We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. [2 Corinthians 10.3-5]
This is spiritual warfare - I get it. But what is this really about?
Perhaps our best answer is found earlier in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading:
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” [2 Corinthians 6.14-18]
People have quoted this passage as long as I can remember, but no one has put a finger on exactly what is being talked about. And yet, there it is right in the middle of the discussion: And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols?
What do idols do? They systematically, by re-interpreting their meaning to lesser restriction, break the first three of God's Ten Commandments.
“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]
Idols prevent people from knowing God by muddying the waters between God's promises and man-made solutions! And, what did Paul say about things that prevent people from knowing God?
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. [2 Corinthians 10.5]
Paul is saying, "We get rid of idols - we turn only to God!" And then Paul goes on to say that God's response is that of a Father: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
We should never be so foolish to believe God will live and walk among us (the work of the Holy Spirit in power) until we separate ourselves from idols!
Destroying every proud obstacle is spiritual warfare against idols.
Most Christians today are not involved in spiritual warfare but in religion. If they were involved in spiritual warfare they would get as far away from idols as possible. Religion however, blends in with the world, humanly reasoning that God gave man the wisdom and ability to create idols like debt, insurance, medicine and technology that all allegedly remediate 'bad things' on behalf of God. However, unlike God the Father, the idols of man's making offer their help at an enslaving price (and, they don't require holiness, but instead flaunt filthy things). The 'bottom line" in these industries is not the purported 'improvement of the human condition,' but the value of their shares for their stockholders. We should ask ourselves, "What Good Father does that to his sons and daughters?"
As 2 Corinthians 10.3-5 above goes, does what is said here not ring entirely true in the last phrase: [we] teach them to obey Christ? Here is what Christ Jesus said:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “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 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]
Can we not see, as humans, that giving up our own way is one and the same as using God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments?
And, is not the response, "But I might suffer or even die if I turn away from idols!" not exactly what Jesus prescribed when He said take up your cross, the very instrument of suffering and death?
Religion will never take us to that extreme! But Biblical spiritual warfare will indeed, because spiritual warfare understands that following Jesus is the one and only goal. Being a "fanatic" against idols is NOT the goal - the goal is following Jesus. The thing is, one cannot follow Jesus without giving up his or her own ways - the human reasoning false argument ways of idolatry.
Father, Your Word continues to ring crystal clear on the subject of idolatry. I realize that religion has joined forces with idols to keep Your people enslaved by their needs instead of enjoying Your Fatherhood of us as sons and daughters. There is no easy "cross" - and therein is our spiritual warfare to reject the human reasoning and false arguments of idols - but there is glorious provision and resurrection life in Christ. May we be found boldly committed to Jesus alone, whether we live or die, in constant pursuit of His resurrection life. So be it.
No comments:
Post a Comment