Bible Reading: Psalm 142-144; 1 Corinthians 10:14-33.
Memory Verse: “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1 Corinthians 10:14 (KJV).
Idolatry is simply defined as extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone as though it were God. Whatever you treasure like or more than God drives your thoughts and actions and becomes an idol, and these idols dull your spiritual hearing and harden your hearts to things of God.
Thus, people who love and desire riches and power ahead of God are making such items their gods. Spiritually, demons are able to give limited material benefits and people who are not satisfied with what they have will not hesitate to compromise with or sell out to corrupt evil powers in exchange for what they want. Such people may not worship gods made out of stones, wood or earth but in reality worship the demons that stand behind greed and evil desires. There have been stories of people who were told they could not get beyond a hierarchical level in their career in some companies unless they join one cult or the other and some joined! Matthew 6:24 KJV is clear, “No man 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 God and mammon.” And Paul emphasized this in 1 Corinthians 10:21 (KJV), “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”
Idolatry in the current dispensation comes in different forms; it’s evident in the false religions of the world including worship of satan and self and various cults. Also, it is interesting to note that idolatry occurs in the church when people believe they can experience salvation while participating in immoral and wicked practices of the world. In addition, when any of the following takes a lot of your attention at the expense of God, it becomes idolatry. These include, self, need for security, desire for approval of others, relationship with others including child and spouse, success, wealth, health, food, intellect and comfort among others.
God tells us not to be greedy, immoral or covetous but to depart from all forms of idolatry. He commands in 1 Corinthians 10:14 (KJV), “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” The consequence of disobeying this command is stated in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (KJV), “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, [10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” This is further emphasized in Galatians 5:20-21.
Prayer point: Examine your life and flee all forms of idolatry.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero