“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. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

Love is an important word to reconsider by this generation for it is distorted to advance a lifestyle contrary to nature, and the know will of the Creator-God.

At a public event on a college campus, a young woman asked Christian apologist Frank Turek an important question.

“If things are directed how God wanted them, then why did God direct me to love women?”

There is an assumption in this question that God as the Creator is ultimately responsible for the behavior of individuals of the same sex to be romantically and sexually attracted to each other. Since God made her that way, she is to be accepted by society, and not condemned by anyone, including the Church.  Her behavior, she argued, was a natural inclination as well as a lifestyle of choice. There is no need to repent of anything. There is no need to seek psychiatric help.

After reversing itself, the medical community has come to the same conclusion.

On December 15, 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) decided homosexuality was not a mental disorder. The full membership of the APA confirmed this change in 1974. It was affirmed that homosexuality was normal behavior. The APA abandoned trying to help homosexuals for either their gender dysphoria, or for an inappropriate and harmful lifestyle choice.

Today, those in the homosexual movement argue they were born to love others of the same sex. Their lifestyle is not one purely of choice, but by divine design, and an inner compulsion to behavior in a way that seems natural. After all, if it feels so right, it can’t be wrong. And love means never having to say you are sorry.

Despite the beliefs and feelings of homosexuals, the Word of God stands opposed to their behavior, and so will the Church if it is to be faithful to nature, the Scriptures, and the revelation of God’s will for men and women.

The biblical perspective declares that homosexuality is contrary to divine design. Nevertheless, homosexuality is a personal lifestyle choice which God will forgive.

Writing to the Church of Corinth, Paul reflects on what individuals were: fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, and abusers of themselves with mankind, Then, the heart of Paul rejoiced when he wrote, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11)

It is the responsibility of Christians to continue to share the gospel of redemption, and what true biblical love is. Part of that narrative is to teach that sometimes, love can be a sin.

This is an important truth, for the world is asking Christians how they can be against love, no matter how it is expressed? God is love. God has told us to love. How can the Church be against love?

The proper response is this. Christians are never against authentic and appropriate love. Such love is defined in Scripture. Beyond that, Christians understand there are times when love is perverted to the point it becomes sinful.

Turning to 1 John 2:15-17, Voddie Baucham sets forth three ways love can be sinful.

First, love becomes sinful when it is directed at the wrong object. In the Old Testament era, God judged Israel time and again because they sought out idols to worship. When the Law was being given to Moses on top of Mt. Sinai, the people below were preparing themselves to worship an idol of gold in the shape of a calf.

Today, the object of inappropriate love is not a golden calf but another person, not of God’s choosing. Such love is encouraged by the world, which the believer is not to love.

Notice 1 John 2:15. “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.” (NKJV)

The word “world” used here refers to the spiritual realm that is in opposition to God. The world of which John speaks against God in order to violate His moral code of conduct set forth in the Ten Commandments, and the Sermon on the Mount.

The world opposes the kingdom of God and the lordship of His Son, Jesus Christ. “Do not love the world, or the things in the world,” because it is the wrong object of affection. “Love becomes sinful when it is directed against that system that is anti-God, that system that is anti-kingdom.” (Voddie Baucham)

Second, love becomes sinful when it arises from the wrong source. The ultimate source of sin is not the world, or the devil, but one’s own heart. Jesus said that our behavior comes from the heart. “For out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matt. 15:19, KJV). Sinful behavior is encouraged by the devil, as he tempted Eve, and by the world, but ultimate responsibility rests with an individual.

Because the heart is the source of evil, it needs to be replaced with a new heart that loves God. This new heart is given in the new birth. Apart from the new birth, individuals will continue to engage in sinful acts of love in the night of the soul because their hearts are evil. The behavior Jesus listed as coming from the heart is loved, but its source is wrong. Notice verse 16.

“For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2:16, NKJV)

Third, love becomes sinful when it produces the wrong fruit. Notice verse 17.  “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17, NKJV)

Our passions become sinful when they lead to death and destruction. Our behavior can separate us from God for time and eternity. Only those who do the will of God abide forever. In Scripture, the will of God is made known. In our conscience, the will of God is made known. There is a universal moral “oughtness” God has programed in the heart.

Love becomes sinful when one’s natural moral oughtness is violated, when the redeeming grace and mercy of God is rejected, and a lifestyle choice is made that opposes the kingdom of God.

Love becomes sinful when it has the wrong object, flows from the wrong source, and produces the wrong fruit. The fruit of the flesh stands in opposition to the fruit of the Spirit.

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Prov. 14:12) That way is explained in Romans 1:26-31.

The way of death comes when God gives individuals up to dishonorable passions. Women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature. Men likewise give up natural relations with women and are consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Individuals make these lifestyle choices because they do not see fit to acknowledge God.  So, they fill their lives with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness. Even though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but give approval to those who practice them.

In contrast to love that is sinful, is the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ who came to earth to be the Savior of the world.

“For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.”
~John 3:16, NKJV