Keep
Yourselves from Idols
Our
Lord Jesus Christ prayed to the heavenly Father:
"And this is eternal life,
that they may know You, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom You
have sent." (Jn. 17:3) Here Jesus in His humanity as the Son of Man was praying to
God His Father. In His divinity Jesus
declared: "I and My Father
are One." (Jn. 10:30) Some try to
explain this oneness as that of the intimate
relationship between a husband and a wife.
Others explain they have one in purpose, but the
truth is this, Jesus and the Father are One and the same God. If you read
the next verse you will see that "the Jews took up
stones to stone Him. . . . The Jews answered Him, saying, 'For a good work
we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make
Yourself God." (Jn. 10:31-33) By
saying "I and My Father
are One." Jesus
actually made the declaration that He is the One True God. This truth has
been prophesied by the prophet Isaiah: "For
unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be
upon His shoulder and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa. 9:6) It
will help us to understand how the Lord Jesus Christ can be called
"Mighty God" and
"Everlasting Father"
by recognizing His two natures. In His
divine nature He is God and in His human nature He is a Man. After His
death, burial and resurrection the disciples worshiped Him. (Lk. 24:50-53) The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Person in
the whole universe who is both God and man. There is no other Person like Him therefore He is the only LORD
of lords and King of kings and the only Savior.
"And
we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we
may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus
Christ. This
is the True God and Eternal Life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols,
Amen." (1 Jn. 5:20-21)
Here we have a
clear definition of "other
gods" or "idols." Any other god, person, object, or pursuit
which is not directed by the One True God's revealed
will and way declared in His Son Jesus Christ is an idol. We must not
allow anything to lessen even slightly our
worship, service, or devotion to the One True God.
There
are two forms of false religion in idolatry. The first one is the worship
of "false gods" other
than the One True God. His sacred name
is "YAHWEH" that
has meaning of "I
AM WHO I AM." (Ex. 3:13-15) The
second form of idolatry is worshiping the
One True God or "other gods" by
means of images.
The Second Commandment forbids Idolatry
In
the Second Commandment the One True God says:
"You shall have no other
gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any
likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to
them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing
mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments." (Ex.
20:3-6) Bowing or kneeling down before an image
of Jesus, Mary, the apostles, saints, cross
or any object in prayer is idolatry.
Idolatry of Sun Worship
Since
the most ancient times, the sun has been a favorite "god" or god
symbol of pagan people all around the world. The Babylonians, Persians,
Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all had their sun gods. The native peoples of North and South America widely practiced
sun worship, as did their Asian ancestors. The Europeans too were deeply
involved in sun worship, and many of their sun-god festivals were carried over
when they professed conversion to Christianity. These can still be seen today in the Easter bonfire and sunrise
services, and the Christmas burning of the Yule log.
Sun
worship was also widely practiced by the people of the Middle East, and even
the Israelites were sometimes corrupted by it:
“Then He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of
man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these." So He
brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house; and there, at the door of
the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five
men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the
east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.” (Ezek. 8:15-16)
For
research of “SUN-WORSHIP
AND THE ORIGIN OF SUNDAY” please 
or URL below: http://www2.andrews.edu/~samuele/books/sabbath_to_sunday/8.html
Idolatry
of Angel Worship
Angels
have been the object of man's worship because they are more powerful than human
beings. However, the worship of angels
is forbidden. The Bible has given
warnings concerning this false worship.
“Let no one defraud you of your reward,
taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those
things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,” (Col.
2:18) Worshipping of angels
comes from denying “the Head” (verse 19)
and “have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed
religion, ” (verse 23) rather than true worship. Revelation 22:8-9
informs us of the occasion when John “fell down to worship before the feet of the angel”
and the angel refused his worship saying, “See that
you do not do that. For I am your
fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the
words of this book. worship God.”
This reveals to us that angels cannot accept man's worship because they
know that only God can be worshipped.
Idolatry
of Men Worship
Cornelius
fell down at the feet of Peter, “and worshipped
him.” But Peter did not
accept that worship saying, “Stand up. I myself am
also a man” (Acts 10:25-26).
