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1 John 2:15-17 

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

Jesus said, “If you love Me you will do what I command.” His commandments are not the impossible demands of a tyrant, but the Truth, that, if lived in the Holy Spirit’s power heal, protect, guide, rescue, restore and renew the life of anyone willing to take Jesus Christ at His Word. When God gives a command, in that command is a promise to empower us to do it.

Loving means obeying, actually submitting ourselves to the thing or one we obey in order to draw life, meaning and purpose from it. People try to draw a sense of significance, feeling loved, from physical pleasure. It seems to make them feel “alive” but for only a moment. It’s not lasting. Transient things and other flawed human beings don’t have the ability to define us or give us a sense of grounded-being. Trying to derive worth from what we might own or accomplish is so deeply flawed and fleeting that all it takes is a bank collapse or a fire that destroys all the worldly markers of success to dissolve one’s sense of self.

Being driven by “craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions” is actually the essence of idolatry. Life is sacrificed to try and obtain what we have been led to believe will fulfill and satisfy. It never does. If these things did what they promise, then we’d only have to do them once and then live satisfied lives. But the things the world advertised as ultimate only increase the cravings and make the hunger of human hearts more desperately ravenous.

1 John 1:1-4 reads…

“We proclaim to you the One who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This One who is Life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then He was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.”

Life, hope, peace and contentment are only found in one place: in Jesus Christ, Himself. When you believe Him, yield your whole life to Him (repentance), He cleanses your life from everything that could ever separate you from His life (forgiveness), and He come to life out His Life within you in the Power of the Holy Spirit. That is resurrection Power, eternal Life Power. You will find out what real life is all about, day by day as He leads you into His Truth. You can trust Him.




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