1 John 2:17 17And the world is passing away and its desires, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.
John summarizes the essential choice one must make between a temporary world or eternal destiny. This verse provides both good and bad news. The good news is that the problems we face are temporary and will end at some point. The bad news is that if we continue to invest in this world, we will ultimately lose out. 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. The death sentence for the world has already been given. Why put our hope in something that is fading and temporary? The very things that a person loves and hopes will bring satisfaction will ultimately cease to exist. Human effort to find happiness in the world is ultimately futile.
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. The last phrase is the antithesis of the first phrase. The key point is to understand what God’s willis. In the context of this letter, God’s will means living in the light of holy love. This love must be defined by the very character of Jesus—what he taught and what he did. This love was most fully exemplified on the cross, where he loved so much that 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.