Galatians 5:19-20 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry,.........
Yesterday, we took a hard look at the first four sins listed by the Apostle Paul, which are sexual in nature. God is orderly, and when He lists something, it is in order of importance. He lists sexual sin first because these horrific sins are incredibly destructive to individuals, families, the Church, and the Kingdom of God.
In the Morning Message yesterday, we printed the definitions of these sins because the Words used by God are not commonly used today, and many believers read right over them and remain ignorant of their meaning.
Today, we will move on to the next sin listed, which is idolatry. The definition of idolatry, according to Webster, is: The worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing. An idol is anything that replaces the One, True God.
While many people determine idolatry to mean the worship of statues and images, it goes far beyond that. Idolatry is the worship of anything other than God, including people, activities, money, or work. Even ministry can be an idol when the motivation in the heart of the believer becomes skewed, and the ministry is more about them than it is about God and His Kingdom.
God lists idolatry immediately following the list of sexual sins because of its importance. Anything, including sex, can easily become an idol in the lives of people. Idolatry must be taken extremely seriously by the believer. It is the subject of the First Commandment given to Moses. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3) Jesus reiterated this when He said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the First and Great Commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38)
ANYTHING that takes our minds off the Lord our God is an idol in our lives. Satan loves to dangle that sinful “carrot” before our nose in an attempt to lure us away from the Cross of Christ and outside the fence of the Pasture of Plenty into the cold, dark world of sin and destruction. Don’t be fooled, my friends! Don’t take the bait!
Please take time to consider what takes precedence over God in your life because whatever it is, it is an idol. I know this is a convicting message, but God is serious about us obeying His Commandments. Jesus said, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. We must keep God first in our lives if we are to live and operate in obedience to Him and His Word.
Identify the idols in your life. Repent! Seek the Lord's Forgiveness and turn from those idols. Seek God first above all else. He will give you the strength to be an overcomer. Remember, you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength!
God is ready and able to……… turn the tide ........in your life!
Finding more strength every day. Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
