November 13, 2026 | Be Connected
Freedom from Idolatry
Scripture: 1 John 5:18-21(NIV)
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also 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 by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
Devotional
This epistle ends with a simple directive: keep yourselves from idols. This was easier said than done in John’s world. He most likely wrote this letter from where he was living in Ephesus. As we have learned this year, Ephesus was a city filled with idolatry. They even had one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, a temple to the multi-breasted goddess of fertility, Artemis. Beyond this, Ephesus housed scads of statues, temples and leaders that encouraged worship of gods, goddesses, and emperors.
Keeping ourselves from idols is easier said than done in our world as well. Whether it’s money, success or fame (ever heard of American Idol?), it is all too easy to take our attention off God and give our affection to something or someone else. Earlier in this chapter John said, “All wrongdoing is sin” (v. 17). He followed that up in the next verse admonishing us to “not continue to sin.” Then, and now, it’s oh so tempting to take our eyes off God and give our hearts to not-God.
When Paul visited the city of Athens, the Bible says, “he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16). I wonder if the idolatry that freely swims in the sea of life all around us causes us great distress. Here’s a thought. When confronted with an idol, you can embrace it, coexist with it, ignore it, abandon it, or destroy it.
Be really honest about the idolatry that permeates the atmosphere in your world. What is in the habits you practice, the words you proclaim, the music you enjoy, the shows you binge, the relationships you foster, the work you pursue and the posts you peruse? This is only for starters. Make your own mental list as it applies to you. Then with David of the Old Testament, offer this prayer to God from Psalm 139:23-24.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