Every true Christian should have this correct attitude. None of us are worthy of worship. In the Early Apostolic Church one of the
signs of the apostles is to perform “signs and
wonders and mighty deeds.” (2 Cor. 12:12)
When the people of Lystra saw Paul's power to heal they said, “The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men” (Acts
14:11). They wanted to worship Paul and Barnabas. However, Paul
responded to this by saying, “Men, why are you
doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to
you that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made
heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them.” (Acts 14:15)
Idolatry
of Self Worship
The
Bible gives us an understanding that idolatry extends beyond the worship of
images and false gods. It is also a
matter of the person’s heart that is associated with pride, self-centeredness,
greed, gluttony, and a love for possessions.
Pride
was Satan’s sin and also Eve’s sin. The
devil deceived her, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it
your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and
evil.’ So the woman saw that the tree
was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to
make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.
She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Gen. 3:5-6) The devil was
deceiving Eve that she could become more like God by
defying God’s authority, by taking God’s place and deciding for herself what
was best for her life. In effect, he
told her to become her own god.
Self-exaltation leads to rebellion against God. As soon as we begin to leave God out of our
plans, we are placing ourselves above Him.
This is exactly what Satan wants us to do.
There is a
prophecy on the idols that will characterize humanity in the last days. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times
will come: for men will be lovers of themselves." (2 Tim. 3:1-2)
Men were created to be lovers of God, learning to pour out His love upon
others. The number one characteristic of mankind in the last days is "lovers of themselves." Consequently, the foremost idol to threaten
Christians would be "self."
Self-worship abounds in this age.
It can be found in the popular values of self-confidence,
self-assertion, self-fulfillment, self-actualization, self-exaltation, and
self-esteem. Such idolatrous
perspectives encourage self-will, self-service, and selfishness. Clearly, this
tragically undermines what God wants to develop in the Christian character.
Idolatry
of Sex
Sexual
immorality is a form of idolatry is evident from many scriptures. In Ephesians 5:3-5 and Colossians 3:5,
fornication, uncleanness, filthiness, inordinate affection, and evil
concupiscence [unrestrained sexual craving] are enumerated among the lusts of
the flesh which constitute idolatry. In
Psalms 106:28, 35-38 we are told that when the Israelites "joined themselves also to Baal of Peor",
"they even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons" and
"sacrificed to the idols of Canaan" and "served their idols:
which became a snare unto them." Idolatry is defined as
"inordinate love and admiration."
False worship and moral corruption have always gone hand in hand. The
friendship of the world or worldliness is called adultery in James 4:4. This is
not only because union with the world constitutes spiritual fornication, but
also because physical licentiousness has always been the climax of
abandonment to the spirit of worldliness. The most worldly and idolatrous ages
of human history have also been the most sexually immoral and corrupt.
Outside of
marriage any sexual activity is sinful. "This includes pornography
of whatever sort, whether it be literature, photo images, videos, and
television/motion-picture programming and internet web sites where explicit and
ungodly language and sexual relationships are depicted. Sexual union in marriage is a blessed gift
from God. "Marriage is honorable . . . and the
(marriage) bed undefiled" (Hebrews 13:4). “Flee sexual
immorality." (1 Cor. 6:18)
Idolatry
of Power
Lucifer
fell from heaven because of pride, self-centeredness and lust for power. “For you have
said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest
sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be
the Most High,’ Yet you shall be
brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” (Isa. 14:12-15) He wanted to
usurp God’s power and authority.
David
was the most successful king that ever reigned over Israel but he too had
weaknesses like other humans. One of
the mistakes that he made was to take a census of the army. (2 Sam. 24) There
is nothing wrong in taking a census after all God had commanded Israel to do
so. (Num. 1:2; 26:2) At the time of war a
census would be necessary for conscription into the army. At that time the land was at peace. David’s sin was pride, ambition in counting
the people so that he could glory in the size of his nation and army, its power
and defenses. By doing this, he put his
faith in the size of his army rather than in God’s ability to protect them
regardless of their number. Ministers
and administrators can fall into this sin by boasting about the size of their
congregations, staff budgets and programs.
