Golden Bull Worshipped in a Football Stadiumby Christ1
5:211 John 5:21
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Little children are to keep themselves from idols in light of the coming of the Son of God who gives understanding to know Him that is true and to be in Him, even in Jesus Christ who is the true God and eternal life. The command reaches far beyond outward images to anything cherished that divides the affections, confuses duty to God, or absorbs thought and love that belong to saving souls. Such idols are self with its pride, selfishness, vanity and worldliness, overpowering love for husband, wife, children, relatives or any person given the worship belonging to God, and a commercial and money-making spirit allowed to govern the life. They are also selfish pleasure, pride, extravagance and display that waste God's means while His cause is left poor, dress that holds sway over the mind and separates the soul from God, and indulgence in luxuries, stimulating drink, hilarity, sports, sensual talk and imaginings, and selfish plans for self-uplifting. Keeping from them means keeping the eyes on Christ and making Him the Counsellor in every trouble, communing with God and being filled by Jesus until there is no room for self, with the law written on the heart and the life raised above a low worldly level. God shows praying seekers some cherished idol to put away for Christ, and as each is given up others are shown, until heaven's light shines from all who give up every idol and give up all for Christ.
Context and Meaning
The warning stands in direct connection with what goes before it, that the Son of God is come and has given an understanding that people may know Him that is true and be in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ, who is the true God and eternal life, and therefore little children must keep themselves from idols. Keeping from idols in this light means making Christ Himself the counsellor, seeking Him in every trouble and uncertainty and relying upon Him for wisdom without fear of refusal, bringing every burden to the Burden-bearer. It calls for the complete and perfect understanding which the Lord alone can give, because it is not safe to catch the spirit from another, and human counsel and a borrowed spirit set up against Him are themselves idols to be refused. It means wanting the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ, and communing with God, so that the soul is filled by Jesus with no room for self and selfishness and is given strength and grace and efficiency, especially as the Lord is soon to come.
The command reaches beyond outward images to every cherished thing that must be put away, and those who give up every idol for Christ receive heaven's light. An idol is everything that would divide the affections and confuse the understanding about duty to God, and this is sin. An idol is also anything that absorbs thought and affection God wants directed in other lines and takes over mind and love and turns them away from the work of saving souls, even the care of a little child. Keeping the love of God supreme in the heart so that love for wife, husband, children and relatives stays in agreement with the will of God belongs to this keeping, while allowing money to flow into unnecessary channels while the cause of God is left in poverty shows a perverted mind and breaks this command.
The verse calls for clear spiritual judgment about idolatry in matters both large and small. That judgment applies to collecting and displaying many pictures of oneself, for these are called idols. Spending the Lord's money on them rather than on saving souls is sinful idolatry.
Idols Named by Verse
A human being can make self an idol by worshiping self, and no one can love God supremely while doing so. Cherished pride, selfishness, vanity and worldliness are such idols from which to keep separate in order to be united to Christ. Giving to human beings the heart's worship and devotion that belong to God is idolatry, including overpowering love for a man or woman when the affections are devoted to that person. Love for wife, husband, children and relatives must be kept supreme love for God in the heart and kept in agreement with the will of God, for whatever divides the affections and confuses understanding about duty to God is an idol and is sin. Even care of a little child becomes such an idol when it absorbs thought and affection that God wants directed toward saving souls and takes over mind and love and turns them from that work.
Allowing a commercial spirit, sharp money-making practices and worldly influences to govern life is idolatry, and one who remains unconverted and content under worldly influence is an idolater facing sorrow and disappointment. Cherishing and worshiping selfish pleasures, pride, extravagance and love of display are idolatry, shown when God's money is spent on those things rather than on what is essential and on saving souls. Letting money flow into unnecessary channels while the cause of God is left in poverty shows a perverted mind and breaks the command to keep from idols. Dress is an idol that has established sway over sensible minds and holds its power so that it separates the soul from God, and cleanness from this idolatry with a firm missionary principle of self-denial is needed to represent Christ. Collecting and displaying many pictures of oneself are likewise idols, and spending the Lord's money on them rather than on saving souls is sinful idolatry requiring clear spiritual judgment in matters both large and small.
Refusing the king's luxuries, wine and other stimulating drinks preserves health and all the faculties for serving God and for education directed to honoring God and standing for true religion amid heathenism. Indulgence in cheap talk, hilarity, sports and glee that leave God out and do not follow the example of Jesus are idols to be refused. Selfish ideas and feelings and plans for self-uplifting by pulling another down, expecting true success by violating eternal principles of right and wrong, undue attention to young ladies and women, and common, cheap, earthly, sensual words, deportment and corrupting imaginings that taint and pollute the soul are idols from which to turn away. Human counsel and a borrowed spirit caught from another are idols set against the complete and perfect understanding that the Lord alone can give, so Christ Himself must be made the counsellor sought in every trouble and uncertainty and relied upon for wisdom.
