10 Key Bible Verses on the World

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

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 may 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 beloved 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 the whole Bible. God so beloved 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 doable 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 word on 1 John 2:2; cf. Rom. 3:25). The aim of giving his Son was to make God’s nice present of everlasting life obtainable 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 ample pleasure and immeasurable blessing within the presence of God perpetually. Those that “consider in” Christ have that “everlasting life” and already expertise its blessings on this current time, not but totally, however in some important 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 can 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 usually alludes to the instructing of Jesus (see chart), which isn’t shocking 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 isn’t in him. For all that’s on the earth—the wishes of the flesh and the wishes of the eyes and satisfaction of life—isn’t from the Father however is from the world. And the world is passing away together with its wishes, however whoever does the desire of God abides perpetually. Learn Extra

Don’t love the world shouldn’t be learn as an utter rejection of the world, for “God . . . beloved the world” (John 3:16). Slightly, John warns in opposition to devotion to a world system that’s against God (cf. John 12:31; James 4:4; 1 John 5:19). Love of the Father in all probability 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 in opposition to all that’s on the earth, John doesn’t demonize the entire created order (cf. Gen. 1:31). Slightly, he provides examples (wishes of the flesh, and many others.) of what the believer ought to guard in opposition to. Human wishes are a part of God’s creation and subsequently not inherently evil, however they turn out to be twisted when not directed by and towards God.

the world is passing away. Its look of permanence is misleading. Historical past isn’t an countless cycle however is dashing towards a conclusion willed by God (1 John 2:8). abides perpetually. Augustine in a sermon on this textual content wrote, “Maintain quick to Christ. For you he grew to become temporal, so that you simply may 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 had 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. If you happen to had 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, subsequently the world hates you. Learn Extra

subsequently the world hates you. Christians shouldn’t be stunned 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).

ADVERTISEMENT

7. John 17:15–16

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

Although God’s folks within the midst of hardship might typically wish 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 tough as that could be. *

Those that consider in Christ are usually not of the world, that means that they’ve a completely completely different nature (see 3:3–8), together with completely different coronary heart wishes, completely different elementary objectives, and finally a unique God. The frequent saying that Christians are “on the earth however not of the world” isn’t discovered precisely wherever 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 might 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 have to resist its strain. Their lives are modified as their minds are made new (distinction Rom. 1:28), in order that they’re able to “discern” God’s will. By testing you might discern interprets Greek dokimazō, which frequently 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 isn’t of this world. If my kingdom had been of this world, my servants would have been preventing, that I may not be delivered over to the Jews. However my kingdom isn’t from the world.” Learn Extra

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

10. John 16:33

I’ve mentioned this stuff to you, that in me you will have peace. On this planet you’ll have tribulation. However take coronary heart; I’ve overcome the world. Learn Extra

Within the midst of the struggling and hardship that was to return, 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 word of triumph (cf. 1 John 2:13–14; John 4:4; John 5:4–5).

Fashionable Articles in This Collection