LOVE OF THE WORLD by Mrs. E. G. White

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Mar 4, 1880

LOVE OF THE WORLD.

By Mrs. E. G. White

The temptation endured by our Saviour upon the exceeding high mountain is one of the leading temptations which humanity must meet. The kingdoms of the world in their glory were presented to him by Satan as a gift, upon condition that he would yield to him honor as to a superior. This temptation, so strongly felt yet so quickly overcome by our Saviour, would not have been met by him were it not that man must be tested on the same point. In his example of resistance, he gave us a copy of the course we should pursue when Satan comes to us individually, to lead us from our integrity.

No man can be a follower of Christ and yet place his affections upon the things of the world. John in his epistle writes, “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.” Our Redeemer, who met this temptation of Satan in its fullest power, is acquainted with man’s danger of yielding to temptation to love the world.

Christ identifies himself with humanity by bearing the test upon this point and overcoming in man’s behalf. He has also guarded with warnings this very point where Satan best succeeds in his temptations to man. He says: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Here Christ has brought before us two masters, God and the world, and has plainly presented the fact that it is impossible for us to serve both. If our love for this world predominates, we shall not appreciate the things above all others worthy of our attention. The love of the world ever excludes the love of God, and makes our eternal welfare secondary to our worldly interests. In this way Satan gains from man the homage he failed to receive from Christ, and ruins his prospect for the future.

In Satan’s temptations, he makes the world very attractive, and thus secures the affections of professed Christians for riches and worldly honor. With a large majority the more riches they get the less love they have for precious truth and the less interest for its advancement.

The works of those men who have an insane love for riches, show that it is not possible for them to serve two masters, God and mammon. Money is their god. They yield homage to its power. They serve the world to all intents and purposes. Their honor, which is their birthright, is sacrificed for worldly gain. This ruling power controls their minds, and they will violate the law of God to serve personal interests, that their earthly treasure may increase.

Many profess the religion of Christ who love not and heed not the letter or principles of Christ’s teachings. They give the best of their strength to worldly pursuits, and bow down to mammon. It is alarming that so many are deceived by Satan, and their imaginations excited by their brilliant prospects of worldly gain. But they become infatuated with the prospect of perfect happiness acquired by the honor and wealth of the world. Satan tempts them with the alluring bribe, “All this will I give thee,” all this power, all this wealth, with which you may do a great amount of good. But when the object for which they have labored is gained, they have no connection with the self-denying Redeemer, which would make them partakers of the divine nature. They hold to their earthly treasures, and despise the requirements of self-denial and self-sacrifice for Christ. They have no desire to part with the dear earthly treasures upon which their hearts are set. They have exchanged masters, and accepted mammon in the place of Christ. Mammon is their god, and mammon they serve.

Satan deals with men more guardedly than he dealt with Christ in the wilderness of temptation, for he is admonished that there he lost his case. He does not come to man directly and demand homage by outward worship. He simply asks men to place their affections upon the good things of this world. If he succeeds in engaging the mind and affections, the heavenly attractions are eclipsed. All he asks of man is to fall under the deceitful power of his temptations, to love the world, to love rank and position, to love money, and to place his affections upon earthly treasures. If he secures this, he gains all he asked of Christ.

The example of Christ shows us that our only hope of victory is in continual resistance of Satan’s attacks. He who triumphed over the adversary of souls in the conflict of temptation understands Satan’s power over the race, and has conquered him in our behalf. As an overcomer, he has given us the advantage of his victory, that in our efforts to resist the temptations of Satan we may unite our weakness to his strength, our worthlessness to his merits. And sustained by his enduring might under the strength of temptation, we may resist in his all-powerful name, and overcome as he overcame.

It was through inexpressible suffering that our Redeemer placed redemption within our reach. He was in this world unhonored and unknown, that through his wonderful condescension and humiliation he might exalt man to receive heavenly honors and immortal joys in his kingly courts. Will fallen man murmur because Heaven can be obtained only by conflict, self-abasement, and toil?

The inquiry of many proud hearts is, Why need I go in humiliation and penitence before having the assurance of my acceptance with God? Why is not the path to Heaven less difficult, and more pleasant and attractive? We refer all these doubting, murmuring ones to the great Example, while suffering under the load of man’s guilt, and enduring the keenest pangs of hunger. He was the Prince of Heaven; but on man’s behalf he became sin for the race. “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.”

Christ sacrificed everything for man, in order to make it possible for him to gain Heaven. Now it is for fallen man to show what he will sacrifice on his own account, for Christ’s sake, that he may win immortal glory. Those who have any just sense of the magnitude of salvation, and of its cost, will never murmur that their sowing must be in tears, and that conflict and self-denial are the Christian’s portion in this life.

The conditions of salvation for man are ordained of God. Self-abasement and cross-bearing are the provisions made for the repenting sinner to find comfort and peace. The thought that Jesus submitted to humiliation and sacrifice that man will never be called to endure, should hush every murmuring voice. The sweetest joy comes to man through his sincere repentance toward God because of the transgression of his law, and faith in Jesus Christ as the sinner’s redeemer and advocate.

Men labor at great cost for the treasures of this life. They suffer toil and endure hardships and privations to gain some worldly advantage. Why should the sinner be less willing to endure, and suffer, and sacrifice, for an imperishable treasure, a life that runs parallel with the life of God, a crown of immortal glory that fadeth not away? The infinite treasures of Heaven, the inheritance which passeth all estimate in value, which is an eternal weight of glory, must be obtained by us at any cost. We should not murmur at self-denial; for the Lord of life and glory endured it before us.

Suffering and deprivation we will not avoid; for the Majesty of Heaven accepted these in behalf of sinners. Sacrifice of convenience and ease should not cause one thought of repining, because the world’s Redeemer has accepted all these in our behalf. It costs us far less in every respect, making the largest estimate of every self-denial, privation, and sacrifice, than it did the Prince of life. Any sacrifice that we may make sinks into insignificance in comparison with that which Christ made in our behalf.

Mrs. E. G. White.