Idolatry

[B-A-C]

Maybe some of you are thinking Idolatry? Isn't that worshipping statues or man made images of Gods?
No one does that anymore.. that was a sin for people in the old testament. No one worships any other God's anymore.

Hmmm....
well some other god's are obvious. Vishnu, Shiva, Para Braham, Odin, Zeus, etc... It's easy to tell if someone is worshipping an image of those gods.

Some are a little harder to define, many people pray to statues of the Virgin Mary. They will argue about whether this is idolatry or not. But that's really really the kind of idolatry I'm talking about here.

An idol is anything you put before God. Anything.

I would start going to back to church on Sunday mornings, but then I would miss my football team playing... hmmm..
Is watching football a sin? I don't think so. Is putting it before God every Sunday a sin?

I would start praying to God more often, but my job, my friends and my girl friend take up so much of my time I just don't have time for God anymore. Hmmm...
Is having friends a sin? Is having a job a sin? I don't think so. But is putting them before God a sin?

I would start going to Wednesday night church and Thursday night Bible study, but those are the only two nights I have free to go to the gym. I going to the gym and exercising a sin? I don't think so. Is letting this come between you and your relationship with God a sin?

I have seen several posts over the years here on TJ about being yoked with non-believers. If you're married to a non-believer you should stay married to them. But if you're dating a non-believer, typically they don't want to go to church. Usually they don't want you to go to church. So you don't go because because your (girlfriend/boyfriend) doesn't want you to. Is putting them before God a sin?

For some people, food - exercise - boyfriends - girlfriends - sports - hanging out with friends - alcohol - watching television - traveling - their job are their idols. Anything that consistently keeps you from spending time with God is an idol. Anything you put before God is an idol. Again watching television isn't necessarily a sin (although it's getting harder and harder to find anything decent on TV) but if it keeps you from going to church and prayer time with God, it's your idol.

Is there anything in your life you could give up to spend more time with God? Maybe it's time to think about it.

 

[B-A-C]

1 Cor 10:14; Therefore, my beloved, flee from Idolatry.

the fruit of the flesh is...
Gal 5:20; idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissentions factions,

Col 3:5; Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed which amounts to idolatry.

That last one is a big one, how many have fallen to the idol of greed and riches?

1 Jn 5:21; Little children, guard yourself from idols.

 

[Chad]

An idol is anything you put before God. Anything.

Pretty much sums it up. I think in today's time some of the obvious idols are self (narcissistic people), material, money including career/job, sex (within the boundary of adultery or fornication), approval of people instead of GOD.

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

 

[judge not]

Matthew 6:24 - " No man can serve two masters..."
The first two commandments pretty well sum up God's requirements to have a relationship with Him
we must never direct our worship toward anything that He has created. ONLY the Creator -never the creation is
to receive the honor of worship.
Many people place their confidence in things like astrology and tarot cards.
Whether they realize it or not, in doing so they are attributing divine powers to the creation- the stars-
rather than to their Creator- Deut:4:19
People are always looking for supernatural guidance instead of turning to our Creator.
Exalting the creation is a cornerstone of today's materialistic view of the universe and our origin.
Evolution's theories are based on human attempts to explain creation without an intelligent
designer- Romans 1:21-25

Paul praised Christians who had " turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God- 1Thess 1:9
The 2nd Commandment reminds us that God is far greater than anything we can see or imagine.