Christians must give all the glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Worship of
power can lead to hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, jealousies and
even schism in the religious organizations and congregations. These are descriptions of wrongful emotions,
attitudes, and actions commonly exhibited by those seeking to gain personal or
group advantages. In these ways
self-love prompts hatred and hostility, in it's many and varied manifestations,
toward those who get in the way of personal desires and ambition.
Idolatry
of Money
Another prophecy for an idol in the last
days is money. "For men
will be . . . lovers of money." (2 Tim. 3:2) Many Christians think
that wealth is a blessing and the means to fulfill one’s desires. Money is their God. They live for money; they pursue after
money; they yearn for money; they virtually worship money. Even some Christians are more motivated by
love of money than by love for God.
Some wrongly assume that money could not be an idol in their lives,
since they have very little of it. Yet,
it is not money itself, but rather the love of money, that is idolatry. It is actually possible to have little
money and still carry on an idolatrous love relationship with it. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: "No one can serve two masters; for
either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the
one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Mt. 6:24) For many, money and riches have become their
idols. Whether it be a large stock
portfolio, a mansion, an expensive sports car, rare art, or diamond rings,
these items can become idols. For many,
vanity towards their physical appearance has become an idol. Men and women have become obsessed with
various beauty products and fitness techniques, which serve to make them more
physically attractive.
Idolatry of the World
Christians are admonished, "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." (1 John 2:15) Love for the world and what it has to offer can be a serious stumbling block. It can become an idol. Love for the world makes it impossible to be devoted to God and to pursue the true spiritual riches. "For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:16–17) Idols can take many forms. One who is enamored by this world, by its concepts, its philosophies, and its rewards is enmeshed in idolatry. An idol is anything that one places ahead of God. Mammon, which is material wealth, is the idol here. James tells us, "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (Jas. 4:4).
Idolatry
of Pleasure
Hedonism is
the doctrine that pleasure and happiness is the highest obtainable good. Paul refers to those who practice this as "lovers of pleasure." (2 Ti. 3:4)
Again, we are to be lovers of God.
Loving pleasure means that pleasure is replacing the love of God. Those who love God can experience pleasure,
since He "gives us richly all things to
enjoy." (1 Tim. 6:17) However, we must not live for
pleasure. In this age of amusement and
recreation, the false god of pleasure dominates many households. Television, movies, videos, video games, and
trips to major amusement centers become virtually the primary motivation for
living. Even congregations that have
professed a love for God and for His word have significantly changed into
religious entertainment centers.
Idolatry
of Modern Celebrities
Idol
worship is a sin that has remained with humanity for as long as we have been on
this planet. Human beings seem to
possess a fierce desire to place eminent people upon a pedestal as objects of
worship. In the United States and
elsewhere, pop singers, musicians, entertainers, as well as sports superstars
have become icons of idolatry!
In pop
music Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley may have reached the status of
demi-gods. Both are called “kings” and
idolized by their fans all over the world.
It is reported that more than ninety million people tuned in to watch
Oprah Winfrey interviewing Michael Jackson on her television show. Elvis Presley is no less popular than
Michael Jackson in America even long after his death. Some diehard fans refuse to believe that Elvis is dead. The 1993 postage stamp that
featured Elvis Presley is the most widely publicized stamp issue in the U.S.
Postal Service’s history and is the top-selling commemorative stamp of all
time. Graceland has become the shrine
of this pop idol, and next to the White House it is the most visited home in
America. Princess Diana of Great
Britain has a universal appeal close to being the pure archetype of a goddess
comparable to Venus. Some have even
prophesied falsely that she would be resurrected from the dead.
Perhaps
the most venerated and celebrated sports figure in modern times is Michael
Jordan. The movie “Be like Mike” showed
his influence on children in America.
A statue of this basketball superstar has become one of the most popular
tourist attractions in Chicago.
Following in Michael Jordan’s footsteps is the phenomenal golfer Tiger
Woods. It may not be the celebrities’ fault
if someone happens to idolize them.
Surely it is a great test for them to not get carried away by all of the
adulation heaped their way.
