The Pilgrim Path---First John 5: 21 

“Little children, keep yourself from idols.”

No image of a god at my house?

“We put our disappointments, our wounded pride, or our shattered dreams on the thrones of our hearts, where they become idols to us. We nurture resentment and bitterness, and we wallow in self-pity. Intellectually we know that in all things God works for our good, that nothing can separate us from His love. But in defiance of those God-given promises, we choose to think about that which is dishonoring to God and destructive of our own spiritual health. Just as the apostle Paul beat his body (figuratively speaking, of course), so we must subdue our sinful emotions. We must deal decisively with them at their first appearance in out thoughts. Keeping a tight rein on our emotions is just as necessary to godliness as keeping the appetites and desires of our bodies under control.” Jerry Bridges

“An uncontrolled self is a deadly force. It wills to defy or ignore God and tries to take the place of God---as Eve, our foremother, and Adam after her, discovered through encounter with the serpent. Idolizing, exalting, celebrating, and indulging oneself as one’s god is the root cause of all the shame, folly, decadence, and moral blindness that mark modern Western culture so ruinously. When Jesus declared that the two greatest commands are that we must love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves, both of these commands attacked this human idolatry of self in a way that shows us how we are to transcend and overcome it…And a self that knows itself and has embraced self-denial and given itself to God’s control can become a powerful force for good (Romans 12: 1, 2).” J. I. Packer

“Little children, keep yourself from idols.”

The Larger Catechism Question 103. Which is the first commandment? A. The first commandment is, Thou shall have no other gods before me.

The Larger Catechism Question 104. What are the duties required in the first commandment? A. The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him.

The Larger Catechism Question 105. What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment? A. The sins forbidden in the first commandment are, atheism, in denying or not having a God; idolatry, in having or worshiping more gods than one, or any with or instead of the true God; the not having and avouching him for God, and our God; the omission or neglect of anything due to him, required in this commandment; ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and wicked thoughts of him; bold and curious searching into his secrets; all profaneness, hatred of God; self-love, self-seeking, and all other inordinate and immoderate setting of the mind, will, or affections upon other things, and taking them off from him in whole or in part; vain credulity, unbelief, heresy, misbelief, distrust, despair, incorrigibleness, and insensibleness under judgments, hardness of heart, pride, presumption, carnal security, tempting of God, using unlawful means, and trusting in lawful means; carnal delights and joys; corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal; luke-warmness, and deadness in the things of God; estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God; praying, or giving religious worship, to saints, to angels, or any other creatures; all compacts and consulting with the devil, and hearkening to his suggestions; making men the lords of our faith and conscience; slighting and despising God and commands; resisting and grieving of his Sprit, discontent and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us; and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune, idols, ourselves, or any other creature.

“Little children, keep yourself from idols.”

Not unto us, O Lord of heaven,

But unto you be glory given;

In love and truth, you do fulfil

The counsels of your sovereign will;

Though nations fail your power to own,

Yet you do reign, and you alone.

From Psalm 115, The Psalter, 1912; mod.

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ Our LORD, Pastor Jason