PASTOR EMMANUEL DANSU
THE TRAP OF IDOLATORY
EXODUS 20:1-5
God cannot afford to play the second fiddle in our lives. An idol is anything that removes God from the first place in our lives. Our God is a jealous God; He cannot afford to see anything that is competing within him in our lives.
It does not matter where you are. You will still fulfil purpose as far as you are with God. If you want to go far, you have to abs
tain from idols. God loves us so much that He does not want us to have any business with idols
(1 John 5:21; 1 Cor. 10:14).
Idolatry is seemingly sweet; It is a whole civilization on its own. It looks more interesting than following God. All of the people that came out from Egypt died in the wilderness because of idolatry. Only their offspring eventually entered the promise land.
We must not us
e the things God give at His expense. We must use them under God. God cannot co-habit with idols in our lives. Mammon is the idol of money. Money is good but the love of it leads to dest
ruction
(Matthew 6:24).
In the New Testament, the Bible refers specifically to covetousness as idolatry. Greed or lust are idolatry. Lust is violent desire (Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:5).
Ther
e is nothing wrong in material things but we should not desire them at the expense of our soul. A man can have all the money but he can never be satisfied without God.
JEREMIAH 18:11-17; 11:12
We have to make sure that nothing takes the place of God in our hearts. The main sign of id
olatry is that you forget God. Seduction and foolish decisions are signs that people have gone into idolatry. Idolatry leads to desolation and it multiplies sorrow. Idols are not dependable. Idols will not save us. Only God can save.
We must guard our hearts with all diligence. The Devil is a diehard optimist, if he leaves you for a while, he will still come back. He is always putting the trap of idolatry in our ways. A very instructive question is ‘What Can’t You Do Without?’ Always remember that the only ‘thing’ you cann
ot do without is Christ.