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| Whatever we put before God is an idol |
SINS AGAINST THE ONE TRUE GOD
Idolatry and Witchcraft
These two
works of the flesh are sins against the First and Second commandments. “ Thou
shalt have no other gods before me,” and “Thou shalt not make unto thee any
graven image…” (Exo 20: 3, 4). Various commentators have designated them as
“illicit intercourse with the unseen
world,” or “sins of superstition,” or “sins of irreligion.” These sins are
against the One True God.
Israel’s
history is rife with instances of taking up the idol religions of their heathen
neighbors. Much of the time they made a sacrilegious mingling of the worship of
the one true God with that of idol worship. At last God’s long-suffering was
lifted, and both Israel and Judah went into captivity. When Judah went into
captivity, they were taken to Babylon for seventy years and after they returned
to their homeland idol worship was never an issue among them. The New Testament
warns against it on many occasions, due to the influx of Gentiles becoming part
of the early church. Often the tendency was to incorporate certain elements of
idolatrous systems into Christian worship. This was forbidden by the writings
of the New Testament.
IDOLATRY
Defined and
Described: The word idolatry in Hebrew is תְּרָפִים
terâphı̂ym ter-aw-feme' Plural a healer; Teraphim (singular
or plural) a family idol: - idols (-atry), images, H 8655. In Greek the εἰδωλολατρεία
eidōlolatreia, pronounced i-do-lol-at-ri'-a from G1497 and G2999; image
worship or G. 1495.
Webster: ‘idolatry’- Worship
of idols, excessive devotion to or reverence of a person or thing. An idol is
defined as: an image of a god, used an object of worship, sometimes any heathen
deity. Any object of ardent or excessive devotion or admiration.
Zondervan Bible Dictionary
states, “ Idolatry was in ancient times included two forms of departure from
the true religion: (1) The worship of false gods, whether by means of images or
otherwise and (2) the worship of Jehovah by means of images (forbidden by second
commandment). It is interesting that most Roman Catholics do not know the second
commandment is omitted from their list, and they expand the Tenth Commandment to be the ninth and tenth (Rev 22:18-19).
The tribe of Dan were the
first to introduce idolatry to a tribe of Israel after taking Canaan (Judges
17-18). Israel struggled with idolatry off and on through their history until after
the Babylonian captivity which lasted for 70 years. After their return under
Zerubabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah according to their historical records and the Bible,
Israel never struggled with physical idols that they bowed down to and
worshipped.
The
practice of worshipping false gods is idolatry. All gods are false with the
exception of the true and living God. Men have made many things their gods.
Some things may not be called gods by men, but they are treated like gods. Man
often worships man or material things by placing his love of them above his
love for God. One of the best examples in the scriptures of placing material
things above God is the account of the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he
must do to be saved. The young ruler was pleased with himself as Jesus began to
list the things he needed to do, because he was already doing those things.
Jesus finally told him there remained one thing that he lacked —Jesus told him
to sell all he had and give it to the poor, and come and follow Him.
“Now when
Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell
all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure
in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful:
for he was very rich” (Luke 18:22, 23).The rich young ruler made his riches his
idol when he chose them over Jesus Christ.
Some
individuals are not able to accept Christ as their personal Saviour because it
would mean giving up a special relationship with another person. By their
actions they place this individual above God. They worship the creature (man)
instead of the Creator (God).
“Who
changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature
more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen”(Rom. 1:25).
Idolatry is often subtle; therefore, it is
not identified as the evil that it is. Paul said that covetousness ( to covet-
to lust; thus lusting after someone or something that is someone’s possession
or spouse is idolatry). This is one of the many reasons viewing pornography is idolatry and sin:
Col 3:5-6
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of
disobedience:
Eph 5:5-6
For this ye
know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words:
for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of
disobedience.
Idolatry may be disguised as love or compassion
for someone; however, the bottom line is that pleasing man is chosen over
pleasing God. Consider King Saul who was commanded by God to execute the Amalekites
and chose to spare Agag and some of the best animals for sacrifice. “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of
rams. For
rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is
as iniquity and idolatry.
Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee
from being king” (1Sam 15:22-23). King Saul feared the people and wanted their favor
more than he wanted God’s (1 Sam15:24). Here Samuel tells him that his stubbornness is iniquity (lawlessness-
knowing what is right, but doing our own thing) and idolatry (he put his will
and the peoples above God’s). Christians
are warned by the Word of God to run from idolatry. As Christians, our love for
God should be so abundant that nothing else in our life comes close to possibly
competing with our love of God. “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from
idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14).
Christianity
is the only religion which does not cause those who practice it to commit
idolatry. Those who believe in ANY other gods beside the one true and living
God are guilty of idolatry. There are various popular religions of the world
that are related to the worshipping of idols. Islam (1.8 billion followers and
currently 24.1 % of world population) believes in one God and in its Koran, it does speak of Jesus as a prophet. But they
also emphasize Muhammad as God’s last prophet and deny Jesus as being the only
begotten Son of the true and living God. These facts demonstrate why those who
are believers in Allah (God) are practicing idolatry.
Buddhism
was founded in India by a teacher called Buddha ( 6% of the world population
and claim around 379 million followers). All Buddhists have faith in Buddha.
According to early tradition, the body of Shakyamuni was cremated after his
death, and the relics (remaining fragments) divided among eight groups of
claimants. This marks the beginning of those structures, called stupas, dagobas
and pagodas, which in Buddhist countries adorn the landscape everywhere. A
large number of Buddhists believe that Buddha’s power is still present in the
relics and the many images of Buddha. But Buddha could not say as Christ said:
“Therefore
doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my
Father” (John 10:17, 18).
Jesus Christ
has all power over life and death. He can give life unto all those who believe
on His name. His power is manifested in living through his disciples, who are
to follow His example through His power. Buddhists cannot experience this reality
trusting in Buddha.
Hinduism
is the major religion of India (900 million followers 13% of the world
population and 95% still practice in India). It developed gradually over
thousands of years. Hindus worship many gods. Some represent various powers of
nature such as the rain and the sun and they believe that animals, as well as humans,
have souls; therefore, they worship many animals as gods. Although cows are the
most sacred, they also worship monkeys and snakes, as well as others. Hindus
worship men, both living and dead, as saints. Local Hindu villages may set up
their own heroes or protectors, elevating them to sainthood.
Yoga
is also part of their mediation coupled with exercise and is being foisted upon
America and unsuspecting Christians very
subtlety. Beware of the Trojan Horse that seems benign and harmless, it might have a backdoor with the enemy embedded. The Japanese built flower gardens for the Chinese before invading them during World War 2, but the unknowing Chinese were not aware form the air they were landing strips for the Japanese Air Force. Buddhism,
Hinduism, and Islam are all false religions which anger God. He is the ONLY
true and living God.
It was
similar forms of idolatry that stirred Paul in the city of Athens.
“Now while
Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the
city wholly given to idolatry” (Acts 17:16).
Paul
preached unto them the reality of the ONE true and living almighty God. He also
preached the futility of serving false gods as recorded in Acts 17:21-30:
“(For all
the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else,
but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of
Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are
too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an
altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly
worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things
therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples
made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed
anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath
made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,
and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their
habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him,
and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live,
and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For
we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we
ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone,
graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men every where to repent.”
According
to the scriptures one of the major reasons people should not worship idols is
they become like the god they worship:
Psalms
135:15-18
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of
men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they,
but they see not; They have ears, but they
hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so
is every one that trusteth in them.
The writer
of this Psalm declares here that if you want to be cold, blind, deaf, and hard,
and indifferent to people then worship your idol. But if you want to be loving,
kind, and compassionate then worship the True God of Israel, Jesus Christ. We
will become like the God/god(s) we worship.
If you have never accepted or if you have fallen away from Jesus Christ here are three steps you need to take to be saved:
You must admit you are a sinner, confess your sin to Jesus, repent (turn from all you know is wrong), ask Jesus to come in your heart, and begin to follow Jesus by reading and obeying his word and go to a bible believing church that teaches his word. And tell someone what Christ Jesus Has Done For You (Rev 12:10)
May God through Christ bless you!
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