1Jn 2:15-2:17 - Love vs. lust

Calvin

2:15: Until we are cleansed of the world, the Gospel remains ineffectual for us, finding no place to take hold. The world includes all that is apart from God's kingdom and its promises - all that grabs our attention and distracts us from God. Love of the world is condemned as it causes us to forget God and ourselves when it becomes our focus. The one who is so satisfied with life here doesn't look for his heavenly reward, showing himself foolish.
2:16: Three specific lusts are noted by John, at least one of which will hold sway in any given worldly man. Lust of the flesh covers all the desires of body - which desires always tend to exceed any relevant necessity. (Ro 13:14 - we should in no way provide for the body's lusts.) In lust of the eyes, both lust in its commonly understood meaning and vanity are condemned. This is followed by closely related pride: boasting, contempt of others, love of self, self-confidence. Such are the reactions that are provoked in our flesh when the world presents itself to our senses. It is our call to overcome these in the spirit.
2:17: The best that the world has to offer is still - at its best - a transitory and passing thing. To find our joy in a temporary fix when God offers us an eternal joy is pure folly. When our eternal blessing is tied to our obedience to God's law, it is tied to the obedience of faith. This obedience realizes that perfection is impossible and the Law itself cannot be the cause of our blessing. Rather, it leans hard on the work of Jesus to make such obedience as it can manage acceptable to God, even as He regenerates us and makes us able to obey the better.

Matthew Henry

2:15-2:17: Having given reason for each degree of Christian to do so, he now admonishes us to crucify ourselves to the world, and lays out the reasons: Love of God and world are in opposition, and the heart of man cannot possibly contain both. The things of the world combat us - through our fleshly affinities - and draw us from proper contemplation of the world as it reflects God to a view of the world as it satisfies our magnified desires. These desires are threefold: the indulging of our senses in luxury, the covetousness and cravings caused by what we see, and the vanity of pride - which seeks after applause and honor and flattery. All these desires must be denounced, as they are from the world, not God. Further reasons: all that is worldly is temporary (Ecc 12:5 - man eventually passes into death, leaving behind any pleasures the world offered him.) The lover of God - who does His will out of that love - loves eternally, having become heir to immortality. The physical life must become subject to the divine spiritual life.

Adam Clarke

2:15: In spite of our understanding of spiritual things and the world to come, this present world retains its ability to distract, and thus, the warning away from it is required. Love of world and love of God are incompatible, the former leaving no place for the latter - without which there is no peace, holiness, or heaven.
2:16: The things of the world fail to last, and fail to deliver on their promised gratification. The gratification of sex, drink, and luxuriant style fail to deliver. The gratification of display, conspicuous consumption, fail to deliver. The gratification of honors and titles fail to deliver. These and their like neither come from nor lead to God, but rather lead away from Him.
2:17: Such things as noted above are constantly perishing, and the world from which they are derived will also perish. Vain pursuits, and the memory of the greatest of worldly men will pass away, but the God seeker remains in God's eternity.

Barnes

2:15: Three meanings of world: 1) the physical created universe, 2) the peoples of the world, 3) the objectives and principles of those whose life is guided only by thoughts of this current life. To love the created world, as God's creation cannot be a bad thing. To show benevolent love to those who live in this world - whether or not they share our views - is also not an evil. The warning is against sharing in the mindset that guides the worldly. The physical world may have our affections, but not to the utmost. The rules that guide the lives of those who see not the heavenly future are insufficient and inappropriate guides to those of us who know God. (Ro 12:2 - we are not to conform to the ways of this world. Jas 4:4 - for love of worldly things is war against God. Mt 16:26 - the profits of the world are loss, if they lose us our soul. Lk 9:25 - parallel verse. 1Co 1:20 - God makes the wisdom of the worldly foolish, 1Co 3:19 - for their wisdom is foolishness to Him whose wisdom is so far beyond theirs. Gal 4:3 - we used to be held by the attractions of this world. Col 2:8 - but having been freed, we must take care not to be captured again.) What is condemned is the pursuit of worldly pleasures to pamper our appetites. To enjoy what God created, to look with kindness upon our fellow man, to provide for our families, these things are not forbidden, but are rather commendable. If a man lives as though this world were his portion, his heart has not been renewed, and he has no part with God's children. (Jas 4:4 - worldliness and godliness are incompatible. Mt 6:24 - one or the other must gain mastery in the emotions of the one who tries to have both.)
2:16: The things that are pursued by those who live for this life are hunger for luxurious living, hunger after excessively decorative accoutrements, and boastful pride - these being listed from the most base to the most developed and therefor worst. Lust needs to be understood as inordinate desire, not the sexuality the term has taken on today. (Jas 1:14 - our own desires are our temptations.) The seeking pursuit of such things are at odds with piety - the Christian being guided by higher and nobler principles - for they are guided by the purposes of this life alone without thought for the life to come.
2:17: All those attractions noted above are passing things, with no lasting presence (1Co 7:31 - all that seems useful in this world is passing away.) As the objects pass on, so too must the desire of them. In contrast the cause of joy for the Christian is built upon solid foundations that will never pass away. (Mt 7:24-27 - the house on the rock stands firm.)