Keeping Yourselves from Idols
Keeping from idols is keeping the eyes on Christ, learning His life of self-denial, obeying God and practicing His virtues. It is having the natural heart softened and subdued, with self resisted and overcome through grace, for a person can make self an idol and no one can love God supremely while worshiping self. Detaching from such idols of cherished pride, selfishness, vanity and worldliness is necessary to form union with Christ, and preserving that union requires continuing to resist and overcome self through His grace.
Christ Himself must be made the counsellor, sought in every trouble and uncertainty and relied upon for wisdom, with every burden brought to the Burden-bearer. Human counsel and a borrowed spirit caught from another are idols set against the complete understanding that the Lord alone can give, since the Son has come and given understanding to know Him that is true and to be in Him, even in Jesus Christ who is the true God and eternal life. Keeping clear therefore means wanting the Holy Spirit, communing with God, and being so filled by Jesus that there is no room for self and selfishness, receiving strength and grace and efficiency, especially as the Lord is soon to come.
The same detachment was shown in refusing the king's luxuries, wine and other stimulating drinks, so that health was preserved and all the faculties kept fit for serving God. Education and knowledge were thereby directed to honor God and to stand for true religion amid heathenism. Turning away in this way requires having the law of God written on the heart and engraved on the soul by the Spirit rather than mere assent of the understanding. It requires remembering that God sees the heart and reads purposes, putting on the Lord Jesus Christ rather than wearing religion as a cloak, having the conversation in heaven, letting the word dwell richly, loving the neighbor as self, doing to others as one would be done by, and living the pure gospel above a low worldly level, forsaking selfish ideas and plans for self-uplifting by pulling another down, expectation of success by violating right and wrong, undue attention, and common, cheap, earthly, sensual words, deportment and corrupting imaginings that taint the soul.
God answers little praying companies by showing them some cherished idol to put away for Christ, for the command reaches beyond outward images to every cherished thing that must be put away. Some give up what is shown and some do not, and the work is progressive, with other idols shown after the first is put away. Heaven's light shines from the faces of all who give up every idol and give up all for Christ.
Staying clear requires the missionary principle firmly established not to let the world set up its banner between the soul and Jesus, for suffering it to do so makes it impossible to represent Christ in self-denial, as seen in the idolatry of dress that establishes sway over minds, holds its power and separates the soul from God. Those called as co-laborers must have nothing that absorbs the thought and love God wants directed toward saving souls, since an idol is anything that takes over mind and love and turns them from that work, even the care of a little child. Ministers and their wives are therefore to be closely united, the wife as complement and helper of her husband, staying as free as possible to attend gatherings and to share in visiting and personal labor rather than letting a child become the burden of thought and conversation that makes effort of no effect.
Little children are to keep themselves from idols in light of the coming of the Son of God who gives understanding to know Him that is true and to be in Him, even in Jesus Christ who is the true God and eternal life. The command reaches far beyond outward images to anything cherished that divides the affections, confuses duty to God, or absorbs thought and love that belong to saving souls. Such idols are self with its pride, selfishness, vanity and worldliness, overpowering love for husband, wife, children, relatives or any person given the worship belonging to God, and a commercial and money-making spirit allowed to govern the life. They are also selfish pleasure, pride, extravagance and display that waste God's means while His cause is left poor, dress that holds sway over the mind and separates the soul from God, and indulgence in luxuries, stimulating drink, hilarity, sports, sensual talk and imaginings, and selfish plans for self-uplifting. Keeping from them means keeping the eyes on Christ and making Him the Counsellor in every trouble, communing with God and being filled by Jesus until there is no room for self, with the law written on the heart and the life raised above a low worldly level. God shows praying seekers some cherished idol to put away for Christ, and as each is given up others are shown, until heaven's light shines from all who give up every idol and give up all for Christ.
Context and Meaning
The warning stands in direct connection with what goes before it, that the Son of God is come and has given an understanding that people may know Him that is true and be in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ, who is the true God and eternal life, and therefore little children must keep themselves from idols. Keeping from idols in this light means making Christ Himself the counsellor, seeking Him in every trouble and uncertainty and relying upon Him for wisdom without fear of refusal, bringing every burden to the Burden-bearer. It calls for the complete and perfect understanding which the Lord alone can give, because it is not safe to catch the spirit from another, and human counsel and a borrowed spirit set up against Him are themselves idols to be refused. It means wanting the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ, and communing with God, so that the soul is filled by Jesus with no room for self and selfishness and is given strength and grace and efficiency, especially as the Lord is soon to come.
The command reaches beyond outward images to every cherished thing that must be put away, and those who give up every idol for Christ receive heaven's light. An idol is everything that would divide the affections and confuse the understanding about duty to God, and this is sin. An idol is also anything that absorbs thought and affection God wants directed in other lines and takes over mind and love and turns them away from the work of saving souls, even the care of a little child. Keeping the love of God supreme in the heart so that love for wife, husband, children and relatives stays in agreement with the will of God belongs to this keeping, while allowing money to flow into unnecessary channels while the cause of God is left in poverty shows a perverted mind and breaks this command.
