Emperor Chin was the first emperor of China. He is the one responsible for overthrowing feudalism and unified China which remains to be the biggest empire existed until now. Emperor Chin was so ambitious that his achievements have become one of the biggest achievements ever made by a single man. He is the one responsible in building the Great Walls of China, and built the most extravagant tomb ever built. 
He lead in the construction of the first road system, created a single written language, and commanded one of the biggest army in human history. It is to whom China got their name.
But he wanted more than what he already have. He wanted to hold all these things forever. He wanted to be immortal. And so he ordered his doctors, magician, and his soldiers to look for a way to immortality.
His doctors suggested that an element called “Mercury” can be an answer. So they made him a tablet that he can take orally. He also created his resting tomb to be filled with mercury and have it guarded by the Terracotta Army. But all his effort to find immortality was in vain. He died because of the Mercury in his body that poisoned him.
1 John 2:15-17 reminds us that our love for the world is always in vain. He who loves the world does not love God. A simple yet direct statement of God’s boundary of love. No one who loves the world loves God because the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does come from the world. This simply tells us that if we are of God, then we need to be separated from the worldly desires that lead us to sin.
This also reminds me of Matthew 16:25 “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” It is losing something but gaining even more.
What struck me however, is verse 17. “But the man who does the will of God lives forever.” It is a promise for anyone who follows God. Wealth is not the most important thing in this world. It can do you good while you live, but always remember that man should be more concern on the things that is spiritual for what lies ahead is death. We need to be more concern on things that are above so that when our time ends in this world, we can be with our Lord and claim our inheritance.
