Do Not Commit Idolatry

You shall have no other gods before Me.

Exodus 20:3 (NKJV)

Idolatry is the worship of anything other than God. It is characterised by an extreme affection and loyalty toward something, beyond all reason. In ancient times men were inclined to make idols of carved wood or gold and to worship them. That was, of course, repulsive and offensive to God, that man should choose to worship created objects rather than honour the true Creator, and so this became one of the most important divine laws for humanity.

A study of the Scriptures will show that more harm and degradation of life has come from idol worship than from any other sin.

Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips.

Psalm 16:4 (NKJV)

To show affection and loyalty to anything or anyone more than to God is iniquity, and it brings a curse. It has caused more destruction in lives and bloodlines than we can ever imagine, for idolatry is the sin God punishes even to the fourth generation. Idolatry probably attracts more demonic presence and activity into a person's life than any other sin, and we know that nothing ever goes well when devils are involved.

This I find to be the major problem in modern Christianity, though earlier generations of Christians experienced it too (Acts 14:12): idolatry, the placing of men on platforms of significance beyond what they deserve. Modern Christianity has been more loyal to men and their systems than to the Lord Jesus Christ, even among churches that pride themselves on having a man or woman of God more gifted than another's. We have set our gaze on the gifted and forgotten the Giver of the gifts.

Seeing this, Satan has capitalised greatly, and so we find a theology that is man-centred instead of Christ-centred. It is a strange and demonic complex. The same reality is found in every sphere, where people become so obsessed with celebrities, friendships and relationships that they would even harm themselves. It is a curse. No one, absolutely no one, deserves to be loved more than Jesus.

Because of this, the role of the Spirit of God in the lives of many has not merely been diminished; He has been sidelined. The Holy Spirit came to glorify Jesus, and yet, with so many churches around, He is not glorified in our churches, in our lives or in our world. Ask yourselves why.

The answer is simple: we have thrown Him out of our churches. We want to control Him and relegate Him to a place of servitude, when we should be the ones following His every command. So many have destroyed their potential in God because they chased the wrong thing; deceptive and manipulative spirits have swayed them from the goal of glorifying Jesus into making a name for themselves, and social media has done a great deal to drive the deception home. How many members you have, what car you drive, how much attention you are getting on social media: all of it feeds the erosion of your potential.

Make no mistake: idolatry is a serious iniquity that is destroying our families, our lives, our churches and our world, and it will be severely judged. We must remember that the Word of God is timeless. It needs no updating, nor will it ever need to meet the trends of the time. We have a responsibility to Christ to follow Him on the narrow path, through the Scriptures, by His Spirit, for only that can make us wise. Now more than ever I am convinced that only a few will make it, and it is my prayer that God in His mercy will help us reach the finish line at the end of this age.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

1 John 5:21 (NKJV)