Chapter 7 3. Modern Forms of Idolatry—Many who bear the name of Christians are serving other gods besides the Lord. Our Creator demands our supreme devotion, our first allegiance. Anything which tends to abate our love for God, or to interfere with the service due Him, becomes thereby an idol. With some their lands, their houses, their merchandise, are the idols. Business enterprises are prosecuted with zeal and energy, while the service of God is made a secondary consideration. Family worship is neglected, secret prayer is forgotten. Many claim to deal justly with their fellow men, and seem to feel that in so doing they discharge their whole duty. But it is not enough to keep the last six commandments of the decalogue. We are to love the Lord our God with all the heart. Nothing short of obedience to every precept—nothing less than supreme love to God as well as equal love to our fellow man—can satisfy the claims of the divine law. {2BC 1011.7}

Kapitel 7

3. Moderne former for afgudsdyrkelse. - Mange som bærer de kristnes navn, tjener andre guder ved siden af Herren. Vor skaber kræver vor højeste helligelse til ham, vor første loyalitet. Alt som har tendens til at formindske vor kærlighed til Gud, eller lægger sig imellem (1012) for at tjene Ham, bliver dermed en afgud. Nogle af deres lande, deres huse, deres købmandsforretninger er afguder. Forretningsvirksomheder udtømmer al iver og energi, medens Guds tjeneste sættes i anden række. Familieandagten forsømmes, den skjulte bøn glemmes. Mange hævder at behandle deres medmennesker retfærdigt, og lader til at føle at de derved svigter hele deres pligt. Men det er ikke nok at holde de sidste seks bud i tibudsloven. Vi skal elske Herren vor Gud med hele hjertet. Der er intet mindre end lydighed mod alle budene - intet mindre end højeste kærlighed så vel som kærligheden til vore medmennesker - kan stille kravene i den guddommelige lov.