John next warned his readers of worldly dangers that face the Christian as he or she seeks to get to know God better. He did so to enable them to prepare for and to overcome these obstacles with God's help.
"As often in 1 John, a section of parenesis follows a series of dogmatic statements."81
John again presented three pairs, as he did in verses 12-14.
2:15 The Greek negative prohibition mewith the present active imperative verb means either stop doing something or do not have the habit of doing it. The "world"(kosmos) represents the system of values, priorities, and beliefs that unbelievers hold that excludes God. It is a seductive system that appeals to all people, believers as well as unbelievers, and calls for our affection, participation, and loyalty (cf. John 3:16-17; 18-19; James 4:4). Satan controls this system, and believers should shun it (cf. 5:19; John 12:31; 14:30). Here kosmosdoes not refer primarily to the created order, though that order is also passing away (1 Cor. 7:31; 2 Pet. 3:7-13; Rev. 21:1-4).82
"If"assumes that some Christians will love the world (third class condition in Greek), which is true to reality. "The love of the Father"is probably the believers' love for the Father (objective genative), not His love for us (subjective genative). "In him"again reflects a controlling influence (cf. 1:8; 2:4).
2:16 John summarized the appeal of the world system as three-fold. Here is a picture of the infernal trinity, the three faces of the world, three sources of worldly temptation (cf. Gen. 3; Matt. 4). Lusts are cravings or desires, and in the context they are evil because they are not in harmony with God's will.
The lust of the flesh is the desire to dosomething apart from the will of God. The lust of the eyes is the desire to havesomething apart from the will of God. The pride of life is the desire to besomething apart from the will of God. The first desire appeals mainly to the body, the second to the soul, and the third to the spirit. Perhaps the most common manifestation of the lust of the flesh in modern western civilization is illicit sex (hedonism, idolizing pleasure). Perhaps the most common manifestation of the lust of the eyes is excessive buying (materialism, idolizing possessions). Perhaps the most common manifestation of the pride of life is trying to control (egoism, idolizing power).
"The wants' which man feels can be divided into two great classes. Some things he desires to appropriate personally: some things he desires to enjoy without appropriation. The desire of the flesh embraces the one class (e.g.gratification of appetites); the desire of the eyes the other (e.g.pursuit of art as an end)."83
"Pride of life' will be reflected in whatever status symbol is important to me or seems to define my identity. When I define myself to others in terms of my honorary [or earned] degrees, the reputation of the church I serve, my annual income, the size of my library, my expensive car or house, and if in doing this I misrepresent the truth and in my boasting show myself to be only a pompous fool who has deceived no one, then I have succumbed to what John calls the pride of life."84
These three basic desires come from the world system, not from the Father, and the believer should separate from them. The Father desires our welfare, but the world will destroy us (v. 17).
"Morality is not the groundsfor assurance, but the fruitof it."85
2:17 Another reason we should not pursue the desires of the world is that this system, along with its desires, is in the process of passing out of existence. Really we are living in what John called the "last hour"of the world's existence (v. 18). The world is only temporary and ephemeral (cf. 1 Pet.).
Notwithstanding, those who do God's will abide (remain, live) forever. Since all Christians will live forever (John 10:28), John was not saying we attain eternal life by our obedience. However, we abide (i.e., enjoy intimate relationship with God, experience our eternal life abundantly) now as well as after death when we obey God.
Resisting the appeal of the world is difficult for every believer. John urged his readers in view of its attractiveness to understand the avenues of its temptation and to remember four things. Love for the world indicates lack of love for God. It results in consequences that are not what our loving heavenly Father desires for our welfare. It lasts only a short time. It precludes intimate fellowship with God.
