Do Not Love the World

Table of Contents

Opening: Do Not Love the World

Jesus exposes how the world’s desires promise life but hollow the soul. They train us to worship status, possessions, and self until the word becomes unfruitful. His own words frame the stakes and point us to the way of the Kingdom.

Jesus (Mark 4:18–19, KJV)
“And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”

Jesus (Luke 12:15, KJV)
“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

Jesus (Matthew 6:19–21, KJV)
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Jesus (Matthew 6:24, NIV)
“No man can serve two masters… Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Jesus to the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:21–24, KJV)
“If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me…
Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven…
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Jesus (Luke 16:9–13, KJV)
“I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.…
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…
So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? …
Ye cannot serve God and money.”

Use temporary wealth for eternal mercy—especially for “the least” (cf. Matthew 25:35–40). At judgment the King will say to the merciful, “Come, ye blessed… inherit the kingdom” (Matthew 25:34); to those who withheld mercy, “Depart from me…” (Matthew 25:41).

1) What “the world” means (kósmos / aiōn)

Key texts: John 15:18–19; 17:14–16; 18:36; 1 John 2:15–17; James 4:4; James 1:27.

kósmos = the human order in rebellion against God; aiōn = “this age,” its operating mode. Creation itself is good; the forbidden love is allegiance to the rebel value-system.

Jesus (John 17:14–16, KJV)
“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them… they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

Jesus (John 18:36, KJV)
“My kingdom is not of this world.”

“Ye adulteresses” (James 4:4)

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

moichalídes (adulterous) = spiritual adultery. This means you’ve broken faith with God; by loving the world, you commit spiritual adultery, proving your heart belongs to another master rather than to Him.

échthra (enmity) = literally means hostility, hatred, or deep-seated opposition—the condition of being an enemy. In James 4:4 he means that aligning yourself with the world’s system places you in active opposition to God.

Who is James?

James the Just, the Lord’s brother and leader of the Jerusalem church (see Acts 15). He writes in the prophetic tradition, calling God’s people back to undivided loyalty.

2) Diagnosing love of the world

  • Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life (1 John 2:16).
  • Thorns that choke the word (Matt 13:22; Mark 4:19).
  • Serving God vs Mammon (Matt 6:24).

John (1 John 2:15–17, KJV)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world… the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life… the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

3) Riches & the narrow way

Texts: Mark 10:17–31; Matt 6:19–21; Luke 12:13–21; Matt 7:13–14.

Wealth’s “gravitational pull” competes for trust. Jesus warns that riches can make the narrow path feel unnecessary, but the call is to treasure God above all.

Jesus (Matthew 7:13–14, KJV)
“Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Jesus (Luke 12:15, KJV)
“A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

4) Working in the world without loving it

Texts: Matt 5:14–16; Matt 25:14–30; Luke 12:35–48.

Work becomes worship when it is stewardship for the Master’s purposes—faithful, watchful, excellent, and aimed at blessing others for the Father’s glory.

Jesus (Matthew 25:21, KJV)
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant… thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.”

5) Shrewd yet pure

Texts: Matt 10:16; Luke 16:1–13.

Be strategically wise without moral compromise. Use worldly resources for merciful ends that have eternal weight.

Jesus (Matthew 10:16, KJV)
“Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

Jesus (Luke 16:9–11, KJV)
“Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness… If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

6) Money, anxiety, and trust

Texts: Matt 6:24–34.

Refuse anxiety by entrusting provision to the Father. Set first things first—seek His reign and rightness.

Jesus (Matthew 6:33–34, KJV)
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow…”

7) How (and to whom) to give

Texts: Matt 6:1–4; Matt 25:31–46; Mark 12:41–44.

  • Give in secret; audience of One.
  • Give to the least: hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, imprisoned.
  • Widow’s mite: heart over sum.

Jesus (Matthew 6:3–4, KJV)
“But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

Jesus the King (Matthew 25:35–36, 40, KJV)
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat… a stranger, and ye took me in… naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me… Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

8) Practical warfare against the world’s pull

  • Practice habitual, secret generosity (simplicity over display).
  • Choose lowliness; serve without applause (Luke 14:7–11; John 13).
  • Watch & work; stay ready (Matt 24–25).
  • Prune whatever chokes prayer, mercy, obedience (Mark 4:19).

9) Self-examination

  1. Where is my treasure—and therefore my heart? (Matt 6:19–21)
  2. Are thorns choking fruit? (Matt 13:22)
  3. Am I faithful with my “talents”? (Matt 25)
  4. Do I serve God or Mammon in practice? (Matt 6:24)
  5. Do I give in secret to the least? (Matt 6; 25)

10) Greek word-bank

  • kósmos: world-system; aiōn: this age.
  • mamōnás: Mammon/wealth as master.
  • ploúsios / ploûtos: rich/riches.
  • epithymía: desire; alazoneía: boastful pride.
  • phronímos / akéraios: shrewd/innocent.
  • eleēmosýnē: almsgiving; elachístos: least.
  • moichalídes: adulteresses; échthra: enmity.
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