Idolatry of Religion
The Ark of
the Covenant was the most sacred piece of furniture in the Tabernacle. The presence of God was on the
Mercy-Seat. Inside it were the Tablets
of the Ten Commandments written by God's own finger, the golden pot that had the manna, and also Aaron’s Rod that
budded. The High Priest alone was
allowed to go into the Holy of holies where it was kept. The presence of the Ark within the camp had
brought special blessings to the people.
Yet the very same Ark could do the children of Israel no more good than
any common wooden box, when they regard it as an idol with divine power to
protect them. Here is what they said, “Let us bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from
Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of the
enemies.” (1 Sam. 4:3) Note that they said “it
may save us” and not “the LORD may save us.”
They had placed their faith in the
Ark of the Covenant instead of on the One True God. “And when the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD came into the
camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.” (1 Sam. 4:5) All
this shouting was for nothing because they were honoring the ark and not the
LORD. “So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled
to his tent. There was a great
slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Also the Ark of God was captured; and the
two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” (1 Sam. 4:10-11) And why were the Israelites
defeated? It was because their religion
was idolatry. They had placed their
faith in the Ark rather than on the God of the Ark.
Today we
find churches; congregations and ministries committing the same sins as the
Israelites. They have placed their
faith, trust and honor in the organizations and institutions of their own
creation rather than in the One True God.
Their gospel is that God can only be found in their churches, so they
preach the only way a person can be saved is to join their churches. Jesus taught that any believer can worship
the Father anywhere as long as it is in Spirit and truth and also where two or
three are gathered together in Jesus’ Name. (Jn. 4:20-24; Mt. 18:20) Their dogmas that are products of seminaries,
church councils and committees take precedence over the teachings of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the apostles and prophets. (Eph. 2:19-20) This heresy and idolatry is one of the
characteristics of the Church in the last days. These false believers will have "a
form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Tim. 3: 5) In many ways, this may be the most
treacherous of all idolatries because the church leadership does not recognize
this aberrant doctrine and the rank and file believers do not question their
authority. The blind is leading the blind
and they all fall into the same pit.
Idolatry of Holidays with Pagan Origin
Halloween
Of all the
holidays celebrated in America and western countries there is nothing more
sinister and pagan in origin than Halloween.
The celebration of Halloween was observed by idol worshipers long before
Jesus Christ was born. The ancient
Druids of Britain, the Romans and Greeks and others all kept a Halloween
festival. It was not until many
centuries after the death of Jesus Christ and his apostles that apostate
Christianity began to observe this festival as All Souls Day. The custom of celebrating an All Souls Day
can be found throughout the world. Funk and Wagnalls' Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend tells us: "Essentially,
All Souls is the adaptation of an almost world-wide custom of setting aside a
part of the year (usually the last part) for the dead. The Babylonians observed
a monthly Feast of All Souls in which sacrifices were made by priests." From the Encyclopaedia
Britannica (11th ed., Vol. XII, pp. 857-858) we read: "It was a Druidical belief that on the eve of this
festival Saman, lord of death, called together the wicked spirits that within
the past 12 months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals."
Christmas
The following is a quote from the
2000 Encyclopædia
Britannica, Volume 11 ; page 390.
"During the
later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately
led to what has been called a 'solar monotheism.' Nearly all the gods of the
period were possessed of Solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired
the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol and Victus (open unconquered Sun)
on December 25th was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was
taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ."
Notice how
it says "both Christ and Mithra acquired the
traits of solar deities"? The Christians were apparently trying to
get more converts so they tried to "paganize" the Messiah to make Him
more attractive to pagans. They even officially brought the feast of the
unconquered sun into their worship in 336 AD. This is the origin of Christmas.
Easter
Easter is
said to be pagan because it falls near the Vernal Equinox and because many
believe that the word Easter comes from "Eostra" or
"Ostara", an Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring. This would seem to make
Easter a remnant of some pagan Spring festival in honor of Eostra.
Yet this theory is disputed. Some
philologists say that Easter comes from the word "east",
referring to the rising of the sun, a metaphor for the Resurrection of Christ
(see Malachi 4:2).
