Paul is speaking under the inspiration
of God the Holy Spirit, and he says to believers whom he dearly
loves, wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. Run from it. Can a believer be taken up with
idolatry? I think any time we say can a
believer do anything, we're making a mistake. A believer can commit
any sin but the sin against the Holy Spirit. Can a believer be
taken up with idols? Yes. Flee from idolatry. Now what is this idolatry we're
told to flee from? Well, the first thing that comes
to our mind is the second commandment with regard to graven images
and likenesses to God that men make. Crosses or statues or stained
glass windows with the pictures of the saints or any kind of
religious anything is an idol, a material idol. Idolatry goes
farther than that, as far as making material idols, like totem
poles and bowing down to them. I thought of the first commandment,
thou shalt have no other gods, small g, before me. A small g god before him is an
idol. Idolatry is the putting of small
g gods before him. Idolatry has as its source, as
its origin, as its cause, hatred for God as he is. The only reason. someone will
make an idol, a different God, a likeness to God, is because
they want a God they can control and they do not want the God
of the Bible. So we make a new one. That's
what's called idolatry. Now, he says in verse 14, wherefore? Wherefore, and that means he's
saying this in light of all these Old Testament admonitions and
warnings he had given. When they lusted for flesh, we're
tired of manna. We want flesh. God sent them
flesh and they made an idol of that flesh. That was idolatry. They were not satisfied with
Christ. They wanted something else, something more. That is
idolatry. When Moses was gone for 40 days,
they made a golden calf, which they called a visible representation
of Jehovah. They said, this is a feast of
Jehovah. And this calf represents Jehovah. They made an idol. They brought God down. to their level, not that you
can do that. Understand nobody can bring God down. I'm thankful
for that. He's absolutely secure in who he is, but this is men's
attempts to make a God they feel more comfortable with. When they
said, our souls loathe this light bread, they were not satisfied
with simply being saved by Christ. They were not satisfied with
the sufficiency of Jesus Christ. They wanted something more tangible
that they could experience. Our souls loathe this light bread. We want something else that's
called idolatry, something other than Christ. I love what the
Lord said, all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers. When they murmured, at the report
of Joshua and Caleb, they were questioning God's ability to
save them, which is a false concept of God. There are giants in the
land, we can't beat them. They came up with a false concept
of God to go along with their way of thinking. You see, there
is an element of idolatry in every sin committed. I want you to think about that.
There's an element of idolatry in every sin committed. Now in verse 12, he said, wherefore
let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. And the context of that is falling
into idolatry because that's what he ends up with this statement.
I know we can take that in all kinds of different directions,
but idolatry is so big. in our fallen nature right now. That's why it says flee from
idolatry. Verse 13, there hath no temptation
taken you, but such is common to man. But God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able,
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that
you may be able to bear it. So escape this thing of idolatry. That's the context. Wherefore,
my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. And like I said, all
idolatry consists in a whole lot more than material idols. How did John end up the first
epistle of John? Does anybody know? Little children,
keep yourselves from idols. That's his last admonition in
this book. Little children. speaking to
people he loved, speaking to people who had been saved by
the grace of God, who knew the Lord Jesus Christ. Little children,
keep yourselves from idols. Now let's turn to Exodus chapter
20 for a moment. This is the second commandment. The first commandment found in
verse three, thou shalt have no other small g gods before
me. And there's a whole lot of things
that come under the umbrella of small g gods, but you shall
have none of those before me. Now look in verse four. Thou shalt not make unto thee
any graven image or any likeness of anything that's in heaven
above, or that's in the earth beneath, or that's in the water
under the earth. Thou shalt not bow thyself to
them, nor serve them." Now, think of what he's saying. Any likeness,
religiously, that anybody makes is an idol. You have a cross,
it's an idol. That's what it is. Do you have a picture of Christ?
