Four Reasons Why Christians Should Not Love The World
The world that we live in claims to have a lot to offer but most of the things the world displays to us do not have long lasting results. This is the reason why no believer should love the things of this world. Here are four reasons why Christians should not love the world:
Because of what the world is: The word “world” in the New Testament has at least three different meanings. It sometimes stands for the physical world, the earth (Acts 17:24). It also means the human world, thus mankind (John 3:16). But the world we are looking at here is an invisible spiritual system opposed to God and Christ. For example, when a news caster says “The world of sports”, he/she is not referring to a planet but rather an organized system made up of ideas, people, activities, purposes etc. The world in the Bible is Satan’s system for opposing the work of Christ on earth. It is the very opposite of what is godly, holy and spiritual. The world is not a natural habitat for the believer because their citizenship is in heaven and all their effective resources for living on this earth come from the Father in heaven.
Because of what the world does to them: Worldliness is not so much a matter of activity as of attitude. It is possible for the Christian to stay away from things of this world and still love the world, for worldliness is a matter of the heart. To the extent that a Christian loves the world system and the things in it, he does not love the Father. Worldliness does not only affect your response to the love of God but also your response to the will of God. Anything in the Christian’s life that causes him to lose his enjoyment of the Father’s love or his desire to do the Father’s will is worldly and must be avoided. This is the very reason why we must be careful of what we listen to or what we give our attention to.
Because of what a Christian is: The Christian is born into the kingdom of God as a child and then through the effective use of the Word of God grows to becoming a youth and then to maturity. The matured believer is one who has an intimate personal knowledge of God. Because they know God, they know the dangers of the world. A Christian has the divine nature of God and therefore has no business dealings with the world. As a Child of God, you are not ignorant of the schemes of the enemy.
Because of where the world is going: One must confidently note that the world – the system in which we live in – is not permanent and shall surely pass away. Christians are strangers and pilgrims on this earth and should not tightly entangle themselves with the world. A Christian must decide, “Will I live for the present only or will I live for the will of God and abide forever?” The path of the world only leads to destruction. It promises life but only gives death. Stay focused on the Kingdom of God.
