10 Key Bible Verses on the World

This text is a part of the Key Bible Verses sequence.

All commentary notes tailored from the ESV Research Bible.

1. Psalm 89:11

The heavens are yours; the earth is also yours;
      the world and all that’s in it, you could have based them. Learn Extra

As a result of God is the Creator, the entire world belongs to him; and his creation will joyously reward his identify (Psa. 103:22). All probably the most spectacular options of the panorama acknowledge the greatness of their Creator.

2. John 3:16–17

For God so liked the world, that he gave his solely Son, that whoever believes in him mustn’t perish however have everlasting life. For God didn’t ship his Son into the world to sentence the world, however so that the world could be saved by means of him. Learn Extra

Right here is probably the most well-known abstract of the gospel in your entire Bible. God so liked the world was an astounding assertion in that context as a result of the OT and different Jewish writings had spoken solely of God’s love for his folks Israel. God’s love for “the world” made it attainable for “whoever” (John 3:15) believes in Christ, not Jews alone, to have everlasting life. God’s love for the world was not mere sentiment however led to a particular motion: he gave his solely Son, which John elsewhere explains as sending him to earth as a person (John 3:17) to undergo and die and thereby to bear the penalty for sins (see be aware on 1 John 2:2; cf. Rom. 3:25). The aim of giving his Son was to make God’s nice reward of everlasting life out there to anybody—to whoever believes in him, that’s, whoever personally trusts in him. Not perish means not perish in everlasting judgment, in distinction to having everlasting life, the lifetime of considerable pleasure and immeasurable blessing within the presence of God endlessly. Those that “consider in” Christ have that “everlasting life” and already expertise its blessings on this current time, not but absolutely, however in some vital measure.

3. James 4:4

You adulterous folks! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Due to this fact whoever needs to be a pal of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Learn Extra

Adulterous folks remembers OT prophets who used this language to explain Israel’s unfaithfulness to God (e.g., Jer. 2:20; 3:6–10; Hos. 1:2). Such folks have chosen friendship with the world by imitating worldly methods of pondering and worldly actions, making them enemies of God. It would all the time be not possible to fulfill the expectations of unbelievers, whose hearts are set on this world (1 John 2:15–16; 5:19), and on the similar time please God (Gal. 1:10; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 John 3:13). Cf. additionally Matt. 6:24; James typically alludes to the instructing of Jesus (see chart), which isn’t stunning if he was Jesus’ earthly brother.

4. 1 John 2:15–17

Don’t love the world or the issues on the earth. If anybody loves the world, the love of the Father is just not in him. For all that’s on the earth—the needs of the flesh and the needs of the eyes and delight of life—is just not from the Father however is from the world. And the world is passing away together with its needs, however whoever does the need of God abides endlessly. Learn Extra

Don’t love the world shouldn’t be learn as an utter rejection of the world, for “God . . . liked the world” (John 3:16). Relatively, John warns towards devotion to a world system that’s against God (cf. John 12:31; James 4:4; 1 John 5:19). Love of the Father most likely carries a double that means, referring each to the love God has for his folks and the love they’ve for him. The previous generates the latter (1 John 4:7, 9–10).

In warning towards all that’s on the earth, John doesn’t demonize the entire created order (cf. Gen. 1:31). Relatively, he offers examples (needs of the flesh, and so on.) of what the believer ought to guard towards. Human needs are a part of God’s creation and due to this fact not inherently evil, however they develop into twisted when not directed by and towards God.

the world is passing away. Its look of permanence is misleading. Historical past is just not an infinite cycle however is rushing towards a conclusion willed by God (1 John 2:8). abides endlessly. Augustine in a sermon on this textual content wrote, “Maintain quick to Christ. For you he turned temporal, so that you just would possibly partake of eternity” (Homilies on the First Epistle of John 2.10).

5. Jeremiah 10:11–12

Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who didn’t make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from beneath the heavens.”

It’s he who made the earth by his energy,
     who established the world by his knowledge,
     and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. Learn Extra

All false gods shall perish. They have been created by people, however the dwelling God made and established the world by knowledge and understanding (Jer. 51:15–19). The false gods’ “instruction” (Jer. 10:8) makes folks silly, whereas God’s instruction makes folks sensible.

6. John 15:18–19

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me earlier than it hated you. For those who have been of the world, the world would love you as its personal; however as a result of you aren’t of the world, however I selected you out of the world, due to this fact the world hates you. Learn Extra

due to this fact the world hates you. Christians shouldn’t be shocked that unbelievers on the earth hate them. It follows a sample seen on the earth since Cain murdered Abel (see Gen. 4:8; Heb. 11:4; 1 John 3:12), and it’s seen on the earth’s reactions to Christ himself (see John 15:18).

7. John 17:15–16

I don’t ask that you just take them out of the world, however that you just maintain them from the evil one. They don’t seem to be of the world, simply as I’m not of the world. Learn Extra

Regardless that God’s folks within the midst of hardship might generally need to be taken out of the world (see Num. 11:15; 1 Kings 19:4; Jonah 4:3, 8), Jesus does not ask for that. The place of believers throughout this lifetime is to not withdraw from the world however to stay on the earth and to affect it frequently for good, as troublesome as that could be. *

Those that consider in Christ are usually not of the world, that means that they’ve a wholly totally different nature (see 3:3–8), together with totally different coronary heart needs, totally different elementary targets, and in the end a distinct God. The widespread saying that Christians are “on the earth however not of the world” is just not discovered precisely anyplace in Scripture, however the thought is true and is taken from John 17:15–16.

8. Romans 12:2

Don’t be conformed to this world, however be remodeled by the renewal of your thoughts, that by testing you could discern what’s the will of God, what is nice and acceptable and excellent. Learn Extra

The current evil age nonetheless threatens those that belong to Christ, so they need to resist its strain. Their lives are modified as their minds are made new (distinction Rom. 1:28), in order that they can “discern” God’s will. By testing you could discern interprets Greek dokimazō, which regularly has the sense of discovering out the value of one thing by placing it to make use of or testing it in precise follow (cf. Luke 14:19; 1 Cor. 3:13; 2 Cor. 8:22; 1 Tim. 3:10).

9. John 18:36

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is just not of this world. If my kingdom have been of this world, my servants would have been combating, that I may not be delivered over to the Jews. However my kingdom is just not from the world.” Learn Extra

Jesus’ description of the character of his kingdom echoes comparable passages in Daniel (e.g., Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 27). See additionally John 6:15.

10. John 16:33

I’ve mentioned these items to you, that in me you might have peace. On the planet you should have tribulation. However take coronary heart; I’ve overcome the world. Learn Extra

Within the midst of the struggling and hardship that was to come back, Jesus’ disciples, and all following them, can have such “peace” in fellowship with Christ. Fittingly, Jesus’ Farewell Discourse (John 13:31–16:33) ends on a be aware of triumph (cf. 1 John 2:13–14; John 4:4; John 5:4–5).

Standard Articles in This Sequence