John Calvin Commentary 1 John 2:15

"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." — 1 John 2:15 (ASV)

Love not. He had said before that the only rule for living religiously is to love God. But as, when we are occupied with the vain love of the world, we turn away all our thoughts and affections elsewhere, this vanity must first be torn away from us, so that the love of God may reign within us. Until our minds are cleansed, the former doctrine may be repeated a hundred times, but with no effect: it would be like pouring water on a ball; you can gather, no, not a drop, because there is no empty place to retain water.

By the world, understand everything connected with the present life, apart from the kingdom of God and the hope of eternal life. Therefore, he includes in it corruptions of every kind, and the abyss of all evils. In the world are pleasures, delights, and all those allurements by which one is captivated, so as to withdraw from God.

Moreover, the love of the world is thus severely condemned because we must necessarily forget God and ourselves when we regard nothing as much as the earth. And when a corrupt lust of this kind rules in a person, and so holds them entangled that they do not think of the heavenly life, they are possessed by a beastly stupidity.

If any man love the world. He proves by an argument from the contrary how necessary it is to cast away the love of the world if we wish to please God. And this he later confirms by an argument drawn from its inconsistency, for what belongs to the world is wholly at variance with God. We must bear in mind what I have already said: that a corrupt way of life is mentioned here, which has nothing in common with the kingdom of God—that is, when people become so degenerated that they are satisfied with the present life and think no more of immortal life than mute animals. Whoever, then, makes themselves a slave in this way to earthly lusts, cannot be of God.