“Idols aren’t just stone statues. No, idols are the thoughts, desires,
longings, and expectations that we worship in the place of the true God.
Idols cause us to ignore the true God in search of what we think we need.”
1/
I am amazed as I read and studied this subject matter how easy it is for us to fall into the sin of idolatry in even the “good” and “little” things. As regenerate children, our thinking is renewed by God’s Word and we can see clearly where we err and sin and it convicts us to examine our hearts and lives in everything. But, the world and its influences and their error of promoting “idols” “idolatry” and “covetousness” of things to be desired chase after us with rapid speed to fall into the same error and misuse the grace of God that we have been given. They, the devil, and his cohorts want us to “be like them” and make idols of even the things that are good and profitable. We know what many of them are: husbands, children, family, homes, wealth, prosperity, gifts, attitudes and temperament, rights and privileges, desires, goals, hobbies, etc. etc. etc. They want us to “worship” them rather than the true and living God and thus we can become gods unto ourselves, placing our love, desire and gratification above God, who alone reserves the right of worship and thus we fall into idolatry, self-centeredness and misery.
When Christ gave us new life in Himself, it was to free us from the dictates of the world in our thinking and to be ruled by Him and His indwelling Holy Spirit and not by our sinful desires and fleshly lusts. Yes, we are still in our sinful bodies and will lust after those things and use the good things given wrongfully but we have been enabled to quash these desires when inordinate and put them into their proper place and our wants and needs will then become His. We are changed by His Spirit into “not my will but Thine be done.” Not an easy task for us as we well know. We struggle, we study, we pray, we beseech God for His mercy to help us and we continue to strive on in our walk to “be content” with “all things” for His glory. He is our King and our God and He alone has the throne room of our heart. The “gods in our hearts” need to be cast out and the biggest god is ourselves and what we want and how, when and where we want it. We want that life “free from idols” and the love of “things” so that our contentment and peace lies not in our circumstances and possessions but in Christ alone. He is the true “bread” and “water” of life and if all we have or had is Him, we have everything. John the Baptist knew this as did many of the brethren of Scripture and in past Christian history — our desire, our life, our love, is hid in Him and when we understand this, we are filled with contentment, peace and a joy of heart in serving, loving and worshipping Him without the distraction of other “idols” of heart and mind.
John has warned us in I John 5:21: “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” thus meaning that we are always to have on the “whole armour of God” and that is not only talking about the idols of the world, brick, stone, golden calves and the like, but the mindset of the world, the “new age” of the world, the “I’m okay, Your okay” covetousness; the love of money and self, the denial of God in all things, the unregenerate worldview, rather than the clear-eyed and lovely Christian worldview of all things through the lens of Scripture. His reference to “little children” tells us “be careful, WATCH OUT” be on guard, the devil would “sift us as wheat” and longs for us to fall into idolatry of all sorts. Do not be ignorant of his devices. Adam and Eve fell into idolatry of heart and mind by coveting to “be like God” and to have their desires “satisfied” with the fruit of the tree” and rebelled against the life-giving, perfection of Christ and thus thrust all men into rebellion and sin. God is not mocked, whatsoever we sow we will reap and so John has warned and we take heed to “guard” ourselves from idolatry.
Elyse Fitzpatrick has done us a great service in providing this well-written and God-honoring book to educate us on this subject of “idols” “idolatry” and help us guard ourselves from falling into it.
“Idols of the Heart” has recounted the story of Rachel and her “coveting” of the household idols of her father. We have seen the covetousness of “give me children or I die” of Rachel and the rivalry of idolatry of Leah and Rachel in their want of children and “outdoing” each other for the affection of Jacob. As we looked at them and the commentary in “Idols,” we see how much we are like them in those idolatries of our hearts. This is good because it brings us to the foot of the cross. It reveals how much we need Christ and His wonder-working power in our lives to bring about repentance and change, love of Him first, love of neighbor and the “want to” of serving and loving without compensation or blessing.
“Fitzpatrick says, “God calls us to bury our false gods at the cross. It’s in union with Jesus Christ, the One who hung on Golgotha’s tree, that we have the power to conquer all of our idolatry and bury our gods in the blood-soaked ground beneath His cross.” 2/
Christ humbled Himself and gave Himself and we are to do likewise. He is the “heart knower” and “heart changer” and He can “do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” and He can help us bury the idolatry, flee the covetous heart and mind and make us more and more changed into His mirror-image day by day as we seek His face and help to do all things for His glory. Do not be alarmed but be pitiful and make supplication to Him who alone can change our idolatrous hearts to sacrificial contented hearts of love and grace.
* * *
Blessed God, we are your pitiful and loved children who want to love you with all of our hearts, minds and souls and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We want to be Christ-like in all that we say and do. We want to “covet” You and Your likeness. Help us, change us, and make us more like Christ as we walk as pilgrims in an idolatrous land of “me, myself and I” and in a world where the understanding of idolatry has been hidden beneath the layers of rock and stony hearts of men. Help us as your blood-bought children who are in need of grace, peace, contentment and Your ever-present love and joy. We are sorry for our sins of idolatry and placing everything and anything before You and Your Word. Give us soft and tender hearts and bury the idols of our hearts at the foot of the cross forever, we pray. In Jesus Name, Amen.
________________________
1/ Elyse Fitzpatrick, “Idols of the Heart, Learning to Long for God Alone” ["Idols"] P&R Publishing, 2001, p. 23]
2/ Ibid. p. 28
[Source: "My Summary and Comments": JoanY, ReformedWomen, "Observing the World's Gods" & "Rachel's Gods and You"]
