Sure Of God's Word

As for me, I am in your hands—do with me as you think best. But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the LORD sent me to speak every word you have heard.” [Jeremiah 26.14-15] 

Jeremiah was absolutely sure of the truth of God and His Word. So sure was Jeremiah that, even though death was on the line, he maintained his stance regarding the Word of the Lord.

And, what was Jeremiah so sure was true? It can be summed up in the following passage from a little earlier:

“People from many nations will pass by the ruins of this city and say to one another, ‘Why did the LORD destroy such a great city?’ And the answer will be, ‘Because they violated their covenant with the LORD their God by worshiping other gods.’” [Jeremiah 22.8-9]

Frankly, it is a burden to feel led to write to so much about the topic of idolatry and its undetected yet prevalent presence in the Church today. Most of the people I discuss it with are in complete disgusted disagreement. Only a few will slightly agree but strongly suggest that "temperance" is needed. Across the board however, people seem generally apathetic to the undeniable address of idolatry in the Bible and how it obviously, directly, and negatively affects the Church today - holding it in powerless irrelevance. 

God's Word has been screaming at us from the time it was written about the real dangers of idolatry then and now. All the while, idolatry has stealthily and steadily displaced God in nearly every aspect of organized "religion." The Church has so progressively turned away from God and turned to idols today that the very suggestion of that idea is inconceivable not only to laity, but to leaders alike. No one seems a bit concerned that the Church utilizes the exact same life-improving solutions as does the world. Likewise, no one seems to have the slightest reservation about claiming that these man-made solutions are "gifts from God" even though they are shared in common with the world. The world praises man for these achievements while the Church praises God for them. It cannot be both ways! It is ludicrous to claim that God has anything to do with these man-made "solutions" in light of the glaringly obvious fact that these solutions are extremely lucrative enterprises that claim to "help man" but instead thrive on man's "repeat business" to secure their "bottom line" for shareholders. That is a conflict of interest! Just follow the money!

Let's be honest with ourselves, if indeed the all-powerful, all-knowing, omniscient God of the Bible was truly involved in these enterprises, wouldn't they by now have solved the world's problems requiring debt, insurance, medicine and technology? If we were to rate God by the overall good that debt, insurance, medicine and technology have afforded man, we would have to give God a pretty low score! Man is more in want than ever, more fearful than ever, and more diseased than ever, all the while being more skillful than ever but remains overwhelmingly "taxed" by the unendingly rising costs of these conditions!

What are true believers in God to do, get rid of debt, insurance, medicine and technology altogether? Even with all that is discussed here about idols, that suggestion just seems preposterous!

Aaaaand, it is at this point that the Church dismisses the conversation at hand and declares, "Oh, but praise God for Jesus..." as if Jesus makes it okay for the Church to pursue every life-improving solution (idol) the world has to offer!

Are we talking about the same Jesus Who said this? 

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? [Matthew 6.24-25]

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

Or this?

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. [Matthew 10:39 (also Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, Luke 17:33 and John 12:25]

Or this? 

“If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” [Matthew 16.21]

Or this?

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24, Mark 8.34, Luke 9.23] 

Are we talking about the same Jesus Who is "God With Us" (Immanuel); God, Who said this? 

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7, Commandments 1-3]

For those who just "still can't see it" the Word of God offers the following:

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]

I should think we would want to see and hear if idolatry is a problem for God's people! Right?

But those who trust in idols, who say, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned away in shame. “Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind! Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD? You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.” [Isaiah 42.17-20]

The overwhelming evidence of idolatry among God's people in Old Testament times should alert us to the reality of idolatry among God's people in modern times. Jesus' timeless words only confirm this: If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. The singularity demanded by Jesus' words here is one and the same as the First Commandment: “You must not have any other god but me.

If God's people simply and singularly cling to Jesus releasing every grip they have on "self," there would be no need in their lives for the idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. The temporal "life" promised by debt, insurance, medicine and technology is not the same as the eternal "life" Jesus gives in addition to the temporal life that accompanies it.

God wants to give us a life that is distinct from the world - not the same as. But, as long as we categorically reject the notion that idolatry is alive and well in the Church holding on to the very idols we deny, His power will be withheld.

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15] 

I am as sure of God's Word on the topic of idolatry as was Jeremiah ...will it kill me?

Father, there is idol-eradication to be done! May Your people return to the truth of Your Word and find Your strength with every "turn to You" which means a "turn away" from today's highly-developed man-made idols. May we define "quality of life" as Jesus defined it - not as the world defines it. May a clear distinction be seen between us and the world, as we stop misusing Your name by turning to the same solutions the world turns to but claiming they are gifts from You. May we, like Jeremiah, be sure of Your Word! So be it.