Wycliffe

2:15: The command addresses all classes, and is against all who "find fulfillment in a finite order and without God." It is against all those things that conspire against God. We are to use the things of the world, but not love them in place of God. (Jn 3:16 - God loved the world enough to die for its salvation. Jas 1:27 - we are to be unstained by the world's lusts. Jas 4:4 - worldly love and Godly love are mutually exclusive. Jn 3:19 - world and darkness are synonymous in John's writings. 1Co 7:31 - we are to use the world, but not make full use of it.) The first reason for not loving the world is that its darkness must exclude the light of God. (Mt 6:24 - we cannot serve two masters. Jas 4:4 - because they cannot both rule.)
2:16: The lusts of the flesh consider the "old man's" propensities for doing things displeasing to God. The eyes, in what they behold, instigate the flesh - mental, aesthetic pleasures leading onward to physical pleasures. Pride indicates the boasting that results from not realizing the emptiness of the world's offers. These are all products of the world, not God.
2:17: The world is in the process of passing away, thus not a good choice for a place to park our affections. The undisturbed Christian goes beyond saying and loving, and actually does God's will, thus proving their possession of eternal life as a child of God.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

2:15: Since, as young men, we have overcome the world, we are now admonished to hold fast to that victory by not loving the world in its fallen state. Compassion, yes, but not congenial sympathy with it. In denying the world, we must also deny that which it offers. The warning is opened up from being to the young men to being to all. Our passions cannot encompass both the world and God.
2:16: All that the world offers is considered under three categories: the fleshly lusts (Lk 4:3 - these were the first temptations overcome in the desert,) the inflaming love of the eye, which sees riches and brings longing after them (2Sa 11:2 - David saw Bathsheeba, Jos 7:21 - Achan saw the riches of Shinar, and hid them away rather than destroy them, Ps 119:37 - with our eyes turned from vanity, we can be revived, Job 31:1 - Job swears to keep his eyes from sinful pleasures, Mt 5:28 - what the eye desires has already caused sin, Lk 14:18 - the need to see property led away from the wedding feast,) the arrogant assumptions of pride, by which Satan fell and by which he tempted Christ on the temple mount. These three are the world's anti-Trinity, displayed since Genesis: Eve saw the tree's goodness, pridefully desired the wisdom it offered in spite of God's command, and physically ate of it. (Col 2:8 - unsanctified knowledge is prideful.) Those born of God seek love from God, those of the world seek it there.
2:17: The world and the worldly are even now passing away along with the anti-Trinity of lusts. The one who chooses God's will above the world's and above his own - especially as regards love - abides 'even as God abideth forever.' In contrast to the three lusts, God offers the three goods of "riches, honor, and life." (Pr 22:4 - these are the reward of humble fear of the Lord, Ps 55:19 - God doesn't change, ergo - He is the same forever.)

New Thoughts

It is a little reassuring to realize that others feel the same struggles, recognize the same tension between what the spirit understands and what the body does. Of course, Paul recognized this, too, as - for that matter - did Jesus. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." God, help me to keep a proper perspective. Help me to look upon the world as You do, help me to use the world as You would have it used, treat it as You would have it treated. Lord, help me to put aside inordinate desires. My pride is so easily awakened, Father. You know. You've known me longer than I have. God, I need to remember to lean on You from the start! Too often I hold my trust until my own strength is gone. Help me start in that trust, that my strength might rather be renewed. God, I move in circles that offer much to the eye, and to the flesh. Help me to keep my eyes and my senses in check. Grant that Your Holy Spirit might truly reign in this tent, that He might keep me from wandering so quickly after things that cannot possibly satisfy as You do. God, grant that I might learn to place people first, and things last; to care for those You've charged me with as You would have them cared for. Grant me to remember what I've asked You this day, and to know You have heard, and will certainly answer.