Category: Idolatry

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

Some links to check out for the week:

First, a few more links addressing our problem of individualism.  As Justin Taylor reminds us, it can affect the way we read the Bible.  As John Stott notes, individualism also infects our understanding of salvation and the church.  Against this individualism, Trevin Wax notes one of many reasons that we need the church.

Second, Darrin Patrick addreses the idolatry issue by reminding us that we are all worshippers.   Thabiti Anyabwile gives us great quote from Thomas Watson on the true believer’s desire for Christ.

Third, Tullian Tchividjian reminds us that God calls many to secular jobs which they are to do to the glory of God.  An excerpt:  Martin Luther was once approached by a working man who wanted to know how he could serve the Lord. Luther asked him, “What is your work now?” The man replied, “I’m a shoemaker.”  Much to the cobbler’s surprise, Luther replied, “Then make a good shoe and sell it at a fair price.”  He didn’t tell the man to make “Christian shoes.”   I love that last sentence.  I can see it now:  Shoes with a Christian fish on them – that would make them Christian, right?  Spare us!  Read the rest of the link to think further about secular callings.

Fourth, how do we decide what to do in those so called grey areas?  Justin Taylor gives us eight helpful questions to ask to help us answer the grey area question.

Fifth, J. D. Greear gives a thought-provoking post on how generosity and the gospel necessarily relate.

Finally, consider Trevin Wax’s helpful prayer for humility.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points3 Comments

It has been a few weeks since I have featured this, and good posts have piled up a bit.  I feel like I’m editing a magazine as I choose posts I would encourage you to check out.  I think perhaps we will do this in a couple installments.  This post will focus on God and idolatry.

We begin with a post from a month ago when Anne Rice announced she was leaving the church.  Mike Wittmer suggests the underlying sin behind her decision – and none of us are immune to it.  Indeed Mike suggests it is our modern sin.  It makes an idol of ourselves and directly opposes three passion living.

Another popular god is fashion which many seemed enslaved too (do you regularly have to have new clothes, a new car, a new ipod, etc. to stay in fashion?), and all of us are influened by it to some degree.  Tullian Tchividjian gives us a great quote from Spurgeon for all of us to consider on fashion.

One big problem we have is that we can make even our views of God into idolatry (as the Second Commandment warns us against).  Ray Ortlund gives us a classic quote from A.W. Tozer reminding us how important our view of God is.  How closely does our view of God match what he has revealed to us?

When our views of God get small, idols become more tempting.  Justin Taylor gives us a great quote from John Piper reminding us that God is better than all the idols in this world.  And Thabiti Anyabwile gives us a quote from Thomas Watson calling us to see the empiness of our idols that we might turn to the fullness of Christ.

One final quote and one of my favorites on the folly of idolatry from Jeremiah:
Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak;
they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. 
Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.
As idols call our name, may this verse come to mind.

Marvel

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, God & His Glory, Idolatry

After Jesus came down from his Transfiguration, he cast out an unclean spirit (Luke 9:37-43).  “And all were astonished at the majesty of God…they were all marveling at everything he was doing….”  In his actions they saw the majesty, the greatness, the glory of God, and they marveled, they were astonished, they wondered, they were amazed.  We too should marvel at the glory of God.  So why don’t we marvel more?  Let me suggest two reasons.

First, we are distracted by idols.  Our world is full of stuff marketed in shining wrappings that make it look glorious.  The glory often fades as soon as you buy it, and it eventually ends up in the trash heap, and yet it still allures us, attracts us, distracts us.  We fill our homes and lives with this stuff that distracts us from the true glory of God.

And it is not just stuff.  Power, sex, fame, popularity, and on the list goes.  All these things present themselves as glorious.  And indeed there is nothing wrong with them in their proper contexts.  But we are attracted by the empty promises that these things will satisfy, will fulfill, and they distract us from the one who truly does.  They are idols distracting us from the true glory of God.

Second, we don’t marvel more because we fail to see the glory of God.  His glory is all around us, but we miss it in the hurry of life.  We need to slow down and open our eyes.

We need to open our eyes to his glory revealed in the Bible.  We get so used to the stories, we miss the glory of the one who is acting in incredible ways.  See his glory in the miracles of Jesus, in the proclamations of Isaiah, the glimpse of heaven in Revelation, the praises in Psalms, and on and on it could go. 

