Bible Matters 450: Idols

All that has been made known to you from the preponderance of evidence from the testimony of the witnesses reveals that God is King.  Now, if God is King then is there any reason why you would be worshipping the persons, places or things of man and religion.  Stone statues, molten images, persons, money, precious metals or high places are all considered idols in the word of God.  One hundred and nineteen times in the Bible, God tells you not to worship idols.  When you focus your worship on the works of religion and the things of man, it distracts from the commandments of love that God has given you. 

The worship of idols tuns your attention from the love of God to the love of stuff.  Idols deceive and is considered unrighteous in the eyes of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9 – Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

Jesus knew that God is King.  He told his followers how to pray.  When you pray, you pray to God the Father.  Period.  (See Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2)

Matthew 6:9:  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Man’s religion will have you praying to everyone, but God.  It is time to turn from the idols and focus your being on God.  No longer serving idols and sin, but only serving God.

Exodus 20:1-3 – And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Leviticus 19:4 – Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 26:1 – Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.

2 Kings 17:12 – For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

As the apostles preached unto the Gentiles, idols were found to rule the daily lives of the lost.

Acts 19:35 – And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

1 Corinthians 8:1 – Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

An idol is nothing in the world, but a distraction, keeping you from serving God and living God’s gospel of Love. 

1 Corinthians 8:4,6 – As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

John could not have made God’s direction anymore clear.

1 John 5:21 – Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

When you believe in God and his gospel of Love brought to the earth through Jesus, you’ll recognize the unrighteousness that God hates.  Once you recognize and acknowledge God in the Spirit as being the Almighty and creator of heaven and earth, you repent and turn from your earthly idols and sin to the things of God. 

Revelation 9:20-21 – And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:  Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Idols, acts of religion and the religious works of man mean nothing in the eyes of God.  If by faith your sinful life and idol worship doesn’t change, then God is still waiting for you to be converted and born again as a child of God.  Prior to Jesus’s ministry on this earth, God sent John the Baptist to preach a gospel of repentance.  No longer advocating the works of religion and the continuous offering of animal sacrifice for sin, but for the Jews to repent and turn from sin.   God knew exactly what would happen if John’s gospel of repentance and water baptism was included in his gospel of Love.  People would assume self-proclaimed righteousness in the eyes of God by water baptism and acts of religion and then worship these as idols.   That is why John the Baptist was thrown into prison at the start of Jesus’s ministry.  (Mark 1:14; Matthew 4:12; Luke 3:20; John 3:24)

Mark 1:14 – Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Do not be fooled by man’s acts of religion to provide righteousness in the eyes of God.  God is looking for your change of heart.  Do all you can do from this point forward to please God and live his gospel of Love.   The truth starts with the understanding God’s word from the New Testament and the testimony of the eight witnesses.

•             Believe in one God

•             Repent of your sins and surrender to God.

•             Judge no one

•             Love God

•             Love your Neighbor

•             Keep yourself in the love of God, unto eternal life.

Jude 1:21 – Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Decide today, to walk like Enoch walked.  Enoch had a testimony that pleased God. 

Hebrews 11:1,5-6 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  

Believe that God has a plan for you.  Have faith, worship only God and go live his gospel of Love.  God rewards those that diligently seek him.

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.