Part 1: To Break Down My Idols
Although the reason may be hid from them, most people are aware that people's lives are "headed in different directions." Some people devote themselves to education in order to get ahead while others might immediately plunge themselves into work. Some people devote more energy and time to family than to their work while the lives of others are shaped by their decisions to spend more time at work than with their family. Because of the many decisions people are constantly making, their lives go down different roads.
What determines which road a person walks down? Everyone uses a basic life guiding principle that will cause them to value what they do and behave in a particular manner. For some people this guiding motivation finds it ultimate root in the belief that "this world (something in the created order) can take care of me by making me somebody and keeping me secure." Such a worldview will create a profound desire to acquire one's significance and sense of well-being through whatever beliefs that individual might have about how this world can take care of him. It may be that he believes the path to security and significance is obtained through the means of a good job, or perhaps a good reputation, standing out from the crowd,social contacts, power, making your mark on history, education, prestige, possessions, etc. Whatever avenues are believed to take care of his fundamental need to be somebody and to provide him with security will be the object of his greatest love and devotion.
Greed is the desire to acquire the things of this world. Why would anyone want to do this? The basic motivation is because they believe that this world will take care of them. Paul characterized this desire to obtain the things of this world as being idolatry. Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 5:5 Whenever the primary motivation in someone's life becomes to acquire the things of this world, that individual has entered the pagan temple and bowed down to the idol. Such a person has changed the object of their devotion from the immortal, eternal and invisible God to something temporal and created. They are engaged in popular modern idolatry.
James condemned such worldly egocentric idols when he denounced friendship with the world’s values as being adultery. Spiritual adultery is giving one’s devotion which belongs to God to something else. This something becomes the idol which a person's life is devoted to serving. As Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters, ... you cannot serve God and Money.”(Matthew 6:24) Since a person can have only one God, one reason to put the kingdom of God first is clear - to avoid idolatry.
Serving God Is Not To Be Viewed As One More Insurance Policy
Idolatry does not necessarily mean that one has totally abandoned devotion to God. At times, ancient Israel attempted to cover all of its bases by worshiping both God and idols. Ezekiel 23:38-39 Sometimes the idol took the form of greed while the person continued to worship God. Micah 3:11 Yet, God has always rejected all such worship. There can be only one true master of a person's life.
Why did ancient Israel go after the baals? It was because she believe that they could take care of her. Hosea 2:5, 8 She believed that the baals held the promise of providing what she wanted. God's prophets countered this belief system by denouncing the promises of idols as being empty and worthless. Jeremiah 2:5, 13; 2 Kings 17:15; Isaiah 44:9-20 Conversely, the prophets reminded the people what the Law taught, namely that it is God who actually provided for their well being. Deuteronomy 6:10-12; 8:1-14; Hosea 2:8; Jeremiah 5:7
In a secular society such as ours, where one's well-being is no longer believed to be based upon how some god might have blessed a person's life, but rather where it is believed that my well-being is a direct result of what I have achieved through different principles (education, hard work, social contacts, family status, etc.), the shape of idolatry loses the name baal while taking on the name of Education, Reputation, Money, Work, etc. Accordingly, people's lives are devoted to these things because they believe that these things will take care of them. Modern idolatry is greed and is characterized by the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what one has and does. Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 5:3; 1 John 2:15-17
Sometimes people approach Christianity in the same manner that ancient Israel tried to hedge all of her bets by worshiping both God and the baals. Such a Christian loves this world and is devoted to this world (idolatry) but also tries to go through the rituals and forms of Christian worship because he wants eternal life also. God simply becomes one more insurance policy, while the individual continues to live his life for Self.
To Serve God and Christ Means I Have Destroyed My Idols that I Might Live for Him
To be a Christian requires destroying my idols, those sources of security which I am devoted to in order to trust in the Rock, the Shield, the Creator God and His Son. As such I will give God my full allegiance so that He guides my motivations and actions as I realize that He is capable of providing for me needs. Jesus told his disciples, "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself (destroy the source of idolatry) and take up his cross daily (not something done once) and follow me (live a life with a new orientation). For whoever wants to save his life (by devotion to self-serving idolatry) will lose it, but whoever LOSES HIS LIFE FOR ME will save it" (Luke 9:23-24). Paul would echo these sentiments in 2 Corinthians 5:15 where he wrote, "Christ died on behalf of many in order that the ones who live might no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died on their behalf and as raised again."
The cross is not some unique "burden" each one of us must bear. It is our death. Just as the cross signified Christ's death, to take up our cross means to accept our death. Then one can accept a new orientation for living; then one can follow Christ. As Paul wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:19-20).
Someone might reason, "but if I do not pursue "saving my life" by acquiring things, who will take care of me?" This is the point of Jesus' discussion in Matthew 6:19-33 Since God provides for those who truly worship Him, the child of God is able to use his resources to bring glory to God as he lays up treasure in heaven not being concerned about the necessity of storing up treasure on earth. See also Luke 12:13-48; 16:1-15 With this understanding of security, Jesus words in Matthew 10:28-39 make perfect sense.
The Sneaky Idol of "My Spirituality" (Works based Salvation)
For some Christians the principal motivation behind their actions is "if I am good enough, I will receive heaven as a reward." Those who feel that they are succeeding are confident of their own goodness and ultimate salvation. However, others who are more honest or perhaps simply more perceptive are painfully aware of their failings and are therefore drowned by waves of guilt.
Unfortunately, both of these types of Christians are blinded to the fact that they are still worshiping before an idol; the very subtle idol of “my spirituality.” In reality such Christians are devoted to themselves, not to God as they try to trust in themselves for their salvation. The devotion behind their actions is self-serving: do every imaginable good deed, even be self-sacrificing, for the purpose of elevating “my spirituality.” Actions are for one’s own glory, not God’s. Although this person may speak often about Jesus’ sacrifice, in practical terms he does not trust Jesus’ blood for salvation. Such a person believes that once “I” have demonstrated “my” goodness, God will have to accept “me.” Beneath the mask of “my spirituality” lies the age old idol of living for Self. The idol of Self disguised by the subtle mask of “my spirituality” does not get me any closer to God.
Barry Newton, Copyright © 2000
Part two of this series is "Follow the Way of the Cross"
Other articles which might be of interest
Lessons from 580 B.C. for the Second MillenniumInsights from the Master on Idolatry
Freedom from Idolatry (An American Free At Last)