1 João 2

1 João 2:15

Lenski - John says now that anyone who loves the world prevents the Father from loving him and coming into that man’s heart to make an abode there. To be sure, this man does not love the Father, which is, however, only the reason that the Father’s love for him can find no place in him. That place is already occupied, the Father’s love is kept out. Jesus taught His apostles that where there is no love for God, there can be no saving faith. Dr. Piper goes on to explain the vital relationship between genuine or saving faith and love for God… We have been well taught that we are saved by FAITH! “BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!” (Acts 16:31). But we have not been as well taught what saving faith is. For example, how often do we discuss the relationship between trusting Christ and loving Christ. Can you trust Him savingly and not love Him? Evidently John doesn’t think so, because the issue in this text is whether you love God or love the world, and the result is whether you die with the world or have eternal life with God. But John knows that eternal life comes through faith. John says in 1Jn 5:13, “I write this to you who BELIEVE in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” So eternal life does depend on believing in the Christ. But what is this “believing”? If we are courteous, and let John speak for himself, his letter fills out what he means. When he says that not loving the world but loving God so much that we do His will is what leads to eternal life, we learn that saving faith and love for God are inseparable. Both are the path to eternal life because they are the same path. In John 5:42, 43, 44 Jesus confronts the Jewish leaders who do not believe on Him with these words, “I know that you have not the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name and you do not receive Me … How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” In other words the reason they do not receive or believe on Jesus is that they do not love God. They love the world—the glory of men—not the glory of God. So Jesus taught His apostles that where there is no love for God, there can be no saving faith. (See John 3:18, 19.) (Ed note: Dr Piper goes on to explain how an understanding of love for God and saving faith will unpack the meaning of other NT texts such as Ro 8:28, 1Co 2:9, 16:22, Jas 1:12, 2:5, 2Ti 4:8. A clear understanding of this relationship refutes much of the tepid teaching in the modern church which says "Just believe in Jesus" [which is true!] but the question is "What does that belief 'look like' when one examines other NT passages?" The interested reader is strongly encouraged to see Dr Piper's entire message on this important topic - Do Not Love the World - listen to the audio, for the transcript does not pick up the passion of Dr Piper regarding this crucially important message for the Church of Jesus Christ in these last days!) As Billy Graham has said "No man can be said to be truly converted to Christ who has not bent his will to Christ. He may give intellectual assent to the claims of Christ and may have had emotional religious experiences; however, he is not truly converted until he has surrendered his will to Christ as Lord, Savior, and Master." He loves Thee too little who loves anything together with Thee which he loves not for Thy sake. - Augustine (cp Ps 73:25, 26) Hiebert sets this passage in context noting that "In 1Jn 2:9, 10, 11 John insists that the Christian life must be characterized by love of the brethren; he now insists upon the complementary duty of separation from the world as the object of their love. As an appeal to the will, his negative command implies that love can be misdirected. His appeal again underlines that Christian faith and behavior are inextricably linked. His expressed assurances concerning their spiritual condition provide the basis for his appeal to maintain a proper attitude toward the world. It offers a danger no matter how far they have advanced in their spiritual maturity. (The Epistles of John An Expositional Commentary D. Edmond Hiebert) (See Hiebert's Excellent Online Paper on 1 John 2:2-17 in Bibliotheca Sacra) Westcott - In the preceding verses St John has set forth the privileges of Christians both generally in their sense of forgiveness and of a Divine Fatherhood, and specially in the far-reaching wisdom of the old, and the victorious strength of the young: he now goes on to enforce the consequence which is made possible. A great ‘love not’ follows on the command to love. The structure of the passage is simple and regular. The prohibition (15 a) is followed by a view of its overwhelming necessity. The love of the world is incompatible with the love of the Father (15 b), for the objects of love determine its character (1Jn 2:16). And further: there is between them the contrast of time and eternity, of transition and abiding (1Jn 2:17) (1 John 2 Commentary) Ray