1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
This verse actually is both good and bad news. The good news is that the problems we face are temporary. They will end at some point. The bad news is if we continue to invest in this world, we will lose out in the end. If we love things of this world, this love is only temporary, mostly providing emotional support to broken hearts that long for meaning. Things that satisfy the flesh provide empty promises that eventually fail to satisfy.
If we want to find deep satisfaction that lasts for eternity, we must submit our desires to God and allow God to sanctify us and fill us with his love. What is the “will of God” of which John writes in this verse? We must start with the focus of this letter, which is walking in the light of love. This is the essence of being a Jesus follower. This love must be defined by the very character of Christ, what he taught and what he did. This is most fully exemplified on the cross where he loved so much, he gave his life. This love must be shown in acts that reflect Christ’s character, not simply acts of kindness or compassion, although those are important, but holiness that springs from transformed hearts.
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