The name
of this festival, itself, shows its heathen origin. "Easter" is
derived from Eastre, or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of spring and
dawn. There also is some historical
connection existing between the words "Easter" and "East,"
where the sun rises. The festival of Eostre
was celebrated on the day of the Vernal Equinox (spring). Traditions associated with the festival of
the Teutonic fertility Goddess survive in the Easter rabbit and colored eggs.
Spring is
the season of new life and revival, when, from ancient times, the pagan peoples
of Europe and Asia held their spring festivals, re-enacting ancient regeneration
myths and performing magical and religious ceremonies to make the crops grow
and prosper.
God’s
Word against celebrating holidays with Pagan Origin
Deuteronomy
12:29-32 -- God warned His people Israel to destroy all forms
of pagan worship that they found in the land that they were going to possess. Not only did God want to prevent His people
from being enticed to worship false gods, but He specifically revealed that He
did not want His people to worship Him in the same manner in which the heathen
worshiped their gods. We know, therefore, that our Lord is displeased by
practices which profess to honor Him, but which are copied from the tradition
of false religions. The command here was to worship God only in His way, i.e.,
do only what God commands -- not adding to God's commands nor taking away from
them.
“Do
not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with
darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a
believer with an unbeliever? And what
agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and
walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be
separate,’ says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive
you. I will be a Father to you, And you
shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. 6:14-18)
Idolatry
of the Occult
The One True God in the Holy Bible
explicitly denounces the occult practices.
"When
you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not
learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found
among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or
one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or
a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who
calls up the dead. For all who do these
things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the
Lord your God drives them out from before you.
You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess
listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not
appointed such for you.” (Deut. 18:9-14)
Christians
cannot engage themselves in astrology. “Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the
way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the
Gentiles are dismayed at them." (Jer. 10:2) The prophet goes on to equate astrology with
idolatry and describes the vain way in which the heathen seek to please and
follow their astrological gods. Consulting one's horoscope, whether seriously or casually, is an
act of defying one of the most solemn warnings of Scripture.
Here are some of the other occult practices
that are abomination to the One True God.
·
Magic: The use of means (as charms or spells)
believed to have supernatural power over natural forces; magic rites or
incantations; an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural
source; something that seems to cast a spell (Isaiah
47:9-15; Ezekiel
13:17-23; Acts
8:9-24; Acts
19:19-20; Revelation
9:20-21; Revelation
18:23; Revelation
21:8; Revelation
22:15)
·
Sorcery: The use of power gained from the assistance
or control of evil spirits especially for divining; A wizard is a sorcerer -
one possessing magical influence. (Exodus
22:18; Deuteronomy
18:9-16; Leviticus
19:26; Isaiah
47:9-15; 2
Kings 17:17; 2
Kings 21:6; Malachi
3:5; Micah
5:12; Galatians
5:19-21; Acts
8:9-24; Acts
13:4-12)
·
Talisman: A
talisman is an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good
fortune. Examples of talismans include
healing crystals, rabbit’s foot, Indian dream-catchers, good luck charms, and
hex signs. Household idols in the Bible
are possibly examples of talismans. (Genesis
35:2; Judges 17:5; 1 Samuel 19:13; Hosea 3:4).
·
Witchcraft: The use of sorcery, magic, or
communication with spirits to influence persons and/or events. A witch/warlock is one thought to have
supernatural powers through contact with Satan; one credited with usually
malignant supernatural powers (Deuteronomy
18:9-16; 1
Samuel 15:22-23; Ezekiel
13:17-23; Galatians
5:19-21; Acts
19:19-20)
Links
to Christian Web Sites on the Occult
Please
Click on the Titles
A
Biblical View of Dungeons and Dragons
Pokemon: Your kids are playing with Fire
Harry Potter And The
Christian... Or Anyone
This Article is the response of Paul Wong
to a discussion in the ARK Forum on October 16, 2002
For comments please write first to: The ARK Forum
May God bless you.
Updated on 01/18/04
Paul Wong is a Christian minister and the
President of ARK International.
His ministry also serves as an architectural service company in Houston.
The ARK Forum on the Internet is international and non-denominational.
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