Christian Pagans
An idol is anything put in the place of God!
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." ~ 1 Jn. 5:21
These are the last words of an old man to his "little children" (a term of endearment). His desire for them in the world in which they lived was to be victorious over-comers. The way in which they could achieve this, says the aged saint, was to keep themselves from idols. That is, anything that occupied the place of God. If it demanded first place in their lives, it was an idol. All their devotion, affection, time, and energy were to be given, first and foremost, to the Person of God. Not to anything else, even if it was spiritual, and came from God Himself.
Isaac was from God, but must be sacrificed. When it comes to God, two loves can’t co-exist! One has to die.
Many commentators believe John was only speaking to the people of his day who had come out of pagan idolatry. The Puritans applied our text to Rome's relics. But it goes much deeper than this. Ezekiel speaks of God's people in his day who gave an external pretense of being spiritual, but who had "set up their idols in their heart." All human substitutes, whether made by man's hands or created in the mind, are idols. By the way, spiritual idolatry I believe, is the greatest of all sins.
by an Aged Saint
"The dearest idol I have known, what e're that idol be,
help me tear it from Thy throne, and worship only Thee."
It brings back to memory one of John Calvin's most famous sayings, "The human heart is a perpetual idol factory." While almost everything could become our idols, spiritual idolatry is the hardest one to detect, especially when the big "self" sits enthroned. Thank you for pointing it out.
Dear Old Disciple, thank you for those wise words. Idolatry may be the most pervasive 'Christian sin' today, besides pride. Blessings to you, brother.