Monday April 3rd
1 John 5:20-21
‘And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.’
We have come to our final devotion from first John, and it will be the last devotion for a few days as I am away later today to spend a few days with my friends in Hungary, I return on Good Friday, but will recommence sending the devotions out from Tuesday April 11th when we will briefly look through the second and third of John’s epistles.
John closes the letter with some words that reaffirm where we are in our understanding concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, we know he is true and we are in him who is true. I mentioned this in an earlier devotion that it is wonderful to know that becoming a Christian means that we are found to be ‘in Christ’. There is no better place or position to be found in, there is no safer place to be found in for it is a place of eternal safety, eternal solace and eternal life.
I trust that we will have gleaned something further from this letter concerning our wonderful redemption as we have considered this incredible place of fellowship that we are able to be enjoined in with the Father, with his Son Christ Jesus and with one another, for the letter has reminded us that God has made his love manifest to us through his eternal Son.
John then ends the letter with these words, ‘Little children, keep yourselves from idols’.
At first it seems a strange way to end a letter, he doesn’t end it with a blessing but rather with an instruction. He knew that the world was full of distractions which if not careful would draw the believers away from a place of total commitment or full surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Back when this letter was written there would have been many who worshipped idols, you will remember that when Paul visited Athens he saw how the city was full of idols (Acts 17:16, 22-23), and he taught them about the One who they called the ‘unknown god’. Well in this epistle, John had also made known what could be made known about the true and the living God, who had made himself and his love manifest through the Lord Jesus Christ. So after teaching them and encouraging them in their faith, to remain in fellowship with the Father and his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and with one another, he ends with the words, ‘keep yourselves from idols’.
May we who have also come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour make sure that we ‘keep ourselves from idols’, allowing Jesus to be Lord of all. If there is anything that is hindering our walk and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, it is exactly like an idol, we need to deal with these things to help us keep focused upon Jesus, for he it is alone who has saved us, he is both the author and the finisher of our faith. You have started your journey with him, make sure you finish it with him. Keep yourself from idols.