Day 5 - 1 John 2:12-17 - A Lasting Treasure

1 John 2:12–17

12 I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. 14 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

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Sometimes we think that this religion stuff is just for old people.  Sometimes we reason like this:  I'm going to live it up and experience life while I'm young and then when I'm old I'll take God seriously.  No doubt there are so many exciting things in this world - things that God has  made for our enjoyment.  But John argues that none of these things are worth falling in love with.  A love (or craving or lust, as he terms it) for these things will always leave us with an emptiness.  When we have an inordinate love for the creation we seem to lose focus on the Creator.  Everything in this world will pass away, he reminds us, but there is something that has long-term value.

I've often driven south on I35 and one landmark always stands out to me.  It's acres and acres of old junked automobiles.  They've been stripped of any worthwhile parts and crushed to a quarter of their original size.  They are rusted and useless just sitting there.  As I pass that junk yard I like to imagine that every vehicle in that graveyard was once a brand new car.  Once upon a time someone drove that vehicle off the lot.  They turned the key and felt that exhilaration of a new engine sound. They sucked in that new car smell.  They drove it home full of pride as they showed off the sparkling purchase.  Everyone one of those cars was once the pride and joy of some new car owner and now they sit in a heap of rubble.  That's the fate of all these things we so quickly fall in love with.  John is pretty blunt, "The world and its desire pass away" and when we look to these things that inevitably fail us we will always lack true, deep joy.  But, John asserts, there is an option -- "The man who does the will of God lives forever."