Jeremiah 16:20 (NET) - Can people make their own gods? No, what they make are not gods at all.
What is idolatry?
Simply put, anything or anyone we place above God is an idol.
God both expects and demands to be first in our lives.
This is as it should be especially when we consider what God does for us.
First, God creates.
Everything that comes into being is created by God.
In fact, each of us owes our very existence to God.
Next, God redeems.
Redemption is something we cannot accomplish on our own.
God redeems us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Then, God makes holy.
God makes us better every day.
God does this through the Holy Spirit.
No other person or thing accomplishes this for us.
We must, therefore, keep God first in our lives.
This is what God expects.
This is what God demands.
When you think about it, this is what God deserves.
Yet we may wonder why the world is in such a state of chaos and confusion,
The book of 1 John is a small book when compared to others like Jeremiah.
But its final verses sum things up quite nicely.
1 John 5:19 (NET) - We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Although we live in a fallen world, there is no room for idolatry.
1 John 5:20 (NET) - And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life.
Our world is a fallen world, but we are created, redeemed, and made holy.
We must keep God first in our lives.
The final verse of 1 John reminds us of this.
1 John 5:21 (NET) - Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on
Friday, February 12, 2021.
I will be back here on Friday, February
19, 2021
