American Idol

You know what idolatry is, right? It's anything we substitute for God. It's anything that we put in God's place. The most obvious is a wooden image or a statue or something, but that's not us. We're too sophisticated for that nonsense. No, we've moved on. So the 21st century idols include Science, money, power, fame, sex, "stuff", and on and on. No silly brass bust for us, eh? Humans are born idolaters, beginning with self.

The sad thing is that Christians are not immune even if we're sometimes oblivious.

There is politics. "Wait ... what? How would politics be an idol?" Well, if we understand that all authority is established by God (Rom 13:1-4) and that it is in Him that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), then it would be contrary to God (read "idolatry") to then lean on politics as our means to obtain a better world. And, yet, lots of Christians view politics in just that way. If we can get the right guy in office, the right party, the right judge, the right people, then we can "make America great again", and not in that silly Donald Trump way. Except that this is not our aim in life, and politics are not the answer. So when we look to politics to be the answer, we're making an idol in place of God.

There is morality. Many Christians believe that if we can just make this world a more moral place, it will be a good world. Now, God's Word says that there is none who does good (Rom 3:12). God's Word says the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth (Gen 8:21). Morality is not the answer, and, yet, many believers think it is.

There is economics. Money is the problem; more of it will solve the problem. If we could get more from the government or more from the rich, the world would be a better place and the problems -- problems of poverty, hunger, education, crime, etc. -- would go away. There are Christians who think this way. There are Christians that think that we can solve church money problems by proper investment techniques. There are Christians that give a nod to "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" and still think that money is the answer. Even though the truth is that the answers are found in Jesus, not in money.

There is apologetics. "Oh, now, hang on a minute! How can the defense of God be classified as an idol?" Consider. How many well-meaning, enthusiastic Christians these days are eagerly pursuing apologetics as a means to win souls? The idea appears to be that if we can present the right argument, the right facts, the right evidence, then we can make converts. They're not yet believers simply because we've not yet given the argument they need to hear. But is that what Scripture says? Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." (John 6:65) Paul wrote, "Natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." (1 Cor 2:14) Conversely, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7-11). Paul said that faith comes by hearing the Word (Rom 10:17).

Now, don't go away thinking that I'm saying all those things are bad. They're not. We should be involved in politics -- voting, etc. (1 Tim 2:1-2). We should be moral (Matt 5:16). We should care for the poor Luke 14:12-14). We must defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15; Jude 1:3). These are good things. We should be involved. My only concern is when we make them the endpoint, the answer, thethings in which we place our confidence, that is idolatry. "Little children, flee idolatry." (1 John 5:21).