Will We Go Away Sad And Unchanged?

“‘For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods—idols never before acknowledged by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children. They have built pagan shrines to Baal, and there they burn their sons as sacrifices to Baal. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing! [Jeremiah 19.4-5] 

Once again, unchecked idol worship is responsible for killing innocent children. The spiritually astute student of the Bible can therefore, with confidence, trace the death of innocent children back to idolatry.

Abortion was responsible for the deaths of at  least 73 million innocent children worldwide in 2024 alone. This evidence should alert those who know and understand the Bible that idolatry is present at never-before-seen levels. It should but sadly, doesn't.

Abortion (killing innocent children) is a symptom of idolatry. The statistics of abortion are easily enough identified, but today's idols are so well concealed that few identify them. Consequently, the number of innocent children that are "sacrificed" via abortion soars.

Until God's people recognize what an idol is, repent of it and run away from it, the number of abortions is likely to grow based on what the Bible teaches.

Remember, idolatry is the condition of turning to (trusting in) anything for a solution or remedy that God said He would provide. The very act of "turning to" something (or someone) else is one and the same as the act of "turning away" from God. God is Jealous and will not tolerate idolatry (Exodus 20.4-6)!

We must understand that modern man is much more advanced in his knowledge and therefore idols (made by man) are much more advanced in their existence. Most people erroneously think of idols as primitive-looking trinkets, dolls or images made of metal, wood or stone that were usually valuable and therefore costly materials in their day. Instead though, idols today are very complicated and intricate man-made products in pace with, and contemporary to, man's advanced knowledge. In fact, idols today may not even be tangible items as much as they are intangible ideas, programs or even industries. Oh yeah, and they are valuable and costly. Does anything come to mind?

As much as Christ-followers today abhor the murder of innocent children, should they not make every effort then to recognize, repent of, and run away from the condition of idolatry that manifests in the symptom of abortion? Yes, they should! But...

Because idols today are in pace with man's knowledge, wealth and skill, they have become intricately interwoven into the fabric of man's society much the same as Acts 19.23-27 depicts idolatry in Ephesus contemporary to that time. We can only expect the idols of our time to be even more intricately interwoven into society than they were some 2000 years ago! Again, does anything at all come to mind?

The sad truth is, when most "Christians" today compare the symptom of 73 million innocent babies murdered in 2024 alone against the obvious condition of idolatry behind it, they do nothing. Why? Because their idols have become such a part of their lives (yes, "good Christian" lives) that they, like the rich young man Jesus encountered (Matthew 19.16-22), simply go away sad and unchanged.

When God speaks to our hearts about our idols, will we go away sad and unchanged? Or, will we follow Jesus' timeless call: "Get rid of your idols and come follow me."

Father, may every soul who reads this article join me in recognizing (identifying) our idols, repenting of them, and running away from them and to You. Open our eyes to see that following Jesus is what that looks like. So be it.