Deuteronomy 13:8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, neither shalt thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him.
Faith in and worship of the one true God should be so firm and exclusive that we will respond with a solid “NO” to anyone who would invite us to “go and serve other gods [v. 6].” Consent not to the invitation, even if it is from your brother, son, daughter, wife, or close friend. Coming from loved ones and friends the invitation does not look as ugly and evil as it is. And our natural, familial love entices us to consent and go along.
But we respond from a higher and deeper love for God. “The love of Christ compels us” to resist the enticements to sin and the temptations to fall away. The Love of God toward us is stronger than brotherly or familial love. Peer pressure is powerful, but the Gospel is more powerful still. We want to be accepted by friends and to please the family, but our desire to be accepted by the Lord is even stronger.
Therefore, we will not listen to the invitations and enticements of those we love because God’s Love for us in Christ is even stronger. It is even as Jesus says, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” The love of Jesus says No!