We have got to learn to reject the lie that says there is no love that is out of bounds because ultimately that's a lie that says there is no truth in God.
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
You see what's happening here? This "do not love the world" is not God saying listen there's good stuff out there that I want to keep from you. That's the LIE of the serpent this "do not love" says that what might look good to you and may even feel good to you, but in the end, you will perish...I'm calling you away from it because I actually do love you and in loving you, I want you to abide in God to remain in God and to not perish. Love can be sinful. Remember this, it's an important word for our day "love can be sinful" we live in the midst of a culture that needs to hear that from us because it's coming at us with this whole Love Is Love mentality...and how can you be against love? Nobody can be against love, certainly Christians can't be against love because God is love and we are called To Love. Therefore, how can you stand in the way of any two people who love one another, but our text today makes it very clear that there are instances when love can be sinful in other words, this is more than just a theoretical theological discussion for us to have. This is a very practical rubber meets the road issue, this issue of love being sinful. The question is what makes love sinful? What could possibly make love sinful? Under what circumstances would love be considered sinful? Well first of all love becomes sinful when it is directed at the wrong object look at 1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Do not love the world... now it's very important to note that this word world especially in Johannine literature is used in at least three different ways first of all the world can refer to all creation you see this in John 1, John 3, John 4, John 6, John 7, and John 8 over and over again this word Cosmos refers to all the world to all the created Universe. John is not saying here that we should not love this universe, this world, this Earth that God created that's not what's being said here. Secondly the term World refers to the people that inhabit this world that God created, and God is not saying do not love people, do not love mankind, absolutely not. We know that it doesn't mean that because the love that we're called to give even to our enemies because the what the great commandment says..."love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself" so John can't be talking about that first world here and he can't be talking about that second world here that would be a contradiction, however there is a third use of the term world and that third use refers to the spiritual realm that is in opposition to God and in Rebellion against his kingdom. It is that third sense of world that is being discussed here so when John says do not love the world, he's saying your love becomes sinful when it's directed at that system that is anti- God. That system that is anti-Kingdom. That system that is satanic. Love becomes sinful when it arises from the wrong source. Not only when it's when it's pointed in the wrong direction, pointed toward the wrong object, but when it arises from the wrong source 1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the father but is from the world." So, there's a problem, first with the object and now here there's a problem with the source but finally and ultimately and most importantly our love becomes sinful when it produces the wrong fruit. When it leads to the wrong ends look at 1 John 2:17 "the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." Here you have these two opposite ends, on the one hand you have this world that is passing away and on the other hand you have our God who abides forever. Love becomes sinful when it leads to wrong ends and produces wrong fruit, our passions become sinful when they are pointed in directions that lead to death and destruction as opposed to leading to life the poignant way in which this is so pertinent to our times. Because of the Love Is Love crowd particularly in the area of same-sex marriage. How can you be opposed to same-sex marriage when same-sex marriage is just about people who love each other being allowed to express that love, but that's a love that's pointed at the wrong object. That is not a love that comes from God or that brings glory and honor to God. It is pointed at the wrong object. It is a love that arises from the wrong Source. Look at Romans chapter 1 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error."
If a man comes to me talking about a desire for a woman who is not his wife, I'm not going to tell him to just go ahead and embrace the desire because the desire in and of itself is okay...IT'S NOT.
Love is not Love. Love is not telling a person to do what makes them happy or makes them feel good. Love is being truthful and trying to keep them from an eternal damnation...sometimes it tough and hard to say and hard to hear, but it truly is love.
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