Present-Day Idolatry

Present-Day Idolatry

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21.

The heathen gods are made of wood and stone, but these visible idols, which in themselves have no value, are not the only ones that cause great misery. Idolatry brings people into contact with evil spirits and with the powers of darkness. These spirits have only one aim, and that is to corrupt peoples’ souls. Recently I talked to a missionary from India who spoke at length about how the pagan priests were in direct contact with evil spirits. They worshiped these spirits out of fear, because they were evil. They knew that God was good, so they thought it was unnecessary to pray to Him because they knew that He would not harm them.

All corruption in the world comes through lust. Because of the fall, every person has these lusts within, so that each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. When people follow their lusts, evil spirits get nourishment. This is why idolatry and sin are inseparable, and it is a victory for the spiritual hosts of wickedness when they can get people to sin. Therefore it is written, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

John’s exhortations against idols are not only against those made of wood and stone, but against covetousness, adultery, decadence, etc., all of which are idolatry.

The glutton has an expensive appetite: he refuses food that is good and nourishing if he doesn’t like the way it tastes. He searches far and wide to find something delicious and goes to any length to find whatever tickles his fancy. He does not eat to live, but lives to eat and to satisfy his belly. He wastes his time looking after his belly and squanders his days living in luxury. He has no time to worship the living God. The gullible heathen thought they were doing a good work by offering sacrifices to their idols, but their sacrifices promoted decadence, because those who served as priests gorged themselves on these sacrifices.

The drunkard also lives to satisfy his belly. But the more he drinks, the stronger his cravings become. He spends all his earnings and in return gets a body that is utterly incapable of work. His wife wears herself out working and toiling for her little ones, and the children go around half-naked and in rags, but his lust demands more and more. Their marriage ends in divorce, and the social services have to take responsibility for his family; but still the lust demands more. The man ends up losing his job and is forced to beg for food, but the worm that never dies is in no way satisfied. It claims body and soul. Everything has to be offered on the altar of the idol. There are thousands of such examples in this country and abroad. A powerful warning needs to resound: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” We tear down this idol’s altar by limiting ourselves to the bare necessities.

A covetous man has no time to worship the living God. He wants to have everything, from the tiniest strand of rope or the smallest nail to the most luxurious mansion and car. He races around searching restlessly for ways to make money. He never finds an opportune moment to take a break so that God can speak to him in quietness. In extreme cases, people don’t even allow themselves the bare necessities. They sacrifice them so they can amass even more money in the bank. Now and then we read in the newspapers of rich people dying of hunger like beggars in rags. Covetousness is an evil spiritual force that takes the life of the person who worships it.

We can safely say that anything that turns a person’s mind and thoughts away from the living God is idolatry.

Today, sports demand body, soul and time. People worship sports as an idol. Football players’ thoughts and conversations revolve around football day and night. Thousands of spectators gather for big football games. Despite the fact that they are only spectators, even older people get so involved in the game that, without thinking, they kick each other in the shins when things get particularly exciting. No one gives a thought to setting time aside to think about his own eternal well being. No, they want to kick a football. Who won the football game is more important to them than hearing about the salvation which each of them so desperately needs.

Little children, keep yourselves from this idol! Instead, run to win an imperishable crown.

Children learn to worship idols from a young and tender age. It seems so innocent. All sin has innocent blue eyes to begin with. “They’re only taking dancing classes.” Yet the fact is that at these “innocent” dancing classes, they are spoon-fed the pride of life. Their innocent eyes learn to value fine clothing, elegant behavior and charming manners. They start to admire what is great and grand and to look down with contempt on everything they consider common. These are the “ABC’s” of idolatry. People who are really adept at this will soon make progress along this well-beaten path. While the dancing instructor is teaching them about the outward, the enemy of their soul is quietly instructing them about the inward. He tells them that they are really something and that one day they will become very great. He makes them conscious of class distinctions, and thus they become aloof from those they regard as inferior and begin to admire what is great.

Little children, keep yourselves from this idol!