It's an idol. I think it's interesting how
the pictures of Christ are always good looking Caucasian men with
long hair and it's not what they look like anyway. But anytime
you see something like that, it is an idol. When we have stained
glass with the saints and you can feel the presence, it's an
idol. All of those things, any likeness
of anything is an idol. Now look what the Lord says about
this. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any
likeness. Now that's any kind of religious
relic. I don't care what it is, whatever it is materially, it's
wrong. I don't care if it's a cross, I don't care if it's a statue,
I don't care. Whatever it is, it's nothing
more than an idol. Thou shalt not make unto thee
any graven image or any likeness of anything that's in heaven
above." What's God like? He said, who's like me? He's
other. He's not like anything. He's
not like anyone. You know, when Something that's
been a blessing me to learn that the word godly and godliness,
the word God, the Greek theos is not in that word. And when
somebody says he's a really godly man, no, he's not. He's not like
God. Only God is like God. Christ is equal to God for this
one reason. He is God. Verse five, thou shalt not bow
down myself to them, nor serve them, for I, the Lord thy God,
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that,
what? What? Hate me. Here's the motive behind a false
god, an image, A false concept of God. A small g God. A God
that's not exactly like the God of the Bible. Wherever there's
an idol, and let me say this before I go on. Do you know that
all preaching that preaches any God, but the God of the Bible,
the absolute sovereign God of the Bible, the one who is absolute
control, the one who is holy, holy, holy, other other, other,
the God of glory, the mighty creator, the controller, everything
that God is in the Bible. If somebody doesn't preach this
God, it's idolatry. It's the preaching of a false
God, a non-existent God, a God that cannot save. The only true
and living God is the God who's revealed exactly as He is in
this book, His Holy Word. Now, the idolatry that takes
place in the average pulpit, preaching a small G God that's
nothing more than an idol, and the idolatry that takes place
in the pew where this small G God is received, the reason behind
this The carnal mind is enmity against God. The carnal mind
hates God, and this is what our Lord is saying in this second
commandment. The making of any idol, I don't
care whether it's material or whether it's a false concept
of God that's not in the Bible, the reason behind it is hatred
of God as He is. come up to most people in this
community and say, do you hate God? I don't suggest you do that.
That's probably not the way to come up to somebody. Do you hate
God? Of course, but I know what the answer, of course I don't.
Well, let them hear what the gospel is. And then we'll find
out what they really believe concerning the God of glory.
Turn with me for a moment to Romans chapter one. Romans chapter one, verse 20. For the invisible things of him, the God of glory, from the creation
of the world are clearly seen. I love the way he says that.
The invisible things, they're clearly seen. How so? Being understood by the things
that are made. the physical creation, even his
eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
I love that verse. All men are rendered without
excuse. Creation says, somebody made
this, and he had to be all powerful, and nobody made him. He has to
be eternal. That's seen from creation. So
all men are without excuse. Somebody says, what if they've
never heard the gospel? They're still without excuse. They rejected
what life they did have concerning who God is. Now let's go on reading
verse 21. Because that when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful. They weren't
thankful for his attributes, but became vain in their imagination. and their foolish heart was darkened,
professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed
the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping
things, to take the God of glory and try to bring him down to
that level and say, this will help us worship God. Colossians chapter three. Verse five. Mortify therefore your
members which are upon the earth. Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence or desire and covetousness, which
is idolatry. Now you want to know what covetousness
is? It's idolatry. Now covetousness, let me read
the commandment. It's the 10th commandment. Thou
shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbor's wife. Thou shall not covet his manservant,
nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything
that is thy neighbor's. Don't covet anything. What do you do? Covet. This is the summary of the law
and covetousness. And there's an element of covetousness
in every sin, just like there's an element of idolatry in every
sin. And covetousness pretty much
tells us what idolatry is. Paul says covetousness is idolatry. Now, when Satan tempted Eve in
the garden, he was tempting her with something she didn't have
that she wanted. You'll be like God. What is that but covetousness? which is idolatry. Paul went so far as to say in
Romans 7, I had not known sin, except the law had said, thou
shalt not covet. I think of the rich young ruler
who believed himself to be a law keeper. He said, all these have
I kept from my youth. And he didn't know that even
while he said that, he was eaten up and controlled by covetousness. That's when the Lord said, go
sell all you have and give it to the poor and you'll have treasure
in heaven and come and follow me. And he went away very sad
because he had great possessions. This was a man in all of his
high opinion of himself was eaten up with and dominated by covetousness. Actually, idolatry in some form
is in every sin committed. We're putting something before
God, aren't we? Every sin I commit, I'm putting
some small g, God, whatever it might be, before God. If I say there's something I
must do before God can do something for me, what am I doing? I'm creating an idol and whatever
that thing is that I must do before God can act on my behalf.
