"These Are Not From The FATHER. They Are From This Evil World."

Turn away from the lovely enchantress!

(John Angell James, "Faith's Victory over the World" 1852)

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"Stop loving this evil world and 

all that it offers you--

for when you love the world, 

you show that you do not have the love 

of the FATHER in you. For the world offers 

only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust 

for everything we see, and pride in our 

possessions. These are not from 

the FATHER. They are from this 

evil world." 1 John 2:15-16

Such is the world that assails the Christian, 

and which he must overcome--

or perish eternally! He is aware of his danger 

from the strength, subtlety, and ever-present 

activity of this enemy of his soul. The whole 

current of Scripture commands runs against 

the love of the world. In every possible 

form, it is forbidden. 

Worldliness is the most thronged 

road to everlasting ruin!

Worldliness does not merely consist in an 

intense love of money and an excessive 

eagerness to be rich, but in a supreme 

regard to that which is visible 

and temporal--

whether these relate to 

the quiet scenes of domestic comfort, 

or to those elegancies, splendors, 

and accumulations of wealth, which 

lead a man to seek his highest 

bliss in these.

The world is a foe which attacks 

us in various places.
In the shop--

by all the temptations 

incident to trade and wealth.

In the halls of politics and public business--

by all the enticements to pride and ambition.

In the places of amusement--

by all the soft blandishments of pleasure.

In the haunts of vice--

by all the gratifications of the flesh.

In the walks of science and literature--

by all the delights of intellectual gratification.

In the social circle--

by all the enjoyments of friendship.
Oh, how many are the scenes where 

the world meets man and subdues him!

Sometimes the world approaches 

the believer with a smiling face, 

making promises and offering caresses, 

like the serpent to our first mother 

in the garden; or like satan to our 

LORD when he said, 

"All these things will I give you--

if you will fall down and worship me!"

(Matthew 4:0) 

How difficult is it on such occasions to 

turn away from the lovely enchantress, 

to keep the eye steadily fixed on heavenly glories--

and instead of greedily quaffing the cup 

of poisoned sweets, to dash it to the ground!

If immorality slays its thousands--

the world slays its tens of thousands! 

"Supreme love of the world" will 

as certainly lead its possessor to 

the bottomless pit--

as the love of open vice!

Worldliness, I repeat, and repeat 

with emphasis, is . . .
  the smoothest,
  the most polished,
  the most fashionable,
  the most respectable
path to the bottomless pit!

Victory over the world is subordination . . .
  of the creature to the Creator;
  of earth to heaven;
  of temporal blessings to spiritual ones;
  of time to eternity.

Victory over the world is the formation 

of an unearthly, spiritual, divine, and 

heavenly mind-set and character!

"It was the sight of YOUR dear cross,
 First weaned my soul from earthly things;
 And taught me to esteem as dross,
 The mirth of fools and pomp of kings!"

How all the splendor of earthly things 

pales before that infinitely more 

resplendent object--JESUS!

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