Last week my best friend Ben Zornes shared a blog post from the great Puritan preacher and hymnodist Horatius Bonar. If you did not read his post, I highly encourage you to hop over to his blog and subscribe. Ben is one of the most articulate, passion-filled, Jesus-loving, Godly men I have ever met. To continue the Horatius Bonar theme, I wanted to share with you 20 reasons Bonar gives for why you are not to love the world.
Love Not The World — Why?
- Because the gain of it is the loss of the soul.—Matthew 16:25.
- Because its friendship is enmity to God.—James 4:4.
- Because it did not know Christ.—John 1:10; 17:25.
- Because it hates Christ.—John 7:7; 15:18.
- Because the Holy Spirit has forbidden us.—1 John 2:15.
- Because Christ did not pray for it.—John 17:9.
- Because Christ’s people do not belong to it.—John 17:16.
- Because it will not receive the Spirit.—John 14:27.
- Because its Prince is Satan.—John 13:31; 16:11.
- Because Christ’s kingdom is not of it.—John 18:36.
- Because its wisdom is foolishness.—1 Corinthians 1:20.
- Because its wisdom is ignorance.—1 Corinthians 1:21.
- Because Christ does not belong to it.—John 8:23.
- Because it is condemned.—1 Corinthians 11:32.
- Because the fashion of it passeth away.—1 Corinthians 7:31 .
- Because it slew Christ.—James 5:6; Matthew 21:39.
- Because it is crucified to us.—Galatians 6:14.
- Because we are crucified to it.—Galatians 6:14.
- Because it is the seat of wickedness.—2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5:19.
- Because its God is the evil one.—2 Corinthians 4:4.
‘Love not the world! It cannot be your home,
Thy fatherland must be the world to come;
There lay up treasures for eternity;
And where thy treasure is thy heart shall be.’
Question: Can you think of any other Biblical reasons NOT to love the world? Share them in the comment section to this post.