John Calvin Commentary 1 John 2:17

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." — 1 John 2:17 (ASV)

And the world passeth away. Since everything in the world is fading and, so to speak, is only for a moment, he therefore concludes that those who seek their happiness from it make a wretched and miserable provision for themselves, especially when God calls us to the ineffable glory of eternal life. It is as if he had said, “The true happiness that God offers to His children is eternal; it is then a shameful thing for us to be entangled with the world, which, with all its benefits, will soon vanish away.”

I take lust here metonymically, as signifying what is desired or coveted, or what captivates the desires of men. The meaning is that what is most precious in the world and deemed especially desirable is nothing but a shadowy phantom.

By saying that those who do the will of God shall abide for ever, or perpetually, he means that those who seek God shall be perpetually blessed. If anyone were to object and say that no one does what God commands, the obvious answer is that what is spoken of here is not the perfect keeping of the law, but the obedience of faith, which, however imperfect it may be, is yet approved by God. The will of God is first made known to us in the law; but since no one satisfies the law, no happiness can be hoped for from it. But Christ comes to meet the despairing with new aid, who not only regenerates us by His Spirit that we may obey God, but also ensures that our endeavor, such as it is, obtains the praise of perfect righteousness.