Why not love the world?

By Horatius Bonar

1. Because the gain of it is loss of the soul.

• For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. (Mathew 16:25)
• For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mathew 16:26)

2. Because its friendship is hatred of God.

• Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4)

3. Because it did not know Christ.

• He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (John 1:10)
• O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. (John 17:25)

4. Because it hates Christ.

• The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. (John 7:7)
• If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (John 15:18)

5. Because the Holy Spirit has forbidden us.

• Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)

6. Because Christ did not pray for it.

• I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. (John 17:9)

7. Because Christ's people do not belong to it.

• They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:9)

8. Because it will not receive the Spirit.

• Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (1 Corinthians 2:12)
• Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:13)
• But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

9. Because its prince is Satan.

• of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (John 16:11)

10. Because Christ's kingdom is not of it.

• Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)

11. Because its wisdom is foolishness.

• Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (1 Corinthians 1:20)

12. Because its wisdom is ignorance.

• For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. (1 Corinthians 1:21)

13. Because Christ does not belong to it.

• And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. (John 8:23)

14. Because it is condemned.

• He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)
• He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)
• But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:32)

15. Because the fashion of it will pass away.

• And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. (1 Corinthians 7:31)
• And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:17)

16. Because it slew Christ.

• When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. (John 19:6)
• But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. (John 19:15)

17. Because it is crucified to us.

• But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)

18. Because we are crucified to it.

• But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)

19. Because it is the seat of wickedness.

•  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:4)
• And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. (1 John 5:19)

20. Because its god is the evil one.

• In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4)