Mensa Otabil - The World Is Passing Away (10/18/2025)
First John chapter 2, verse 17: «And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.» First John has a clear spiritual focus, and we see it in this verse. The focus is that this world, which we love so much and have lived in for so long, is passing away; it’s not a permanent world. There are two thoughts in the verse: one is that the world is passing away. Everything that this world offers is temporary; only the things of God are eternal. We have to get used to it. The things we see that seem very impressive and of great value are all passing away. That’s why, as Christians, we must be mindful of the eternal and live for the eternal.
Our world is passing away like a decaying superstructure. You see a magnificent building; it looks gleaming, it’s tall, it’s impressive. But the moment it is built, decay sets in because everything in this world goes through some form of decay. The steel starts weakening, the concrete is weakening, and the cables are weakening. It may take a hundred years or 200 years, but one day the skyscraper is going to come down. That’s how our world is; the forces of decay are already at work, and very soon this world will pass away. But there is an eternal world that does not pass away, and John says we must be mindful of that eternal world.
As this world passes away, it also takes away our capacity to enjoy the world as we do now.The second thing to note is that he who does the will of God abides forever. That’s the contrast: the world is passing away, but there is something else that abides forever-the person who does the will of God abides with God because God is eternal. John is encouraging us to live our lives as Jesus Christ lived His life. Jesus lived for the eternal; although He lived on this earth, He was very mindful of the eternal world to which He belonged.
So we have two ways of life before us: the life of the temporary, of the world, of the lust of the flesh, of the lust of the eyes, and of the pride of life; the world that seems gleaming, very beautiful, and enjoyable, which is passing away. On the other hand, we have the world that God promises us, what Christ promises, which may not feed the lust of your flesh but is eternal. You either live for the short term or you live for the long term. I know some people say, «Who cares? You live but once; just live and enjoy your life.» Yes, you live but once here on earth, but there is life beyond the earth. So you’re not living just once; there are eternal consequences to the choices and decisions we make.
We are exhorted to be mindful of that, and being mindful of that also requires us to be aware that God wants us to live for Him. He created us for Himself as eternal beings who must live with Him. Let us live a life that makes the future a better world, not just this world but the world to come. We see the contrast: the love of the world and the love of God-two different things. You have to make a choice; you can’t have both. You must decide if you are living for God or just living for the world and seeking pleasure. If you choose the latter, there are consequences to your choices, and I pray that you choose to live for God.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, turn my heart from the lust of the world. Help me to live for that which is eternal. In Jesus' name, Amen.» Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.