SUBSTITUTES?
READ: 1 Corinthians 10:1-12
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. :-1 John 5:21
Anyone you love more than you love God has taken the place of God and is becoming an idol. Get ready for God to strike that thing out of your life! Today, some Christians have elevated the love of a husband and the love of a wife above their love for God.
They say things like, “God first, family second, ministry third.” I do not find this in the Bible. It is one of the humanistic ideals that are being propagated by a backslidden church. God is always first, and your service to God is always more important than anything else.
Jesus put His love for His disciples and those who obey God above His love for His mother and brethren (Mark 3:33-35). Loving God is the greatest commandment! Anything that takes away your love for God becomes a curse. Husbands loving their wives more than they love God is a form of idolatry. Wives loving their husbands more than they love God is a form of idolatry. Pastors loving their churches and ministries more than they love God is a form of idolatry. Be careful that you do not offend God. Almighty God is the Creator of heaven and earth. One of the things He seeks for is for those who love Him.
The greatest commandment is to love God. Loving God is the only thing you can do to impress God. When you give your love to something else, God notices it. Turn away from idolatry and you will become one of the few who are chosen.
It is time to love the Lord with all your heart! Turn away from any alternative or substitute for God! Be careful of “God substitutes”! Be careful of things that are idol alternatives to your love for the Father!