My working definition of IDOLATRY:
- ANYTHING that robs our affection and time from God.
- ANYTHING that is currently ushering in a stronghold over us.
- ANYTHING that is robbing our day and lives of real relationships and productivity.
- ANYTHING that we jokingly say we are 'obsessed with', 'fixated on', or 'have a fetish' of.
- ANYTHING that we are addicted to.
- ANYTHING we admit to 'wasting our time' doing.
Got idolatry?
It's everywhere. I could list numerous things...many that we all own or do. So I will refrain from identifying many of them to avoid the condemnation the enemy would love to suck you under.
I bring this topic up however, to bring attention to you that there is some, somewhere in your life, home, day and I am calling out to you to BREAK FREE from it!!!!
Note: I TAKE MYSELF THROUGH THIS TOO...DON'T THINK FOR A SECOND THAT I DON'T BATTLE THE TEMPTATION OF IDOLATRY. It's in our fallen nature...there for we are to submit to God...not our nature/flesh.
Ask God this week: What are the idols in my life Lord?
And be ready for Him to answer. Jesus resonated the 10 commandments in the New Testament.
We often hear, "...but we're no longer under the law". True. But we are called to follow Christ's example and teachings, right? And He taught the same principles of the 10 Commandments. And the Holy Spirit convicts accordingly to the Scripture that God has laid before us.
Study Exodus 20:3-17...and then turn over to New Testament. (Matthew 4:10, 5:34,10:37, 5:22, 5:28, 5:40, 12:36, Luke 16:13, 12:15, and Mark 2:27-28.)
Salvation is a gift from God granted by His mercy and grace to those who repent and confess that Jesus is Lord. YES! But we have to relentless pursue God to remain free from bondage.
Once we are saved, bought by the blood of Christ on the Cross...The Lord knows that if we follow His teachings, then we will REMAIN free. We are truly free when we are abiding in His Word and walking it out, walking by the Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. How much freedom do you have when you are entangled with obsessiveness with fame, power, money, material things? How much freedom do you have when you are ensnared by lust? NONE. Idolatry comes in the door of sin. Sin comes by temptation not being dealt with AT THE FEET OF JESUS!
When we remain in the Word, empowered by the Holy Spirit, submissive to God's will...then we are worshipping the ONE TRUE GOD and free of idolatry.
Meditate, think, dwell on this word: idolatry.
What false idols/gods are trying to control and master you?
Find some?
If so:
- Repent of the idolatry.
- Ask God for forgiveness.
- Break the unhealthy attachment/addiction to these.
- Ask God to deliver you from idolatry.
- Then pursue God - daily - above all things!!!!
"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." - 1 John 5:14-15
So what then shall you do???? He is available and waiting to set you free TODAY!
