Dear Bob,
What do you suppose that John means when he tells us, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit “Do not love the world, or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15)? Does that passage frighten you? It does me. I’m pretty sure he’s not talking about the planet, you know? It’s not like the really spiritual people think, “Gee, if only we could get to Pluto.” And I don’t think it’s the creation either. To admire a mountain range or a sunset should not damage your assurance. It’s smaller than both those things, but bigger, I think, than we think.
Most of us try to salve our consciences here by imagining the most depraved things that the world has to offer. Worldly is the man who gets excited about walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Or Jeffrey Epstein. As with all our Christian lives, we figure if we can avoid the really big sins, then we’re probably doing alright. And if we don’t avoid them, there’s the grace of God. We treat the gospel like some safety net there to catch us, in case we do any of the bad sins, the worldly ones.
But it’s bigger than that. We love the world Bob when we are comfortable in it, when we think like the world thinks, when we act like the world acts. Whether we are failing to love our wives because we’re off somewhere with our secretary, or if we’re just too busy with softball and work, and tinkering with the ‘65 Mustang, either way we love the world.
The world, that is the world that John is talking about, is under the spell of the devil. It’s not some neutral benign thing out there. It’s a tarbaby, and designed that way. Drinking in the world is like drinking from the ocean; it just makes you more thirsty. The difference is that the world tastes good.
I’m not saying you should just sit and meditate. There’s another world out there besides the one we’re supposed to hate. That’s the world that God said we are to exercise dominion over. I’m not against culture; I’m against our decadent culture. Making music, making art, growing flowers and vegetables, building chicken coops, these are good things. It may even be a good thing to take back a ‘65 Mustang and undo the ravages of our sinful world.
Here’s a clue as to the differences in these worlds. Ours says to build, to create. Theirs says to watch. Ours looks to God in thanks; theirs seeks to glorify man. Remember, it’s not only important to understand what you’re against, but also what you are for.
The Christian faith is counter-cultural. It is the work of making visible the invisible kingdom of God. It’s more than witnessing to your neighbor. More than bowing for prayer in a restaurant. It is building homes, mixing chemicals, designing pill bottles, changing diapers. It’s all glorious work, because it seeks to show forth the glory of God.
Remember that we do not battle with flesh and blood. And the culture is one arena of the battle, a battle going back to the Garden. And I pray that as you begin to build God’s culture you’ll find that the world has lost its appeal. It’s nothing but a Potemkin village constructed of wood, hay and stubble, and destined for the fire that never dies.
RCJR