1 John 5:21b

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

(v21, NIV)

I write to you, dear children,

because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

I write to you, fathers,

because you have known him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, dear children,

because you have known the Father.

(1 John 2:12-13, NIV)

Who are these dear children who John is addressing in this last verse? Looking back at chapter 2, John individually addresses certain people. He writes to the children because their sins have been forgiven on account of his name. Also, they have known the father. If their sins have been forgiven, why would they even bother with idols?

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

(Romans 6:1-2, NIV)

I love the way Paul puts it in Romans 6. Some people think that just because we're saved, we should just go on sinning. That doesn't make sense at all. How can we be saved from our sin and then go dive back into that filth? So, why would you tempt yourself by being near idols in any way? We should keep ourselves from idols. We have been forgiven.

In addition to being forgiven, the children have known the father. If you know the father, how can you even put something between him and you? God is God and you want something less? That doesn't make sense. How can you come into contact with the one true living God and want to bow down to a mere idol? It's sad, but people fall into that all the time. Do not stumble or fall or prove yourself to not be one of his. Keep yourself from these silly idols.