as the sun traces the day

  1 John 2:17 "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

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How does the "world pass away"?  It occurred to me that the world passes away in a similar way to each day passing away.  We say that the sun rises and sets because the sun appears to move through the sky, but we know that the sun is not moving.  The earth is turning and gives the appearance of the sun in motion.  When we hear that the "world is passing away", it is true that the world itself is aging and ultimately will wear out but I think the meaning here is that each of our lives are passing as we live them out on the earth.  When we read that "the world is passing away" we really understand that our life on the earth and in the world is passing.  We are growing, not only older, but closer to the end of our time riding planet earth and surrounded by all the influences and temptations and challenges of this life.  We see the marks of this in our personal lives.  Time doesn't stand still and life has seasons for each of us.  This is the plan of God.  But there is a forever place...a place that lies beyond the grip of time... and we have the opportunity to be in that place.  We need to replace the love of this place (which has the appearance of going on and on) for the place that will go on forever.  That's why the exhortation of 1 John 2:15-16 is so vital: "Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world."

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blessings,

Rob Smith