Like the Lord said, all that ever came before me, they're
thieves and they're robbers. They're seeking to rob God of
his glory and seeking to rob you of salvation. all that ever
came before me, whatever it is, if it comes before God, it's
a thief, it's a robber, it's an idol, it's a small g god. There are material idols used
for religious worship, paintings of Christ, I've already mentioned
this, a cross, a crucifix, stained glass windows, images of the
saints, idols. Idols. Nothing more than that. Create religious feelings. I
remember when I went into Notre Dame in Paris and somebody said,
you can just feel God here. No, that's idolatry. That's all it is. The idols of the lust of the
flesh. Putting pleasure before God. The lust of the eyes. Caring
about what men think more than what God says in his word. The
lust for power, the pride of life. You know, when you even
think you have any power, you've got a false concept of God because
he's all power and you don't have any. Whenever you think
I've got some power, all of a sudden you've made a false God. You've
made a God like you. You've made a concept of God
that you're familiar with. Now, God hates idolatry. He hates it. He's jealous of
his own honor, and any act of idolatry is seeking to tear him
from his throne. And idolatry should be held in
contempt by us. I loved it when Don read Psalm
115. Turn with me there for a moment. I'm going to ask you to turn
to several scriptures from the Old Testament with regard to idolatry. Verse four, their idols are silver
and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak
not. Eyes have they, but they see not. They have ears, but
they hear not. Noses have they. But they smell
not. They have hands, but they handle
not. Feet have they, but they walk
not. Neither speak they through their throat. They that make
them are likened to them. So is everyone that trusteth
in them. Turn to 1 Kings chapter 18 for
a moment. Israel had been worshiping Baal. And Elijah comes and says in
verse 21, and Elijah came unto all people, first Kings 18. And
Elijah came unto all the people and said, how long halt ye between
two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him. But if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not
a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only remain
a prophet of the Lord, but the Baal's prophets are 450 men,
let them therefore give us two bullocks and let them choose
one bullock for themselves and cut it in pieces, lay it on wood
and put it no fire under it and I'll dress the other bullock
and lay it under wood and put no fire under it and call ye
on the name of your small g gods and I will call on the name of
the Lord and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and
said, it's well-spoken. And Elijah said unto the prophets
of Baal, choose you one bullock for yourselves and dress it first,
for you are many, and call on the name of your gods, but put
no fire under it. And they took the bullock which was given them
and they dressed it and called on the name of Baal from morning
until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor
any that answered. You know why? Because it's nonexistent. That's the only reason. And they
leaped upon the altar, which was made in pagan ritual. And
it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them. Is that cruel to mock somebody's
religion? Elijah thought not. Elijah mocked
them he spoke with contempt Toward their God now he was inspired
by God the Holy Spirit I don't want to be somebody just trying
to make people mad and saying bad things about their religion
But I want to understand this Elijah filled with the Spirit
of God mocked them Look what he said cry aloud for he's a
God either he's talking or he's pursuing, that means maybe he's
gone to the bathroom. Or perventure, he sleeps and
must be waked. And they cried aloud and cut
themselves after the manor with the knives. No answer. And you know the rest of the
story. But look at the contempt he had for these false gods. Turn with me to Daniel chapter
three for a moment. Daniel is right after the book of Ezekiel,
Daniel chapter three. Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel,
and Daniel. Now this story begins Nebuchadnezzar
chapter three, Daniel chapter three, verse one. Nebuchadnezzar,
the king, made an image of gold whose height was three score
cubits, 90 feet, 90 feet. From the floor to the ceiling
is 14 feet. seven times higher than that. That's how high this gold image
was that he made. I'm sure it was very impressive. And the breadth of it was six
cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. And then is when he said, everybody's
got to worship my God. When you hear the music, bow
down. worship. Now, there were three Hebrew
children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They wouldn't do
it. And some people told on them. They're not doing it. They were
jealous of them because they were so successful as rulers
in the kingdom, but they would not bow to his God. Now, pick
up in verse 13 when Nebuchadnezzar hears that they won't bow. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage
and fury, commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake
and said unto him, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?
