Today, idolatry is alive and thriving in the lives of many believers. Yes, we have the Holy Spirit in us to warn and teach us all things. However, by not reading, not believing and not heeding His voice; Christians are falling away and devoting themselves to idols. Because of blindness, doubt, and fear of being different, many have sunken into devoting themselves to idols in their heart and mind. It takes courage to walk as God has called you. God will not force you to do anything against your will. He has written His laws in the hearts of believers Psalms 40:8. Have you hardened your heart to the will of God and His laws? Do you pay lip service to God and follow your heart of flesh?
The scriptures are filled with examples of the people of God being told to get rid of various idols both physical and spiritual. (Genesis 35:2, Joshua 24:23, Isaiah 31:7, Ezekiel 14:6).
10 Commandments
God hates idolatry, it’s mentioned twice in the 10 Commandments: You shall have no other gods before me, and you shall make no graven images. The very first two commandments.
From Jacob in Genesis to Ezekiel, hundreds of years later, the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, the 12 tribes he delivered and protected, continued to go back to idolatry. And God kept calling them back to Himself.
Why is idolatry a big deal? First, because there is only one God, and to worship anything or anyone else is a lie.
Second, worshiping other gods has an effect on our behavior. In the scripture, idolatry always coincided with oppressing the poor, violence toward the innocent, and sexual immorality. Sounds like what’s going on today
What are the idols the church should get rid of today? Here are three.
1. Lethargy/Passivity
Laziness/Passivity (called to be bold, make a stand) Jude 1:3
In the parable of the soils, one of the plants was choked out and died because of the cares of this life. People are distracted by wealth, politics, sex, entertainment and the gain of material things. Matthew 13:1-23. Setting your minds and emotions on those things first; is what separates us from the heart and mind of God.
When Joshua was about to lead Israel into the Promised Land, part of the charge was to go to war with the enemies in the land, with giants and powerful armies.
God spoke to Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” Joshua 1:9.
A generation before, the fear of those giants caused the nation of Israel to shrink back and not fight, and that generation lost its promise.
We should take note. As disciples of Christ, we’re now in a war between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, a war for the souls of people.
We are also called to be strong and bold Ephesians 6:10, but the cares of this life distract us from the fight, cause us to shrink back, and not take up our calling. All Christians have a mission. We must reject passivity and tolerance and accept the purpose God has for us.
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong 1 Corinthians 16:13.
2. Follow Your Heart
(The heart is deceptively wicked, can’t trust our own hearts, no good thing in me) Romans 7:18.
We hear it all the time. Follow your heart. Do what you feel is right. Movies contain this theme, and songs celebrate this idea. We’ve come so far as to make the slogans holy sacred. To disagree with someone’s self-identity is equal to evil and hate, but not according to God. To see someone you love sin and say or do nothing is a worse sin.
The philosophy of “follow your heart” has entered the Church. It colors our sermons and interpreting scripture, even going so far as dismissing or twisting verses that challenge it. The Bible is clear, however. The heart isn’t the solution; it’s the problem.
Apostle Paul declared there was nothing good in him, meaning his human nature Romans 7:18.
Solomon says people’s hearts are full of evil, universally Ecclesiastes 9:3. Jesus taught throughout his ministry how we aren’t made unclean by what is outside us; sin comes from our hearts, comes from within us Mark 7:21-23.
Thankfully, believers have been set free. Christ died and rose to change our hearts so we can live both by and for Him. Instead of our hearts, we can now get revelation from the one who knows all things and loves us through the Holy Spirit John 14:26. Let us not follow our hearts but follow the Spirit.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9.
3. Compromise the faith with worldly thinking is corrupting the faith
The Bible defines the transition to salvation as radical. The scriptures describe being born again as moving from death to life; from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light; from slavery to freedom.
These are all metaphors where the scripture attempts to express the huge gap between being children of wrath and children of God. Too many Christians think following Christ is a social club or self-help program. Christians have died to this world and been made alive in Christ.
Jesus recruited believers to fight with love for the souls of people through sharing the Good News and prayer and worship. There’s no in between Jude 1:3.
As Jesus speaks directly to some of the churches of the first century in the Book of Revelation, he says to the infamous Laodiceans how he knows their actions, that they’re neither cold nor hot. As a result, Jesus said “He will spit them out” Revelations 3:15-16.
Jesus Hates Passive Christianity
Jesus declared He rather they be one or the other. Trying to find a middle ground in the war between God and Satan is worse than choosing a side. God hates indecisive people.
Throughout the New Testament, there are plenty of clear teachings on belief and morality to challenge any person or culture. Often, we compromise out of fear or a false idea of love. People compromise because they fear what other people will say or think rather than what God says. Out of fear they walk as the world does rather than follow Jesus.
It isn’t love to compromise regarding sin. Sin destroys and kills, and love doesn’t desire their destruction. It isn’t love to be scared to speak the truth of God. Love doesn’t fear 1 John 4:18.
For some, living in certain countries, standing for God’s truth means they will pay a cost, even their very lives, and yet the Bible promises this won’t be for nothing Revelation 12:11. For our sake and others, we must boldly stand for what is true, speaking the truth in love. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth1 Corinthians 13:6.