Don’t Love the World | 1 John 2:15-17

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to drift at the beach? When we lived close to the east coast, every time we went to the beach, we would tell our kids the same thing: “Stay close. Look at where we are sitting. Pay attention.” They nod their heads like they understand, then run into the water to play. Thirty minutes later, they come walking back up the beach looking confused and upset, saying, “Where did you go?” We always want to say, “I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve been sitting in the same chair the whole time.” The problem is that while they were playing in the waves, the current was slowly carrying them farther down the beach. They didn’t notice it because everyone around them was drifting too. The people beside them were moving, the people behind them were moving, and everything around them was drifting at the same pace, so it felt normal. Then suddenly they looked up and realized they were nowhere near where they started. That’s exactly how spiritual drifting works. Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to stop following Jesus. We simply stop paying attention. Because everyone around us is drifting too, it doesn’t seem like we’re moving. But the current of our culture is never drifting toward godliness; it is always drifting away from God. Left to ourselves, we don’t accidentally become more holy, more devoted, or more like Christ. We drift toward the world one comfortable compromise at a time.  

John is writing so that we can “know” that we have eternal life. He wants believers to have blessed assurance. But he also doesn’t want us to have false assurance. Our confidence must be built on Jesus and what He has done for us. Having assurance does not mean we are never tempted or that we never stumble. It does not mean there won’t be days when we drift. The world is constantly trying to disciple our desires away from Jesus. John is warning us that if we are not intentionally following Jesus every day, we will naturally drift away from Him. In these verses, John is telling us to not love the world but follow the ONE who has overcome the world.