Do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which
I have set up? Doesn't he hear what he's saying?
He said, These gods are my god. I'm the one who set them up.
Now, if you'd be ready, that at what time you hear the sound
of the cornet, flute, harp, shakbat, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds
of music, you fall down and worship the image which I have made?
Well, but if you worship not, you should be cast the same hour
into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that God
that should deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar,
We're not careful to answer thee in this matter. We're not struggling
as to what we should do. We're not anxious. We know exactly
how to answer you with regard to this matter. If it be so,
our God whom we serve is able to deliver us up from the burning
fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king,
in whatever way. If he lets us be thrown into the fiery furnace,
he's still delivering us from your hand. Nebuchadnezzar, you're
in his hand. He's not in yours. He's in absolute
control. But, verse 18, be it known unto
you, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up." And you know the rest
of the story. They're thrown into the fiery
furnace. Well, let's go ahead and read it. It's so thrilling. Verse 19, then was Nebuchadnezzar
full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against
Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego. Therefore he spake and commanded
that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it
was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty
men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men
were bound in their coats, their hoes, and their hats. Their other
garments were cast in the midst of the burning, fiery furnace.
Therefore, because the king's commandment was urgent, the furnace
exceeding hot, the flame of fire slew those men that took up Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning,
fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king,
was astonished. and rose up in haste and spake
and said unto his counselors, did not we cast three men bound
into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the
king, true, O king. He answered and said, lo, I see four men,
loose, walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt.
And the form of the fourth is like unto the son of God. Then
Nebuchadnezzar came near into the mouth of the burning fiery
furnace and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants
of the Most High God, come forth and come hither. Then Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego came forth out of the midst of the fire,
that same fire that killed the people who threw them in. And
the princes and governors and captains and king's counselors
being gathered together saw these men upon whose bodies the fire
had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither
was their coats changed. The smell of fire had not even
passed on. They didn't even smell like smoke.
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego who has sent his angel and delivered his servants
that trusted in him and have changed the king's word and yielded
their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any God
except for their own God. Therefore, I make a decree that
every people, nation, and language which speak anything amiss against
the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in
pieces. And their houses should be made
a dunghill because there is no God that can deliver after this
sort. Turn with me to Isaiah 44. Got
a couple more scriptures I want you to look at. Verse 9. They that make a graven image
are all in vanity, and their delectable things shall not profit.
And they are their own witnesses. They see not, nor know that they
may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god or a molten,
a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all of his
fellows shall be ashamed, and the workmen that are of men,
let them all be gathered together, let them stand up, Yet they shall
fear and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the
tongs both worketh in the coals. and fashioneth it with hammers
and worketh it with the strength of his arms. Yea, he's hungry.
His strength fails. He drinks no water. He's faint.
The carpenter stretches out his rule. He marks it out with a
line. He fits it with planes. He marks it out with a compass
and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty
of a man, that it may remain in the house. He eweth him down
cedars and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengthened
for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants an ash,
the rain doth nourish it, then shall it be for a man to burn.
He'll make thereof and warm himself with it, yea, he kindleth and
baketh bread, and then he maketh a god and worshipeth it. He maketh
a graven image and falleth down thereto out of the same piece
of wood. He burneth part thereof in the fire, with part thereof
he eats flesh, he roasts roasts, he's satisfied, yea, he warms
himself and says, aha, I'm warm, I've seen the fire, and the residue
thereof he makes a god. even his graven image. He falls
down into it and worships it and prays into it and says, deliver
me for thou art my God. Turn to Isaiah 45, just a page
over. Verse 20. Assemble yourselves and come,
draw near, Together, ye that are escaped of the nations, they have how much knowledge? No knowledge. None at all. They have no knowledge
that set up the wood of their graven images and pray unto a
God that cannot save. Now don't miss this. If your
God is a God who cannot save you unless you first do something, you're praying to a God that
cannot save. A God that cannot save is a non-existent
God. He's the figment of man's depraved
imagination. They have no knowledge. They
pray unto a God that cannot save. Now, how many people in our day
are praying to a God that He can't save you unless you fill
in the blank, whatever it is you're supposed to do, you need
to do this, that God cannot save you. because he is a non-existent
God. He is an idol. Any concept of
a God that cannot save unless I first do something or stop
doing something is a God that is an idol. Now let's go on reading.
