Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,199
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21 NIV)
What is an idol? It isn’t just a carving made out of wood or stone, made to look like some kind of god which then people bow down to and worship. An idol is anything that, or anyone who we worship, that we bow down to, and to which or to whom we give our undivided and unwavering adherence, loyalty, devotion, praise, honor, and discipleship over and above, or totally in place of God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. And an idol can be a person or a thing or intellect or money or power, and/or an addictive sin.
If the idol is another person, no matter who the other person is, it means that we give more credence and listening and believing and adhering to what this other human is saying, proclaiming, doing, and/or teaching over and above, or in place of what the Holy Scriptures teach (in context, in reliable translations). So we end up believing man over God, and then we end up following other humans instead of following our Lord and His Word in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. This is called Idolatry.
If the idol is a thing or intellect or talent or money or whatever else it might be in the material world and in the world of greed and selfishness and pride and envy and lust and hate, it is anything which supersedes or which takes over for what should be our loyalty and devotion and adherence to God and to God alone. So it could be movies, TV, the internet, gaming, sports, or any kind of entertainment or activities which rob us of our relationships with the Lord and our devotion to God’s will and purpose for our lives.
And if the idol is an addictive sin which the addict is not willing to forego, that absolutely eradicates any chance of a relationship with Jesus Christ. For the Scriptures make it quite clear that if sin is what we practice – deliberately and habitually – and if obedience to our Lord and to his New Covenant commands are not what we practice, then we are not in fellowship with God, we do not know God, we are not saved from our sins, and we do not have the hope nor the promise of eternal life with God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Therefore, we cannot serve God and idols at the same time, for they do not co-exist:
“Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.’” “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.” “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” (1 Corinthians 10:7,14-15,21-22 NIV).
[1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 10:1-33; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 3:5-10; 1 Peter 4:1-5; 1 John 5:21; Revelation 21-22]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
Keep Yourselves from Idols
An Original Work / February 19, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
What is an idol? It isn’t just a carving made out of wood or stone, made to look like some kind of god which then people bow down to and worship. An idol is anything that, or anyone who we worship, that we bow down to, and to which or to whom we give our undivided and unwavering adherence, loyalty, devotion, praise, honor, and discipleship over and above, or totally in place of God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. And an idol can be a person or a thing or intellect or money or power, and/or an addictive sin.
If the idol is another person, no matter who the other person is, it means that we give more credence and listening and believing and adhering to what this other human is saying, proclaiming, doing, and/or teaching over and above, or in place of what the Holy Scriptures teach (in context, in reliable translations). So we end up believing man over God, and then we end up following other humans instead of following our Lord and His Word in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. This is called Idolatry.
If the idol is a thing or intellect or talent or money or whatever else it might be in the material world and in the world of greed and selfishness and pride and envy and lust and hate, it is anything which supersedes or which takes over for what should be our loyalty and devotion and adherence to God and to God alone. So it could be movies, TV, the internet, gaming, sports, or any kind of entertainment or activities which rob us of our relationships with the Lord and our devotion to God’s will and purpose for our lives.
And if the idol is an addictive sin which the addict is not willing to forego, that absolutely eradicates any chance of a relationship with Jesus Christ. For the Scriptures make it quite clear that if sin is what we practice – deliberately and habitually – and if obedience to our Lord and to his New Covenant commands are not what we practice, then we are not in fellowship with God, we do not know God, we are not saved from our sins, and we do not have the hope nor the promise of eternal life with God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Therefore, we cannot serve God and idols at the same time, for they do not co-exist:
“Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.’” “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.” “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” (1 Corinthians 10:7,14-15,21-22 NIV).
[1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 10:1-33; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 3:5-10; 1 Peter 4:1-5; 1 John 5:21; Revelation 21-22]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
Keep Yourselves from Idols
An Original Work / February 19, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
