The Broken World
Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash.
Is the world supposed to be as bad as it is? Are things the way they should be, or is the world broken or incomplete?
Most of the time when the scriptures refer to “the world”, they are referring to the broken and sinful nature of the world, not to the world as God intended it before the fall of humanity.
The Apostle John wrote, “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. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 John 2:15-16, ESV).
The broken and sinful nature of “the world”, includes the same temptations that have existed for all of time, “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life”. We are not to love these lustful sinful impulses which lead us away from God.
This world is broken, because we are broken and in the world. All of creation is broken and in need of God’s redemption and restoration. Until God finishes his good work in us and in this world, we should not be content to love this fallen world as it is.
May we love the things of God and not the things of this world as we await the finished work of God’s redemption and restoration.
A Collect for the Presence of Christ: “Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 2019).
Begin the year with a #dailydevotional time. I will be creating a #devotional book for each month, one for every day of the year, and offering them for #free by subscribing. Get a link to #Grow365: #January—A #Daily Devotional here: https://www.robbiepruitt.com.
Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash.
