We heard a sermon today on Idolatry. You’d think we don’t have golden calves in
this day and age but it’s surprising what we exalt above God in our daily lives
without batting an eyelid about it. We
are as much of an idolatrous people as the Israelites were. It just manifests itself differently in the
world we live in.
The message came from a Minister who had walked away from
his pulpit because he disagreed with the direction the church was taking and he
could not be part of it. He could have
put his wife and young family first and stayed where he was, in order to
continue to provide financially for them.
But he stepped down, and is now seeking God’s will as to where He will
lead next. How easy it would have been to
use the idols of finances, or family, or the history he had at that particular
church, to try to justify staying there.
To put those things first, over and above clear biblical direction to
move on and have no part of it.
The Lord plainly tells us to have no other gods before
Him. It’s not optional. He doesn’t allow it on any level. Even good things, gifts directly from the
Lord, can become idols when we elevate them to a place not meant for them. Our spouse.
Our children. Our job. Our financial standing. Our wardrobe.
Our car. Our appetites. Our church.
Anything that causes us to neglect our relationship with Christ, is an
idol whether we like it or not. We excuse
the bad behaviour of our spouse or child because we don’t want to address
it. We get caught up in our careers and
become defined by them. We are always
chasing the next pay rise, more designer clothing, the bigger car, the best
food (and a whole lot of it). We even
put our churches on pedestals believing that they can do no wrong, when in
actual fact we don’t take the time to examine their doctrine to see if they are
in line with the Word of God, or if we just agree with everything because that’s
the way it’s always been done. That is
incredibly dangerous.
The Law of the Lord is perfect. There are no loopholes. If you think you’ve found one, the chances
are you will just end up hanging yourself on it.
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