DEVOTION – DAY 515

1 John 2:15-17 “Follow God, Not The World”

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of the God lives forever.”

The “world” in these verses refer to anything to do with sin. It is a world that is controlled by the Devil. It is a world that is against God and His righteousness. That is why the Bible warns us not to have anything to do with the world of sin. Examples of sin comes in the form of lust of the flesh, eyes and pride. Lust of the flesh causes people to engage in promiscuity, sexual immorality and acts of adultery. Lust of the eyes leads people to become greedy, materialistic, selfish and covetous. Pride causes people to be unforgiving, hard headed and hard hearted, and to look down on people who are considered “lesser” than them. 

The Bible tells us that all these sins do not come from God, the Father, but from the Devil. The Bible also reminds us that the world of sin and its desires are temporary and will be judged by God but what is everlasting awaits those who obey and follow God instead of the Devil.

A young new Christian faced daily struggles with the temptations of the world. He was in a relationship with a girl and he found it hard to resist the temptation of being sexually intimate with her. At the same time, he was also influenced by many of his friends and he wanted to maintain a lifestyle like them, where they follow trends, whether it was to get the latest IPhone, or a limited edition Nike Hi-Top sneakers. Trying to maintain this kind of lifestyle also caused him to have credit card debts. We had to help this young man see that falling for things of the world was destructive for him. His lust of the flesh and eyes have caused him frequent breakups and heartaches. He was also finding it stressful trying to pay off his credit card debts. We had to help him see that if he continued along this path of ruin and disappointment, it would be disastrous. We encouraged him to follow and obey the path that God had planned for him, a path that would lead to eternal life, peace and joy. We challenged him to recommit to follow the Lord Jesus. It is path of keeping his sexual desires strictly to be for his marriage life partner, and being contented with what he has, and not trying to keep up with trends. We are praying that he would make the right choice to recommit to following Jesus.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word that reminds us not to be distracted by things of this world but to stay close to you. Please help us to keep our eyes focused on you and your Word only. We humbly pray in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

1. What are some things of this world that tempts you and leads you astray? 
2. Why is it important for you not to be distracted by the things of this world? Discuss.
3. What are some steps you should take for you to resist temptations of this world? Discuss.
4. What are some steps you should take to remain close to and focused on God and His Word? Discuss.