The One True God vs. Idolatry

The article that follows comes from a book I recently picked up in the Chapel here in Iraq... What an interesting place to find a piece of literature that so accurately describes the full nature of the God of the Bible against the false gods of man's imagination...

Within the past couple of weeks, since I arrived "in country" I have engaged in countless discussions on who God is... to the Christian, to the Muslim (obviously) the Mormon, the Jehovah's Witness, the Catholic (with much animosity), and other religions of modern and ancient times...

I am not a scholar by any means, and will probably never be - however, I do desire to be able to represent and present the God of the Holy Bible accurately, and without error whenever and where ever possible... Therefore, I am constantly searching for extra-Biblical sources of learning that can help me in my pursuit to know and understand the Word of God more fully...

Within the last couple of days, I have engaged myself in a discussion on a rather popular book now available in bookstores that has taken the world by storm much the way the Prayer of Jabez, or Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life have over the past decade. The book in question is The Shack. Outside of the appeal of a heart-wrenching story about a father who has lost his daughter in a horrific abduction and murder, is the "fictional" account of a man who is trying to establish a relationship with God...

And that is where my difficulty with the book begins... As with Dan Brown's the Da Vinci Code, this book claims to be a work of fiction, and I do not contest that fact - however, people are reading it as though it is a work of literature to be used in order to understand and learn something about God that they either cannot or have not yet been able to find anywhere else - including, sadly enough, within the pages of their own Bible...

It has been, and will continue to be, (until or unless someone can bring me to a point of alternate understanding with Scripture) my contention, and I believe, the contention of the Word of God, that if we are going to have a relationship with God, we should first understand what His requirements for a relationship are, rather than to seek out the ideas and opinions of people who are presenting a version of God, Christ and faith that differs from the one put forth in the only absolute source of Truth - the Word of God itself...

The article follows...


You have often heard it said: "It really doesn't matter what a person believes as long as he is sincere." -But, what if he is sincerely wrong?

Throughout the Bible we learn that it matters enormously what or who is actually Lord (in control) of our lives.

There is a great deal in the Bible about idolatry. Even today, many are deceived and assume that they may have several man-made gods (though they do not call them such) in their lives. These "gods" are objects of the hearts' real desire and preoccupation. Although they haven't rejected the One True God, His importance above all gods continues to diminish.

Exodus 20:3 is the first of the Ten Commandments from God. The Old Testament idols were images representing a deity, such as "the golden calf" (Exodus 32:1-4) and the Israelites willingly gave their gold to Aaron to achieve that "god." It is written that they worshiped the works of their (own) hands. (2 Kings 22:17).

The Lord Jesus Christ quoted from Deuteronomy 6:13 in the Gospel according to Matthew 4:10.

On another occasion, Jesus said: "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31

When you know what it is that takes first place in a person's thoughts concerning material things and desires, what he looks forward to, and what he is willing to sacrifice for above all other things, you know what his god - his "golden calf" if you will - is...

A person's real god is what he finds the most satisfaction in his heart thinking and talking about. These things or persons could become his idols.

In contrast, if we acknowledge our real God is the One True God expressed in three Persons as Father, Son (Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary), and Holy Spirit, we will find great pleasure in sharing Scripture from Genesis through Revelation and our experiences about the Lord Jesus with others. In every decision He will be our first consideration. A true Christian will seek...first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness Matthew 6:33 This means our first consideration is to know the will of God as revealed in the Bible in regard to all decision: Our loyalty to Christ and His Church will be our first consideration. All else will be of less importance, such as employment, hobbies, sports, friends, etc...

As God's children, it is of utmost importance that our loyalty, love, and devotion to the One Living and True God be first in all earthly consideration. We will desire to have Christ as Lord (Ruler) over our lives.

We cannot have two supreme loyalties. As Jesus said: No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve both God and mammon (money, goods, material things) Luke 16:13

But they that will be (desire to be) rich (in material things) fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition... 1 Timothy 6:9 These Scriptures suggest that the word "idolatry" stands for whatever secular activity or persons become more important than our submission to Christ as Lord of our lives.

The Apostle Paul was led to warn that covetousness... is idolatry. Colossians 3:5 Covetousness is self-concern and self-interest, as well as devotion to a person or material things, that interfere with our opportunities to serve the Lord. This means giving to self that loyalty and devotion which belogs to Jesus as Lord of our lives.

A true believer in the One True God is not deceived by the theory of "situational ethics" which assumes there is no absolute standard of right and wrong but rather that right or wrong depend upon circumstances.

The Apostle Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to describe true Christian conversion as turning from idols to serve the living and True God 1 Thessalonians 1:9. Turning from idols is far more than merely professing that we are a Christian.

The Lord Jesus Christ proclaims: Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve... Matthew 4:10 Jesus warned that the way of eternal life is a narrow...way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it Matthew 7:14. And not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21.
In contrast to the world, Jesus demonstrated by His life and death that doing the will of My Father which is in heaven involves a willing subordination of our wills and way of doing things to the will of God. Each of us gives allegiance to someone or something, we're made that way. We do have a god in which we find life's satisfaction.

Paul was also led by the Holy Spirit to write of some whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. Philippians 3:19

But he also wrote: Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 If we are committed to Jesus being Lord of our lives, then we will bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

We do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. Colossians 1:9-11

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son (Jesus our Savior): In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. Colossians 1:12-15

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in eart, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the Head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have preeminence. Colossians 1:16-18

That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:10-14

Reprinted from The Best of Bible Pathway - devotional guide; Murfreesboro, TN - John A. Hash, Editor in Chief