Love of the Father

12.29.10
J.A. Matteson

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν αὐτῷ:

1 John 2:15

The pilgrim of the Lord sojourns upon the earth, exiled in heart from the demonic siren call of the world system which is antithetical to the character of the Father. Daily the world system seeks to undermine the pilgrim's fidelity to the Father, but is continually frustrated in its quest. Here the Apostle underscores the object of devotion to which the pilgrim steadfastly adheres, for he cannot do otherwise for it is his new nature as one born again to desire to keep His commandments, and this willingly out of love and gratitude.

The world (κόσμος) has multiple meanings in the New Testament and the rendering of the word is known by its immediate context while considered in the broader context of its use in the whole of Scripture. This becomes obvious when the same word is considered, for example, in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have ever lasting life.” Unless context is considered as a rule for interpretation there would appear to be a glaring contradiction of the heart of God with regard to the world. For on the one hand the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of the Father's love of the world while His Apostle instructs pilgrims not to love the world. Taken in context world in John 3:16 cannot mean every human being on the planet, for that would be a direct contradiction of the Lord's use of world in the whole of John 17, “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours” (v. 9).

If the Father loves the world as meaning every human being, desiring that every human being be saved, then why would the Son of God specifically not pray for all of them, why does He exclude them and qualify the objects of His prayer to only “those whom You have given Me”? World, as employed in John 3:16 and John 17 references the unconditional elect of God where its context finds complete harmony with the Lord Jesus who qualifies them for whom He died, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (Jn. 10:14). And it for those whom He died that He intercedes in John 17.

Speaking to some unbelieving Pharisees Christ makes a remarkable statement underscoring the reality that faith is a gift from the Father and not something conjured up in the sinner, “...but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (Jn. 10:26). Here too the record of Luke in Acts finds total agreement, “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (13:48).

Luke makes an important distinction in the Ordo Salutis; viz., individuals are first unconditionally appointed to eternal life while unbelievers, which is why they at God's appointed time become believers through the activity of the Holy Spirit and the Word; they do not first believe within themselves and as a result become appointed to eternal life, as that is a conditional election that finds no consistent contextual support in Scripture; salvation is of the Lord. A conclusion of that type turns Luke's words on their head, not to mention other passages previously examined.

Not surprisingly the Apostle Paul employees the same language while reminding the Philippian Christian's of God's unconditional choice of them for a faith leading to salvation, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” (Phil. 1:29). The clear implication being that their expressed faith is a gift that had been unconditionally granted to them. And we find harmony in Paul's letter to the Ephesians whereby he refers to God's unconditional election resulting in faith as grace, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not the result of works lest any man should boast” (2:8-9). Therefore, we conclude that grace is the basis of salvation and faith is the means by which God's brings it to pass.

So in our passage under consideration we see that love for the world system and love for the Father are antithetical. For the nature of the Father is forbearance and mercy while that of the fallen world is impatience and vengeance. The nature of the Father within His child turns the heart of the pilgrim toward eternal things which are unseen, while the world system glorifies that which is visual and temporal. The nature of the Father within His child is to bring glory to His Son, while that of the world system is to seek the vain glory of man and usurp the rightful glory do the Son.

While in the world the pilgrim is not of the world--he is rightly an alien. And for this reason he is a paradox to those of the unregenerate world system, for they do not understand him, nor can they. For his desires and focus are on Christ Jesus and the glory to come, things which the world does not perceive, nor can it. As he sojourns upon the earth he eagerly awaits the redemption of his body of sin and death, wearily deflecting the daily onslaught of the world system that vainly seeks his destruction.

From time to time he stumbles and grieves at the feeble nature of his flesh, but he is not despondent and rather confident that He who began a good work in him with be faithful to complete it, supplying spiritual strength in time of need (2 Thess. 3:3). The Apostle John makes the statement, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” may be understood two ways: 1) the new nature which God supplies to the regenerate is His nature—that which loves His Son—being antithetical to the world system which hates His Son, which is why the world hates him (Jn. 15:18); and, 2) the new nature within being the Father's nature is also His love of the Son who within the pilgrim in turn generates a love for or of the Father. It is for this reason that the Apostle concludes “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother” (1 Jn. 3:10). And righteousness finds its origin in God, being an imputed gift, and foremost manifest by faith in the Father's Son, Christ Jesus, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe....” (Rom. 3:21-22). The Apostle makes it plain, “the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious....”

Obvious (φανερά) as used here is to be easily recognized and used here is speaking to a persons profession of faith that finds agreement with his lifestyle. Genuine faith is accompanied by a heart desiring obedience to the Lord, “Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?” (Lk. 6:46), and a life seeking obedience to the Lord will be a righteous life of faith and conduct set on the eternal and not the temporal, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2).

So the world does not understand the pilgrim and hates him when he does not pursue temporal pleasures that are fading away. As Christ was hated by the world system which stood in opposition to His Kingdom, so too it hates His seed which remains in the world; i.e., His Church. The pilgrim finds himself caught between two realities, on the one hand he is heir to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will soon appear in glory; on the other hand he sojourns daily in the mire of a world system opposed to the King and His children. For this reason he groans within and like the saints of old looks for a better city whose foundation and walls are not made by human hands, but by God. His love is turned upward to the call of God, eagerly awaiting the last trumpet call and the descent of the Lord Jesus Christ for His bride. Oh glorious Day, come hence Lord Jesus, Your bride awaits!

Copyright (c) 2010 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).