Keep Yourselves from Idols - Daniel 3-4 and I John 5
I did not remember that I John ended with the command for us, as believers, to keep ourselves from idols. I would not have thought that first century Christians would have had a problem with idols. They had turned to the Living God, and the reality of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection should have been very fresh for them. Then, the Lord showed me that we, as humans, always have problems with idols, if we do not make it a priority to keep ourselves from them. Satan has so many ways to make idolatry seem good to us. The tendency of the carnal heart is to create idols and to worship idols. We even have a TV contest called "American Idol." Now, you may say that does not mean the same thing, but I think it does.
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to be an idol, so he had a huge image of himself created and set up for everyone to worship when a certain music played. The vast majority of the people had no problem bowing to the idol. It was natural to them, but it was not natural to the Jews, so Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego would not bow down. They would only worship the One True and Living God. In fact, they told Nebuchadnezzar that God could deliver them from his fiery furnace, but even if He did not, they would not worship anyone else, but God. That is faith, and that is keeping themselves from idols at all costs. God blessed that faith by sending Jesus to deliver them from the fire. We would think that Nebuchadnezzar would trust God after that, but he didn't until he ate grass and looked like a cow for 7 years. Why did it take so long? He still wanted to be an idol, and he still wanted to worship the things of this world instead of God. That is the tendency of the human heart, if we do not turn completely to God.
John told the believers that they could overcome the world by faith in God and by being born again. He assured them and us that when we have the Son, Jesus, we have life. Life does not come from pursuing and worshiping the things of this world. Life is a person. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We can't have life in any other way, and our lives will not be complete as long as we are allowing idols to creep in. Are you keeping yourself from idols? Is there anything that comes before God in your life? That is an idol. Anything that keeps us from from worshiping with other believers, tithing our income, reading our Bibles, and praying is an idol. We must get rid of the idols and put God first all of the time. Then, we will have real life.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Daniel 5-7 and II John.
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to be an idol, so he had a huge image of himself created and set up for everyone to worship when a certain music played. The vast majority of the people had no problem bowing to the idol. It was natural to them, but it was not natural to the Jews, so Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego would not bow down. They would only worship the One True and Living God. In fact, they told Nebuchadnezzar that God could deliver them from his fiery furnace, but even if He did not, they would not worship anyone else, but God. That is faith, and that is keeping themselves from idols at all costs. God blessed that faith by sending Jesus to deliver them from the fire. We would think that Nebuchadnezzar would trust God after that, but he didn't until he ate grass and looked like a cow for 7 years. Why did it take so long? He still wanted to be an idol, and he still wanted to worship the things of this world instead of God. That is the tendency of the human heart, if we do not turn completely to God.
John told the believers that they could overcome the world by faith in God and by being born again. He assured them and us that when we have the Son, Jesus, we have life. Life does not come from pursuing and worshiping the things of this world. Life is a person. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We can't have life in any other way, and our lives will not be complete as long as we are allowing idols to creep in. Are you keeping yourself from idols? Is there anything that comes before God in your life? That is an idol. Anything that keeps us from from worshiping with other believers, tithing our income, reading our Bibles, and praying is an idol. We must get rid of the idols and put God first all of the time. Then, we will have real life.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Daniel 5-7 and II John.