The verse calls for clear spiritual judgment about idolatry in matters both large and small. That judgment applies to collecting and displaying many pictures of oneself, for these are called idols. Spending the Lord's money on them rather than on saving souls is sinful idolatry.
Idols Named by Verse
A human being can make self an idol by worshiping self, and no one can love God supremely while doing so. Cherished pride, selfishness, vanity and worldliness are such idols from which to keep separate in order to be united to Christ. Giving to human beings the heart's worship and devotion that belong to God is idolatry, including overpowering love for a man or woman when the affections are devoted to that person. Love for wife, husband, children and relatives must be kept supreme love for God in the heart and kept in agreement with the will of God, for whatever divides the affections and confuses understanding about duty to God is an idol and is sin. Even care of a little child becomes such an idol when it absorbs thought and affection that God wants directed toward saving souls and takes over mind and love and turns them from that work.
Allowing a commercial spirit, sharp money-making practices and worldly influences to govern life is idolatry, and one who remains unconverted and content under worldly influence is an idolater facing sorrow and disappointment. Cherishing and worshiping selfish pleasures, pride, extravagance and love of display are idolatry, shown when God's money is spent on those things rather than on what is essential and on saving souls. Letting money flow into unnecessary channels while the cause of God is left in poverty shows a perverted mind and breaks the command to keep from idols. Dress is an idol that has established sway over sensible minds and holds its power so that it separates the soul from God, and cleanness from this idolatry with a firm missionary principle of self-denial is needed to represent Christ. Collecting and displaying many pictures of oneself are likewise idols, and spending the Lord's money on them rather than on saving souls is sinful idolatry requiring clear spiritual judgment in matters both large and small.
Refusing the king's luxuries, wine and other stimulating drinks preserves health and all the faculties for serving God and for education directed to honoring God and standing for true religion amid heathenism. Indulgence in cheap talk, hilarity, sports and glee that leave God out and do not follow the example of Jesus are idols to be refused. Selfish ideas and feelings and plans for self-uplifting by pulling another down, expecting true success by violating eternal principles of right and wrong, undue attention to young ladies and women, and common, cheap, earthly, sensual words, deportment and corrupting imaginings that taint and pollute the soul are idols from which to turn away. Human counsel and a borrowed spirit caught from another are idols set against the complete and perfect understanding that the Lord alone can give, so Christ Himself must be made the counsellor sought in every trouble and uncertainty and relied upon for wisdom.
Keeping Yourselves from Idols
Keeping from idols is keeping the eyes on Christ, learning His life of self-denial, obeying God and practicing His virtues. It is having the natural heart softened and subdued, with self resisted and overcome through grace, for a person can make self an idol and no one can love God supremely while worshiping self. Detaching from such idols of cherished pride, selfishness, vanity and worldliness is necessary to form union with Christ, and preserving that union requires continuing to resist and overcome self through His grace.
Christ Himself must be made the counsellor, sought in every trouble and uncertainty and relied upon for wisdom, with every burden brought to the Burden-bearer. Human counsel and a borrowed spirit caught from another are idols set against the complete understanding that the Lord alone can give, since the Son has come and given understanding to know Him that is true and to be in Him, even in Jesus Christ who is the true God and eternal life. Keeping clear therefore means wanting the Holy Spirit, communing with God, and being so filled by Jesus that there is no room for self and selfishness, receiving strength and grace and efficiency, especially as the Lord is soon to come.
The same detachment was shown in refusing the king's luxuries, wine and other stimulating drinks, so that health was preserved and all the faculties kept fit for serving God. Education and knowledge were thereby directed to honor God and to stand for true religion amid heathenism. Turning away in this way requires having the law of God written on the heart and engraved on the soul by the Spirit rather than mere assent of the understanding. It requires remembering that God sees the heart and reads purposes, putting on the Lord Jesus Christ rather than wearing religion as a cloak, having the conversation in heaven, letting the word dwell richly, loving the neighbor as self, doing to others as one would be done by, and living the pure gospel above a low worldly level, forsaking selfish ideas and plans for self-uplifting by pulling another down, expectation of success by violating right and wrong, undue attention, and common, cheap, earthly, sensual words, deportment and corrupting imaginings that taint the soul.
God answers little praying companies by showing them some cherished idol to put away for Christ, for the command reaches beyond outward images to every cherished thing that must be put away. Some give up what is shown and some do not, and the work is progressive, with other idols shown after the first is put away. Heaven's light shines from the faces of all who give up every idol and give up all for Christ.
Staying clear requires the missionary principle firmly established not to let the world set up its banner between the soul and Jesus, for suffering it to do so makes it impossible to represent Christ in self-denial, as seen in the idolatry of dress that establishes sway over minds, holds its power and separates the soul from God. Those called as co-laborers must have nothing that absorbs the thought and love God wants directed toward saving souls, since an idol is anything that takes over mind and love and turns them from that work, even the care of a little child. Ministers and their wives are therefore to be closely united, the wife as complement and helper of her husband, staying as free as possible to attend gatherings and to share in visiting and personal labor rather than letting a child become the burden of thought and conversation that makes effort of no effect.