Graven Image
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Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
You know how you want someone to remember something you repeat it. Or you mention it at the end so you can make sure they get it.
Its the same thing with Johns letter.
He wants his Christian readers to remember this.
AMP “Little children, keep yourselves from idols (false gods)—[from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life]. Amen (so let it be).”
Weust- guard yourselves from the idols.
But there is no need to take “idols” in a figurative sense. In the Greco-Roman world of John’s day, any moral compromise with worldly perspectives was likely to lead to some involvement with idolatry, since idolatry permeated pagan life at every level.
Theres a moral laxness that comes from idolatry
God is faithful to either break our idols or break us.
The human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols.
John Calvin (French Reformer)
Every one of us is, even from his mother’s womb, a master craftsman of idols.
John Calvin (French Reformer)
Every one of us is, even from his mother’s womb, expert in inventing idols.
John Calvin (French Reformer)
The Bible uses three basic metaphors to describe how people relate to the idols of their hearts. They love idols, trust idols, and obey idols.11
Timothy Keller
All idols are the product of human imagination.
Rienk Bouke Kuiper
Charles Spurgeon said break the idols and keep the hammer going.
And God spoke all these words, saying:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
“You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
How do we overcome idolatry
Matthew 22:37 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
Theres no room for idolatry is you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
What idols are hindering you from living in this reality.
Every pious Jewish person would quote this verse. It comes from deut. 6:5.
There is a threefold love here. All your heart, all your soul, all your mind.
This kind of love is not expressed fully anywhere to anybody at anytime.
Not even our spouse has this kind of love for us or us to them.
This kind of love can only be expressed to two people either to God or ourselves.
Even an obsession for someone else its really about yourself.
He is saying that our love for God should be all that we have and all that we are. It should be wholehearted.
This kind of love isn’t a mushy feel good everythings right with the world and myself kind of love.
Its the brokeness the doubts the weariness, I take it to Him because I know He loves me and because I love Him I can go to Him.
How can we love God this way? When we have a struggle we go to Him.
Loving God isn’t just about this militant obedience but its relational.