Tell ye and bring them near Yea, let them take counsel together.
Who hath declared this from ancient time? And who hath told it from
that time? Have not I the Lord? And there's
none else. There's no God else beside me.
A just God and a Savior. Now here is who God is. First,
He's absolutely just. And anything I hear that is contrary
to the absolute justice of God is the preaching of a false God. If there's a God that, let's
say, here's the thing that comes to my mind right off the bat.
Somebody says, Jesus Christ, died for your sins, that your
sins might be forgiven, but even though he died for your sins,
you'll go to hell if you don't do your part. That is a denial
of the justice of God. That's a denial of the gospel
of Jesus Christ. He's a just God and a savior. Aren't you thankful for that?
Not only is he a just God, He is a Savior, the Savior. Who hath declared this from ancient
time? Who hath told it from that time?
Have not I the Lord? There's no God else beside me,
a just God and a Savior. There's none beside me. Look
unto me. Don't look at idols. Don't look
at the idols of your works. Don't look at the idols of the
things you need to do. Don't look at the idols that
you, the small G gods. Look unto me. Is Jesus Christ God? Yes. Is he able to save you? You look unto him and who he
is. What about the fact that he became flesh? Why did he become
flesh? To be the Savior. That's his
whole reason for coming in the flesh, to be a Savior, a just
God, and put away sin, and the Savior. Look to him in his law
keeping. He never sinned, and that perfect
righteousness he worked out is your personal righteousness before
God. Look to him in his law keeping.
Look to Him in His death. Somebody says, I want to redeem
myself. You can't redeem yourself. Can't I make up for what I've
done? No! Look to Him in His death as your full sin payment. You need nothing else. Look to Him in His resurrection
as your justification before God. You have perfect righteousness
before God. He was delivered from our offenses.
raised again for our justification. I love to think of Him as sending
back to glory. Look to Him right now as representing
you. He, now once in the end of the
world, have He appeared to put away sin? He appears for us right
now. Look to Him. Look to me. Don't look anywhere else. I love
just that one word. Look to me. Nowhere else. Look to me. And what? Be ye saved. That's salvation. Look to me
and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth for
I am God and there's none else. I swore by myself, the word has
gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return that unto
me, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. This is what
Paul quotes in Philippians two, when he says to him, every knee
is going to bow and every tongue is going to confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the father. Now, surely
verse 24. shall one say." Now here is the
personal confession of every believer. It's so simple. If
you're a believer, if the Lord saved you, this is what comes
from your heart. This is what you believe. This
is your personal testimony. If I ever had a personal testimony,
this is it. And here it is. Surely shall
one say in the Lord, Have I righteousness and strength? He is my righteousness. The reason
I believe, the reason I have life, the reason I look to him
is because he causes it. He is my righteousness. He's
my strength, the power to do that comes from him. Now this
is every believer's personal testimony. Is it yours? Is this
your testimony? Surely, there's no doubt about
this. Surely shall one say in the Lord. My salvation is in the Lord.
All I want to do is be found in Him. In the Lord have I righteousness
and strength. Even to Him shall all men come.
Notice men is in italics. I know who's going to come. All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me. him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out and all that are incensed against
him they're going to be ashamed in the lord shall all the seed
of israel be justified in the lord and you want the evidence
that you've been justified you glory only in him paul said god
forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, when we partake of the Lord's
table, if we discern the Lord's body and understand what we're
doing, we're glorying in the cross of Christ. And may God
enable us to do that as we partake of the Lord's table. Now, let's
pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name that you would deliver us
from idolatry in every form. Deliver us, Lord, we'll be overtaken
with it apart from your grace. We ask that you would enable
us to say, to never pray to a God that cannot save, but to look
to thy son and be saved. Bless us for Christ's sake, in
his name we pray.