1Jn 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Worshipping idols involves worshipping other gods before God. You cannot worship an idol without worshipping the god it represents. So being told to keep ourselves from idols, we are in fact being told to keep ourselves from worshipping other gods, false gods.
We've already talked about the fact that people are not obsessed with going to temples and pledging their allegiances, their lives to gods erected in temples, making sacrifices to those false gods, up to living human sacrifices.
What people are doing is entering churches- their temples- and rather than seeking God in His word of Truth, through the Holy Spirit's guidance- many are worshipping false gods that have set themselves up in place of God so that they are such amazing counterfeits people do NOT even know they are worshipping idols, they are worshipping false gods.
Isn't that what deception is all about? Fooling people without their being aware of it? Unsuccessfully deceiving someone is their finding out about your deception. As long as people remain deceived there is little hope for their salvation. As long as people do NOT realize the god they are worshipping is NOT the One True God, then they are in danger. You might think God will wink at their ignorance and solely blame the deceiver but that's not always true. God has made His truth available to all and all will be measured against the opportunities they've had to know His truth. Unfortunately way too many people actually chose to follow deception because it's comfortable. Seriously, it's similar to why a woman or a man who is being cheated on will often ignore all the signs in favor of keeping their relationship-however faulty intact. They simply do NOT want to see they are being deceived, it hurts too much, it is too painful, it means changing and who wants to endure all that when they can keep things going on an even keel? Some couples live out their entire relationship under deception and wouldn't have it any other way. How many people find out they are being deceived and keep it to themselves, never confronting the deceiver just because they don't want to upset their lives in any way? This is a real thing. You might be of the type of person who says I would never, ever live in deception if I realized it was happening, and that might be true, but a shocking number of people do live that way, and many very willingly.
So, if people are willing to live a life of deception with their own partners, why would it be much different for them to willingly go to a church and allow themselves to be deceived by those who do not follow all of God's truth as He has giving it in His amazing Word, as Jesus came and testified of Him and was the living TRUTH to us. Jesus spoke simple truths and even the simple truths people fail to follow. His commandments all ten of them, the moral law that He Himself followed, people do not follow them, they just don't care to because it interferes with their comfortable deception.
Throughout history the truth has been hard to follow and FEW will follow it. The Bible tells us that FEW will find the truth. There is a very narrow way that true Christ followers will walk. Yet churches fill up with people and grow, and grow, and grow and its members love the fact people are flocking to their truths- their truths- not necessarily God's. Do they get up there and preach that NARROW is the way, and FEW there be that find it?
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
The truth.
Millions are following idols, idols that have taken on the form of the One True God, but it's really a wolf in sheep clothing. A wolf underneath a disguise so brilliant that millions are fooled, they are deceived and worse still-- they LOVE their deception because they refuse to believe in real Biblical truths.
Do people have to believe this verse today?
1Jn 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
When you comprehend that the idols are standing in the many churches people frequent all the time, yes, it's very, very pertinent to all of us today.
We are to keep from idols, from false gods, from worshipping falsely, from bowing before wolves in sheep clothing. Will you sit comfortably deceived or risk the uncomfortable life that will be demanded of you when you face the truth and in facing it you must act upon it or risk your own eternal life with the God you profess to love!
By His grace may we ALL face His truths and walk in them and only them whatever they may be. In His love! In His grace!
Amen.
Worshipping idols involves worshipping other gods before God. You cannot worship an idol without worshipping the god it represents. So being told to keep ourselves from idols, we are in fact being told to keep ourselves from worshipping other gods, false gods.
We've already talked about the fact that people are not obsessed with going to temples and pledging their allegiances, their lives to gods erected in temples, making sacrifices to those false gods, up to living human sacrifices.
What people are doing is entering churches- their temples- and rather than seeking God in His word of Truth, through the Holy Spirit's guidance- many are worshipping false gods that have set themselves up in place of God so that they are such amazing counterfeits people do NOT even know they are worshipping idols, they are worshipping false gods.
Isn't that what deception is all about? Fooling people without their being aware of it? Unsuccessfully deceiving someone is their finding out about your deception. As long as people remain deceived there is little hope for their salvation. As long as people do NOT realize the god they are worshipping is NOT the One True God, then they are in danger. You might think God will wink at their ignorance and solely blame the deceiver but that's not always true. God has made His truth available to all and all will be measured against the opportunities they've had to know His truth. Unfortunately way too many people actually chose to follow deception because it's comfortable. Seriously, it's similar to why a woman or a man who is being cheated on will often ignore all the signs in favor of keeping their relationship-however faulty intact. They simply do NOT want to see they are being deceived, it hurts too much, it is too painful, it means changing and who wants to endure all that when they can keep things going on an even keel? Some couples live out their entire relationship under deception and wouldn't have it any other way. How many people find out they are being deceived and keep it to themselves, never confronting the deceiver just because they don't want to upset their lives in any way? This is a real thing. You might be of the type of person who says I would never, ever live in deception if I realized it was happening, and that might be true, but a shocking number of people do live that way, and many very willingly.
So, if people are willing to live a life of deception with their own partners, why would it be much different for them to willingly go to a church and allow themselves to be deceived by those who do not follow all of God's truth as He has giving it in His amazing Word, as Jesus came and testified of Him and was the living TRUTH to us. Jesus spoke simple truths and even the simple truths people fail to follow. His commandments all ten of them, the moral law that He Himself followed, people do not follow them, they just don't care to because it interferes with their comfortable deception.
Throughout history the truth has been hard to follow and FEW will follow it. The Bible tells us that FEW will find the truth. There is a very narrow way that true Christ followers will walk. Yet churches fill up with people and grow, and grow, and grow and its members love the fact people are flocking to their truths- their truths- not necessarily God's. Do they get up there and preach that NARROW is the way, and FEW there be that find it?
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
The truth.
Millions are following idols, idols that have taken on the form of the One True God, but it's really a wolf in sheep clothing. A wolf underneath a disguise so brilliant that millions are fooled, they are deceived and worse still-- they LOVE their deception because they refuse to believe in real Biblical truths.
Do people have to believe this verse today?
1Jn 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
When you comprehend that the idols are standing in the many churches people frequent all the time, yes, it's very, very pertinent to all of us today.
We are to keep from idols, from false gods, from worshipping falsely, from bowing before wolves in sheep clothing. Will you sit comfortably deceived or risk the uncomfortable life that will be demanded of you when you face the truth and in facing it you must act upon it or risk your own eternal life with the God you profess to love!
By His grace may we ALL face His truths and walk in them and only them whatever they may be. In His love! In His grace!
Amen.
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