1 John 2:15
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.
Cross-references
In 1 John 5:4, the believer overcomes the world through faith, complementing the command in 2:15 not to love the world.
1 John 5:5 identifies overcoming the world with belief in Jesus, expanding on the negative warning in 2:15.
1 John 4:5 describes those who are from the world, illustrating the worldly mindset that 2:15 warns against.
In 1 John 3:17, loving your brother in need is a test of genuine love — contrasting the worldly love condemned here with godly love.
In Romans 12:2, this same warning against worldliness is paired with the positive call to be transformed by renewing your mind.
In James 4:4, friendship with the world is explicitly called enmity with God — a direct parallel to the incompatibility here.
In 1 Timothy 6:10, love of money is a specific form of loving the world that leads to ruin — a concrete example.
In Colossians 3:2, setting minds on things above, not on earthly things, directly mirrors the command to not love the world.
In Colossians 3:1, the command to seek things above is the positive counterpart to not loving the world below.
In Galatians 1:10, Paul shows that seeking to please people (the world) conflicts with being a servant of Christ — directly parallel.
In Luke 16:13, the same statement about serving two masters reinforces that loving the world excludes loving God.
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus states you cannot serve both God and money — the same divided loyalty as loving the world vs. God.
Galatians 6:14 describes being crucified to the world through the cross, directly opposing love for the world.
Joshua 7:21 recounts Achan coveting and taking forbidden spoils—a vivid example of loving worldly goods.
Psalm 10:3 describes the wicked boasting of selfish desires and renouncing God—identical to loving the world.
Psalm 119:10 expresses wholehearted seeking of God—contradicts love of the world which displaces the Father.
Jeremiah 22:17 condemns eyes and hearts set on dishonest gain—a direct example of loving worldly things.
2 Peter 1:4 speaks of escaping worldly corruption through divine promises — parallel to not loving the world.
1 Peter 2:11 urges believers as exiles to abstain from fleshly passions — reinforcing the call to not love the world.
James 1:27 defines true religion as keeping unstained from the world, directly reinforcing the command here.
Titus 2:12 calls for renouncing worldly passions, the same renunciation implied in not loving the world.
2 Timothy 4:10 shows Demas loving this present world and deserting Paul, a tragic example of the warning.
Matthew 6:19 warns against storing earthly treasures, directly echoing the command not to love the world.
1 Timothy 6:9 warns that desire for riches leads to ruin, illustrating a specific worldly love that conflicts with God.
Matthew 13:22 explains that the cares of the world choke the word — a direct consequence of loving the world.
Mark 4:19 explicitly identifies 'cares of the world' choking the word — a direct parallel to 1 John's warning.
Mark 10:22 shows the rich young ruler turning away sorrowful because of his possessions — a clear example of loving the world over Christ.
Luke 8:14 says cares, riches, and pleasures of life choke spiritual fruit — directly echoing the warning against loving the world.
Galatians 1:4 speaks of Christ delivering us from this present evil age, the same 'world' we are not to love.
Romans 13:14 urges avoiding fleshly desires, a practical step to not loving the world by focusing on Christ.
Deuteronomy 10:12 commands to love God with all heart and soul—the direct opposite of loving the world.
In Romans 8:7, a fleshly mindset is hostile to God — the same opposition as loving the world in 1 John 2:15.
In Romans 1:25, idolaters worship the creature rather than the Creator — exactly the world-loving that 1 John 2:15 forbids.
In John 8:23, Jesus distinguishes those 'of this world' from himself — the worldly orientation 1 John 2:15 warns against.
Galatians 5:16 offers walking by the Spirit as the antidote to gratifying fleshly desires tied to worldliness.
In Luke 14:33, Jesus demands renouncing all possessions — the radical opposite of loving the world.
In Luke 18:23, the rich ruler's sorrow shows he loved his wealth more than Jesus — a clear example of loving the world.
Matthew 4:8 shows Satan offering Jesus all worldly kingdoms — the very allure 1 John warns not to love.
In John 5:42, Jesus says the religious leaders lack God's love — the same condition as loving the world in 1 John 2:15.
Mark 4:7 describes thorns choking seed, symbolizing how worldly concerns can overwhelm spiritual growth.
James 4:1 traces quarrels to worldly passions at war within, showing the destructive fruit of loving the world.
In Luke 16:25, the rich man who loved worldly goods faces eternal reversal — a warning against loving the world.
In Ephesians 2:2, the 'course of this world' describes the former way of life that believers have left behind — echoes the worldly system.
Matthew 22:5 depicts invited guests ignoring the wedding feast for farms and business — prioritizing worldly affairs over God's call.