Keep Yourselves From Idols

Dear reader,

The truth sets free those that know Him and imprisons those who reject or fail to know Him. We are set free when we identify the truth and run or walk with His dictates. This truth is embedded in the various commands of Yahweh. One of these commands says keep yourself from idols-1 John 5:21; 1 Corinthians 10:14. The Lord's commands are easy-1 John 5:3 yet many find it hard to comprehend and obey.

Understanding what idol means will make it easier for many to keep away from it. Idol is not a strange word. While idol may sound common, one will be surprised to find that many do not know what idol is all about. Besides human rebellion and besides manipulation and wrong delivery of the scripture by people that teach others, ignorance of meanings accounts for the reason we worship idols. Worship of idol is idolatry.

Any form of worship of idols or disproportionate devotion to, or reverence for some person, (church leaders for example), or thing (such as money and power), is called idolatry. Idolatry is a costly sin that will in the end lead many who practice it into second death-1 Corinthians 6:9; Revelation 21:8.

An idol is an image or representation of a creator used as an object of worship. This type of Idol occurs in the form of graven image, false creator, religious and political birthdays, effigy, golden calf, shrine, etc. Idol also is a person (political or religious leader) or thing (political or religious power, wealth, accolade, ego or fame) that is greatly admired, loved or revered; others include hero/heroine, superstar, icon, celebrity, etc.

In reality, idols are impotent blocks of human creation whose powers exist only in the minds of the worshipers-Revelation 9:20. An idol could be you and I, our wealth, our parents, children, siblings, and friends; an idol is any person or thing that strips our focus on Elohim to that person or thing including the body of Christ, which is also called church, when we tilt our attention to the body instead of the head.

An idol replaces the one true Creator (YAHWEH) in the minds of idol worshipers. This happens consciously and unconsciously. Idol behaves like a very strong drink in that it creates a strong false of confidence and blocks the attention and mind of created beings against Yahweh. It creates a false sense of hope and gives us total wrong impression that we are on the right lane and direction where as Idol leads mankind to the land where there will be gnashing of teeth.

The testimony of Scripture is that God alone is worthy of worship. Idol worship robs God of the glory that is rightfully His, and that is something He will not tolerate-Isaiah 42:8.

As we read this, there are religions that bow before statues and icons, a practice forbidden by Yahweh. The importance Elohim places upon idolatry is reflected in the fact that the first of the Ten Commandments refers to idolatry:

'You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD, am a jealous Elohim, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me'-Exodus 20:3-5.

Idolatry extends beyond the worship of humans, images and imaginary human objects of veneration. Our modern idols are many and varied. True, while not everyone rebels against Yahweh by bowing or prostrating physically before a statue, humans, religious/political figures or objects, many of us rebel against Him through pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony, a love for possessions and lust-Colossians 3:5.

Elohim hates idolatry more than any other rebellion; Yahweh alone is worthy of worship; Are you involved in idol worship? As long as we live, it is not yet late to retract from our worship of idols be it humans or objects and human imaginations.

May all the glory be unto Yahweh.

Eze Uduma