2:15-17 How is "the world" defined in this context?
2:15-17 How is "the world" defined in this context?
The world in scripture applies not only to material, but also to abstract things which have spiritual and moral (or immoral), values (cp Jas 4:4). "The world", both here and in 1 Jn 2:15-17 designates all that is alienated from and hostile to God. It refers to the sphere of human activity in which we live which is dominated by selfish ambition, pride, greed, self-gratifying pleasure, materialism, and evil desire. The world hates Jesus and all who follow Him (cp Jn 1:10-11; 7:7; 15:18-25; 17:14; 1Jn 3:13). The spiritual force behind the world is Satan.
He is the God of this world (cp Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2Cor 4:3-4; 1Jn 4:4; 5:19). Wickedness in 1Jn 5:19 (KJV), means literally "the wicked one" - Satan. The world encompasses all that is evil (cp Mt 18:7; Ga 1:3-4; 2Pe 2:20). Much in the world system is religious, cultured, refined and intellectual. But it is anti-God and anti-Christ. It is a culture that exalts power and celebrity. Satan's strategy is to disarm the church by assimilating it into the world system. Many Christians are materialistic and pleasure-seeking, and many church programmes are packaged to accommodate the culture of the world more than for worshipping Jesus. Christians caught up in these things are in grave danger of forfeiting their salvation. They cannot serve God and Satan (cp Lk 16:13-14; Ro 6:16; 1Cor 10:21-24).
The lust of the flesh in 1 Jn 2:16 refers to the passionate cravings of the sin nature; the preoccupation with gratifying physical desires. These desires include obvious sins such as sexual immorality and murder, but they also include less obvious sins such as selfish ambition, hatred, jealousy and such like. (cp Ga 5:19-21). The lust of the eyes refers to the evil desires that may be aroused by what we see (cp 2 Sam 11:1-4 with Mt 5:28; 1 Cor 10:1-6). Satan uses the eyes to incite evil desires. This includes the desire to watch pornography, violence, ungodliness and immorality in the theatre, television, movies and magazines. Jesus issues a dire warning in scripture to Christians using their eyes for this purpose (cp Mt 6:22-23, 18:9).
"The lust of the eyes" also applies to craving and accumulating material possessions (cp Lk 12:15-31). The pride of life refers to an insolent and empty assurance which trusts in the things that serve the creature life and despise the things of God. It is a vain assurance in one's own resources: wealth, prominence, achievement; being obsessed with one's status or importance (cp Jas 4:13-16). Everything that arouses pride is part of the satanic world-system and will result in tragedy for Christians if they succumb to it (cp Pr 16:18-19; 27:1; 29:23; Ecc 5:10-16; 1Ti 6:6-10).
Christians are in the world, but they are not of the world. We must only ever see ourselves as strangers and pilgrims in the earth (cp Jn 17:11-12, 14-17; He 11:13; 1Pe 2:11). We must never allow ourselves to be ensnared by the pleasures and promises that this life may offer (cp Mt 16:24-27; Lk 12:15; Ga 6:14; Eph 6:11-18). Christians cannot love the world or the things of the world, because everything the world loves, God hates (cp Lk 16:15). Furthermore, the world and all it contains is only temporary. It is destined to be destroyed by God and even now it is passing away (cp Isa 33:1-11; Dan 2:34-35; 1Cor 7:31; 2Pe 3:5-7, 10-12). See also comments on Lk 16:14-15, Jn 15:18-25, Ga 6:14, Jas 4:1-4, 2Pe 3:1-7).