Here’s a dirty little word that we as Christians don’t like to use about the intentions of our hearts: idolatry. God teaches us how He defines idols in scripture…
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)
“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21)
“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16)
“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)
Jonah 2:24 tells us that “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.”
Galatians 5:1-26 timplores us that “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
1 Corinthians 10:14 tells us to to flee from idolatry.
The Bible talks about idolatry in terms of material things, tangible representations of false gods, and other things made by human hands, as well as, igregious lusts. However, just like the Bible does not explicitly mention The Trinity in such terms, we can also determine that the Bible does not explicitly talk about excessive love for your spouse or children, your house, your job, or even your favorite TV binge as idols. However, if we are to keep ourselves from being distracted and consumed by things that would draw us away from closer relationship with God, we must consider God’s character and knowing God’s heart. It will help us to understand what verses like Ezekiel 14:3 is addressing:
“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?”
God makes clear that any type of idol is a stumbling block and we must not let them rule our lives and decisions. Exodus 20:4-5 and Psalm 96:5 talks about what idolatry truly is at its core. Sin. More precisely in this context, the sin of worshipping something or someone other than God, for He is a jealous God and He who is perfectly just AND loving, He who made AND sustains the universe is worthy of the sole worship and praise of your heart. And so, a more precise, comprehensive biblical definition is this: ANYTHING that we come to rely on for some blessing, help, guidance, in the place of wholehearted reliance on the true and living God. If we come to crave, love, depend upon, seek first and trust for those things from Creation instead of The Creator to enhance our self-exaltation, productivity, inward healing, satisfaction, or anything else besides God himself then in essence we are doing what all of the examples in the Bible have shown us of what idolatry is and the slow destruction of the heart it produces and the hinderance to intimacy with God it expresses. 1 John 2:14-15 backs up this truth with this warning: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world.”
The devil, the Great Deceiver and Destroyer, uses seemingly harmless things in subtle ways to draw us away from Christ. If we are in Christ, nothing the enemy does can take our salvation away (see John 17 and Romans 8:38-39 among other passages), but he will surely try to throw everything at us to take our eyes off Jesus, obsess over the things of this world, and erode our assurance of faith, stealing us of our confidence, joy, peace, and effectiveness in this life.
Thank God that we are not without help in fleeing from idols and standing firm against the destructive tricks of the devil. We can put on the full armor of God as it says in Ephesians 6 and look to God’s Word which illuminates His Truth to us and continually fills us with the comforting and empowering Holy Spirit as we meditate on what God says about Himself so that we may bear good fruit and find healthy ways to flee from our idols. May God grant that to all of us as we push forward on our walk in pursuing holiness, that is, to conform more to Christ’s image.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
- What are some idols of the heart that had gone unnoticed in your life?
Pray and ask God to help you flee from those idols and to fix the eyes of your heart more onto Him and feasting on His Word.
Other helpful articles about idols of the heart:
https://www.reformationscotland.org/2019/11/15/5-ways-to-diagnose-the-hidden-idols-of-the-heart
https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-key-bible-verses-on-idolatry