Although most Americans might reserve the phrase "freed from idolatry" to describe the conversion of an African witch doctor, it also accurately describes the spiritual conversion of your common middle-class American neighbor. Why? Because whether it be the compulsion of greed (because of what someone believes this world can provide) or the desire to serve the ancient gods of Baal and Ashtoreth (for what they were believed to have offered), idolatry entails the human effort to seek security, self-preservation and meaning through a devotion to something other than God. Although such efforts might even seem to work for a while, in the end they are vanity and a striving to catch the wind. All such earthly centered and motivated activity under the sun can not only be idolatrous, but the sling blade of death denounces it as being a meaningless pursuit. Idols and idolatry lie on the broken heap of worthless and failed promises.
Since Jesus enables us to become children of God, Jesus can free us from the empty treadmill existence whereby we try to build our identity based upon this world and what it has to offer. For someone to believe that the world can provide for their life and that they can save their life through the world will cause that person to serve created things rather than the Creator. Conversion, therefore, frees Americans from idolatry.
Although only Jesus has the power to free someone from idolatry, that person must first be willing to leave behind those fortresses of power and security wherein he has previously trusted in order to embark on the life of a disciple. The salvation given to a disciple is not merely an eternal life insurance policy which can be patched over a life whose basic orientation and impulse is to live for this world. Becoming a disciple involves changing who is called master and who one is relying upon for life.
Since idolatry involves trying to manipulate the world in an effort to take care of oneself by pushing what one considers to be the right buttons, it is unavoidable that an idolater will love and be devoted to whatever buttons he believes he can push to provide for his life. Before such a person can serve God, he must die to his devotion to his various buttons and to the driving force behind pursuing these buttons - namely, living for self. For someone to become a disciple he must abandon idolatry.
When Jesus called people to pick up their cross and follow him (Luke 9:23; 14:27), he was calling for the transfer of one's allegiance to God from the idolatrous ways of seeking to save one's life through gaining what the world promises. Luke 9:24-25 Jesus provided a clear contrast between serving God and serving idols when he contrasted the way of the cross with the way of serving oneself, other relationships (Luke 14:26) and one's possessions (Luke 14:33). To be a disciple requires one to die to the idolatry of living for self. Paul understood this. Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:15
Sometimes a person's own family will threaten to cut the person off who is thinking about becoming a Christian. To choose to remain in the good graces of the family is to choose to love one's family more than Christ. It is also to choose family relationships as the basis for one's life and security instead of Christ. This can be one form of idolatry. The disciple can not love his family more than Christ. Matthew 10:37-38
Just like Jesus who did not love his own life so much as to shrink from death but who sought to do the Father's will, so also the disciple's decisions, values and behavior are driven by a love for God and a desire to obey His will. John 12:25-26; Revelation 12:11; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 John 2:15-17
By enabling all people who come to Jesus to become children of God (John 1:12-13), Jesus has even made it possible for Americans to be freed from the chains of idolatry.
Barry Newton, Copyright © 2000
Other Articles Which May Be of Interest:
The next article in this series is "Christians and Idolatry"