILTY; and Christ died so that those who believe in Him, will have their verdict of GUILTY…reversed.
Now, let’s look at the phrase: “If any man love the world”. This means – in case a certain man and/or whoever welcomes the ungodliness of this world because it is harmoniously arranged in a decorative setting, look out! This is virtually a warning that says: “don’t judge a book by its cover; read it first”.
You see, many of us view things from a distance & will come to conclusions (one way or another) because of this view. So this phrase is warning us not to be in awe of the adornment and/or enhance decorations of sin. If this is the case, SNAP OUT OF IT! This view will only lead to eternal misery in hell (to perish). Ask Christ to take you up & carry you away (receive you) to His heavenly dwelling place today!
Finally, “the love of the Father”! What does this mean? It means to me that God’s love is: perfect, complete, eternal, unchanging, merciful & gracious (just to name a few).
So the point to understand here is – the affection of God’s unchanging & perfect love, is not in the one who chooses to condone the works of this ungodly world, but the one who chooses to have life in Christ & displays this daily with action, thought, & words.
Look at it this way – the word “love” in this phrase means: affection or good will. It also means “love feast”. What is a “love feast”? A love feast is a Christian term that was established by the early churches to promote harmony, goodwill, love, forgiveness, & unity among the children of God. It was also something that was done by invitation in the sense of charity.
So the point here is – whoever loves this world, does not have the harmony, goodwill, forgiveness, unity, or the agape love of God in their spirit!
It’s like this: we can’t be in harmony with God & willfully disobey Him. We can’t be united with God & turn the LIGHT out every time darkness approaches (Matthew 6:22-23). How great is that darkness?
With that being said, the good news is this – Christ wants to invite those who are in sinful bondage pertaining to this world today to live an eternally free life with Him. Your invitation to the “love feast” of God has just been offered. Receive it with gladness in your heart & thank the Lord Jesus Christ for His “Agape” love. This is the mercy and grace God offers out of the charity of His heart! Enjoy your “love feast”!