WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT WE ARE NOT TO LOVE THE WORLD?

Satan is the god of this world - 2 Corinthians 4:4 - In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of the Messiah, who is the image of God- Yehovah.

He [Satan] is the prince of the power of the air – Ephesians 2:2 - In which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience:

Notice that the spirit of the prince of the power of the air - Satan works in the children of disobedience - those who are not now members of the body of the lord Messiah Jesus.

That is why the lord Messiah Jesus says:

John 15:19: If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, because I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

John 17:14: I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John 17:16: They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

So, we who are followers of the lord Messiah Jesus are in the world, but not to be of the world. What drives the attitudes and goals of this world. Vanity, Jealousy, Lust, and Greed... the desire for the flesh, the desire for the eyes, and the desire for possessions. We are not to participate in this as we are admonished to depart from evil.

Psalm 34:14: Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Psalm 37:27: Turn away from evil and do good; so, shall you dwell forever.

Proverbs 3:7: Be not wise in your own eyes: fear Yehovah and depart from evil.

Proverbs 13:19: A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.

Proverbs 16:6: By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the reverence of Yehovah one turns away from evil.

Proverbs 16:17: The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.

2 Timothy 2:19: But God's – Yehovah’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord - Yehovah knows those who are His,” and “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord - Yehovah depart from iniquity.”

If we are truly loving our neighbor as ourselves, we will not walk according to the spirit of the god of this world – Satan - that influences all mankind but walk according to the spirit of lord Messiah Jesus, who indwells us!

1 John 1:5-7: This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God - Yehovah is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. [the blood of Jesus, i.e., the blood he shed on the stake when he offered himself up to his God and Father Yehovah as a sin-offering sacrifice, thus reconciling us to God – Yehovah]

Colossians 4:5: Walk in wisdom toward those that are without, redeeming the time.

Ephesians 5:8: For at one time, you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

Ephesians 4:17: Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility - vanity of their minds.

Ephesians 2:8-10: For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - Yehovah not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in the Messiah Jesus for good works, which works, God - Yehovah prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Galatians 5:16: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Ephesians 2:1-5: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh - body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God - Yehovah, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with the Messiah [by grace you have been saved].

2 Corinthians 6:14-18: Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has the Messiah with Belial - "Belial" is a Hebrew term that signifies wickedness, worthlessness, and lawlessness, essentially representing the embodiment of evil, often personified as a representation of Satan? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God - Yehovah as God - Yehovah said: “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord - Yehovah, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord - Yehovah Almighty.”

Indeed, we are in the world, but not to be a part of it. We are to walk as separated out ones - sanctified ones, saints - holy ones, and follow in the footsteps of the lord Messiah Jesus.

May our God and Father Yehovah give us the enabling power of His spirit to truly become those who are in this world, but not of this world, Amen.

If we are new creations in the lord Messiah Jesus, this is what we are and what we should live up to day by day:

1 Peter 2:9: You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's - Yehovah's own possession so that you can proclaim the glorious attributes of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.