IDOLATRY
"Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god..." Psalm 16:4
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication(voluntary sexual intercourse between two persons that are not married), uncleanness(morally impure), lasciviousness (expressing lust, arousing sexual desire), idolatry(excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion to anything or anyone that is not God), witchcraft(rebellion to God, magical charm or influence), hatred(intense dislike, affection in the mind awakened by something regarded as evil), variance, emulations(envious contention, jealous rivalry), wrath, strife, seditions(promoting discontent or rebellion), heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21
I Corinthians 10:14..."flee from idolatry."
Is there anything that is excessive in your life? If there is you may not see it if you have blind adoration for it. Is there something or someone that you continually devote yourself to besides God or maybe others would say that you do? God knows the secrets of your heart and life and He is available and willing to help you come out of whatever it is.
Just because you call yourself a Christian does not mean you are exempt from being an idolater. Some Christians I know are some of the worst. Blind as a bat to their own worshipping of entertainment and occuppying their time with meaningless nothing.
Idolatry is anything that is being exalted above God(including being pre-occupied with self, fashion, the praises of men, money), diverting your attentions away from reverencing Him, and taking up your time by diminishing your desire to adore and obey God's Holy Word. There are any number of things that fit this description, disguising themselves as "good" or "good works." Appealing to us as what pleases God. When in fact, God's word says, "OBEDIENCE is BETTER than SACRIFICE." (I Samuel 15:22)
So we can get going on something that we think is good, and if we were to hold it up to the light of the Word of God, The Truth...it would reveal how little time if any it leaves us to meditate on the things that are above and not of this world. We would do well to take the caution and serious reminder of the passage in the gospels where one after the other came to God and said, "But I did this in your name and that in your name..." and God's response was, "Depart from me worker of iniquity I never knew you." It takes time to know someone. Not just fitting them in here or there or bringing their name up in conversation every once in a while. To know someone and continue to know someone...intimacy is required. Intimacy is an actual effort to know (close association, detailed knowledge, deep understanding) someone. Now that we have been made aware of this, the next questions is: What are we going to do about? And nothing is not an option. We can either ignore the warning or respond in obedience.
"Little Children, KEEP YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS. Amen." I John 5:21
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication(voluntary sexual intercourse between two persons that are not married), uncleanness(morally impure), lasciviousness (expressing lust, arousing sexual desire), idolatry(excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion to anything or anyone that is not God), witchcraft(rebellion to God, magical charm or influence), hatred(intense dislike, affection in the mind awakened by something regarded as evil), variance, emulations(envious contention, jealous rivalry), wrath, strife, seditions(promoting discontent or rebellion), heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21
I Corinthians 10:14..."flee from idolatry."
Is there anything that is excessive in your life? If there is you may not see it if you have blind adoration for it. Is there something or someone that you continually devote yourself to besides God or maybe others would say that you do? God knows the secrets of your heart and life and He is available and willing to help you come out of whatever it is.
Just because you call yourself a Christian does not mean you are exempt from being an idolater. Some Christians I know are some of the worst. Blind as a bat to their own worshipping of entertainment and occuppying their time with meaningless nothing.
Idolatry is anything that is being exalted above God(including being pre-occupied with self, fashion, the praises of men, money), diverting your attentions away from reverencing Him, and taking up your time by diminishing your desire to adore and obey God's Holy Word. There are any number of things that fit this description, disguising themselves as "good" or "good works." Appealing to us as what pleases God. When in fact, God's word says, "OBEDIENCE is BETTER than SACRIFICE." (I Samuel 15:22)
So we can get going on something that we think is good, and if we were to hold it up to the light of the Word of God, The Truth...it would reveal how little time if any it leaves us to meditate on the things that are above and not of this world. We would do well to take the caution and serious reminder of the passage in the gospels where one after the other came to God and said, "But I did this in your name and that in your name..." and God's response was, "Depart from me worker of iniquity I never knew you." It takes time to know someone. Not just fitting them in here or there or bringing their name up in conversation every once in a while. To know someone and continue to know someone...intimacy is required. Intimacy is an actual effort to know (close association, detailed knowledge, deep understanding) someone. Now that we have been made aware of this, the next questions is: What are we going to do about? And nothing is not an option. We can either ignore the warning or respond in obedience.
"Little Children, KEEP YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS. Amen." I John 5:21
Comments