KEEP AWAY FROM IDOLS: What’s An IDOL/IDOLATRY – It’s ANYTHING!
“Therefore, my beloved, RUN [keep far, far away] from [any sort of] IDOLATRY [and that includes loving anything more than God, or participating in anything that leads to sin and enslaves the soul]. 15 I am speaking as to wise and sensible people; judge [carefully and thoughtfully consider] for yourselves what I say” 1 Corinthians 10:14-15 Amplified.
“Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from IDOLS—[false teachings, moral compromises, and ANYTHING that would take God’s place in your heart]” 1 John 5:21 (Amplified).
Idol and Idolatry are nouns. Meaning they are personified – which indicates they have characteristics and behavioural acts and effects. And are not just demonic but spirits at work passively in some people and places, thereby creating the essence of addictions, suffering, poverty, setbacks and such like, that leads to further bondages. Their likeness and difference can be connotes as this:
** An IDOL is a graven image or representation of ANYTHING that is REVERED, or BELIEVED to convey spiritual power, essence and being.
** An IDOLATRY is the worship of IDOLS. It connotes the WORSHIP and SERVING (rendering services) of SOMETHING or SOMEONE other than God as if it were God.
SELAH – PAUSE AND THINK!
SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT:
“IT WAS FOR THIS FREEDOM THAT CHRIST SET US FREE [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed]” Galatians 5:1 (Amplified).
“Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from IDOLS—[false teachings, moral compromises, and ANYTHING that would take God’s place in your heart]” 1 John 5:21 (Amplified).
“Consider the people of Israel; are those who eat the sacrifices not partners of the altar [united in their worship of the same God]? [Indeed they are.] 19 What do I mean then? That a thing offered to idols is anything [special or changed simply because it is offered], or that AN IDOL IS ANYTHING? 20 On the contrary, the things which the Gentiles (pagans) sacrifice, they sacrifice to DEMONS [in effect], and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons [by eating at feasts in pagan temples]. 21 You CANNOT drink [both] the Lord’s cup and the cup of DEMONS. You cannot share in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons [thereby becoming partners with them]. 22 Do we [really] provoke the Lord to jealousy [when we eat food sacrificed to handmade “gods” at pagan feasts]? Are we [spiritually] stronger than He? [Certainly not! He knows that the idols are nothing. But we deeply [a]offend Him.]” 1 Corinthians 10:18-22 (Amplified).
REV. CHUKIE MORSI
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