"Little Children, Keep Yourselves from Idols." 1 John 5:21 Part 6

This is the sixth segment of my sermon on 1 John 5:21, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols," delivered to Friendship Baptist Church in Mondovi, WI, on 8/9/09.

II. The Good News: "Little children": This has all been bad news so far, but there is good news.

A. The Reality of the New Birth Changes Everything: For John, to call us little children brings attention to the fact that he assumes that his hearers have been born again, that they they have experience the new birth. Throughout 1 John, he points out many ways in which the new birth changes everything, how believers have been rescued from the self-destructive power of idolatry. Let me give you just three.

1. Because only the new birth can replace love for the world and things in the world with love for the Father. Those who have been born into God's family take on a new family resemblance, rather than the idolatry of our culture. They are instilled with a love for the true God rather than their old idols.

2. Because all these other gods operate on a covenant of works, and there is no mercy with them. If you don't worship your idol properly, that idol will make you unable to forgive yourself. False gods are ruthless masters. But with God there is forgiveness. God's mercy leads you to love him, rather than your old gods.

3. Because none of these other gods will really save you, will really give you what they promise. They promise all sorts of pleasures and rewards, but for some reason it always turns to sawdust in your mouth. But with God it's not like that. God's saving power leads you to love him, and to be satisfied in him more and more.

B. John teaches throughout 1 John that anyone who's truly been born again has been changed in their core.

1. A child of God's deepest desire is to love God; the deepest desire of our hearts, as Christians, is for godliness (If we truly worship God, then we will become like him!).

2. Now, if you have been born again, there may still be lesser desires in our hearts; in fact, we all have lesser desires for one or another of these gods, or many others. There's a whole pantheon out there. We may still have lesser desires, but one way you can know you've been born again is by whether your deepest desire is really for God, and for what he wants for you.