Examining Christian Certainties (Conclusion)

From the desk of Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., Bible Expositor & Teacher. John says, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). This last verse appears as a blunt and sudden conclusion. However, a closer look at the context reveals these words as a proper ending to John’s epistle. Once again, John uses the phrase “Little children,” many times in this letter. John loved and cared for his readers as his own spiritual children. In the most basic sense, an idol is anything that takes the rightful place of God in your life. Paul equated covetousness or greed with idolatry (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5). Your career, your pursuit of money, your possessions, or even putting a human relationship ahead of your relationship with God, may all become idols. Putting your intellect above God’s revelation is idolatry! John tells us to “guard” ourselves from idols. This word “guard” means to be observant, careful, and attentive to something. It implies that we have something valuable that the enemy is trying to steal. In other words, if a man has a container and he’s not sure what’s in it, he won’t be very careful about guarding it! However if he knows that it contains a rare and valuable treasure, “His Son Jesus Christ” who is “the true God and eternal life” he will be diligent to guard it carefully. John is saying that if you know the true God and His Son Jesus Christ, you have a great treasure! Guard it so that you don’t drift into one of the many forms of idolatry. They were to guard themselves “from idols” and remain focused on Jesus as the Son of God. Be encouraged!