對世界的心態
約翰壹書二章15至24節
15不要愛世界和世界上的事。人若愛世界，愛父的心就不在他裡面了。
16因為凡世界上的事，就像肉體的情慾，眼目的情慾，並今生的驕傲，都不是從父來的，乃是從世界來的。
17這世界和其上的情慾都要過去，惟獨遵行神旨意的，是永遠常存。
18小子們哪，如今是末時了。你們曾聽見說，那敵基督的要來；現在已經有好些敵基督的出來了，從此我們就知道如今是末時了。
19他們從我們中間出去，卻不是屬我們的；若是屬我們的，就必仍舊與我們同在；他們出去，顯明都不是屬我們的。
20你們從那聖者受了恩膏，並且知道這一切的事（或作：都有知識）。
21我寫信給你們，不是因你們不知道真理，正是因你們知道，並且知道沒有虛謊是從真理出來的。
22誰是說謊話的呢？不是那不認耶穌為基督的麼？不認父與子的，這就是敵基督的。
23凡不認子的，就沒有父；認子的，連父也有了。
24論到你們，務要將那從起初所聽見的，常存在心裡。若將從起初所聽見的存在心裡，你們就必住在子裡面，也必住在父裡面。
信息分享
這段經文所說的「世界」，不是指到神創造的自然世界，而是人一手造出來的罪惡世界和無神的世界。這個世界已被撒但的權勢所控制，它棄絕基督，更把基督釘死。因此，信徒不可能既愛基督，又同時愛這個世界。
約翰提到「凡世界上的事」，究竟是指到甚麼呢？世界的引誘自古不變。我們今天仍會讓肉體的情慾──就是我們的私慾──主宰我們的生活。我們的舊人總是蠢蠢欲動，撒但也喜歡牽動我們的舊本性來引誘我們犯罪。
外面的花花世界，會惹動我們的眼目的情慾。它可能引發我們的貪念，希望得到別人所擁有的東西。
今生的驕傲是對自己的身分或所擁有的東西感到自滿。這種驕傲的心態，正是導致人類始祖犯罪的因由──希望能夠像神一樣，所以聽信蛇的誘惑吃了果子。
基督曾經歷過這一切試探，但祂總能以神的話語來勝過，並且重申自己的心志是渴望遵行神的旨意。這一切試探，以及我們屈從於試探所帶來的罪，都屬於這個世界。這世界將要過去，但遵行神話語的人將永遠長存。兩者之間，你會怎樣選擇呢？
禱告：
主啊，當有試探來到的時候，求你使我及時醒覺，並使我立志遵行你的旨意，而不是自己的意思。
OUR ATTITUDE TO THIS WORLD
1 John 2:15-24
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
Message
Do we understand what the world really is? Doesn't the Bible say that God so loved the world? God loved the world in order to save it from sin. Man loves the world in order to enjoy its sin. God's love was sacrificial. Man's love for the world is selfish.
But what is meant in these verses by the world? It is not the world God made but the world man has made. I love the world of nature, don't you, but the world that is spoken of here is a world of sin and godlessness. It is the world lying in the power of Satan, the world which rejected and crucified Christ. It is impossible to love such a world and to love Christ at the same time.
John speaks of 'all that is in the world'. What is in it? The temptations of the world haven't changed. There is still the lust of the flesh, which is allowing our natural desires to rule our lives. These are temptations from within that come from our old nature, or from Satan working on that old nature.
The lust of the eyes is desire awakened by seeing things that tempt us-in other words temptations that come from outside our own selves. This could include covetousness wanting the things other people have.
The pride of life is being proud of what I am or what I have. It is a temptation also to get something that we don't have such as the temptation which Satan brought to Eve-'If you eat that fruit you will be as God.'
Christ met each of these temptations. His constant answer came from his desire to do the will of God and his knowledge of the Word of God. These temptations and the sin which follows when we yield to them, all belong to the world. That world will pass away but 'he that does the will of God will abide for ever'. Which would you rather have?
A PRAYER:
Lord help me today to recognise temptation when it comes and to always choose your will and not mine.