We need to open our eyes to his glory revealed in creation.  I love to camp on the shores of Lake Superior each summer.  As I see the powerful waves of the big lake, as I see the incredible sunsets over the lake, I am struck with the glory of God.  But is his glory not revealed where I live the rest of the year?  Of course it is, but I miss it.  I miss it because I am in too much of a hurry.  I miss it because we have manufactured our own indoor world that keeps me away from his creation.  I miss it because I spend too much time on man’s ultimate creation to date – what we are on right now as I write this and you read it.  I need to go outside and see the sunset outside my home.  I need to open my eyes to the wonder of the towering trees in my backyard, the incredible variety of flowers, and the way the garden grows.  I need to see the glory of God’s image in my family, and my co-workers, and my church.  I need to open my eyes and see his glory all around me in his creation.

We need to open our eyes to his glory revealed in his providential working in our lives.  The ways he answers prayer.  The ways he guides our lives, protects us, cares for us, strengthens us, provides for us.

We need to open our eyes to his glory revealed in our salvation.  That he would come to earth as a man.  That he would suffer and die in my place.  That he powerfully rose from the dead.  That the Spirit of God would choose to come into my life and transform me.  That my sins are washed away.  That I have a new life in Christ.  That I am righteous in his sight.  That I am his child.  That I have an inheritance.  That I will spend eternity with God.  We just need to open our eyes to see his glory.

Father, you reveal your glory all around us.  Help us to topple the idols that distract us.  Help us to open our eyes to see your glory.  Help us to be a people that marvel at your glory.  Amen.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

Maybe I should have called this Web Bi-weekly, but I’d lose the alliteration.  Anyway, here are some highlights from the last 2-3 weeks related to living the three passions life.

First, Ray Ortlund gives another good picture of a passion for God versus idolatry.

Second, Justin Taylor notes the important distinction between loving people in abstract and really having compassion for people (and it even includes a Peanuts cartoon!)

Finally, here are a number of recommended posts about important habits of three passions living – daily prayer, worship, church, simplicity, and even an interesting discussion of modesty.

Cross Centered or Idol Centered?

On By BrianIn Idolatry

C.J. Mahaney in his book, The Cross Centered Life, provides two quotes that tie his topic to the issue of idolatry:

I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight.  Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry. – D. A. Carson

Legalism has its origin in self-worship. [i.e. idolatry]  If people are justified through their obedience to the law, then they merit praise, honor, and glory.  Legalism, in other words, means the glory goes to people rather than God. – Thomas Schreiner

(For more thoughts on idolatry, see the new Three Passions Idolatry page.)

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

It has been a few weeks since I have surveyed some of the best from the web, so here is a compilation of the last few weeks.

Tullian Tchividjian quotes from Sinclair Ferguson with a necessary reminder that our focus must not be on ourselves, not even on our spiritual growth, but rather our focus must be upon Christ – and then we will grow.

If we focus on our our own growth instead of Christ we will either get big heads thinking (falsely) that we have arrived, or we will mope about as we realize how far we have to go.  It is this moping constant guilty feeling that Kevin DeYoung addresses, as he reminds us of our need to cling to the gospel.

There are a number of good articles to read about various spiritual disciplines that help us grow (habits of love), including confession (DeYoung), Scripture memory (John Piper), and church membership (DeYoung again quoting from Jonathan Leeman).

Finally, Crossway gives us a portion of  Tullian Tchividjian’s new book Surprised By Grace.  This portion deals with one of the recurring themes here on this blog – the important issue of idolatry that steals our passion for God.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

Here are a few posts I recommend checking out from this week:

Trevin Wax addresses the issue of idolatry in relationship to blogging.  Idolatry is something we slip into so easily.  If you blog (or even if you Facebook) check out this link.  May God help us to find our contentment in him.

This blog often focuses on Christ’s passion for us and our passion for God, but we can’t forget the compassion for people part.  Kevin DeYoung gives us a great example from James Davison Hunter of how to love people consistently in the small things.  He also notes seven habits of highly evangelistic Christians from Thom Rainer.  If we really love people, we have to point them to Jesus.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

Here are some recommended links from the past week related to Three Passions living:

Tullian Tchividjian uses a quote from Elizabeth Elliot to help us ask the much needed question – why do we serve? He also provides a wonderful quote from Cornelius Plantinga that reminds us of who truly satisfies.  Timothy Keller likewise calls us to find our contentment in God alone, and not in what he does for us.  It strikes me that all three of these links ultimately deals with the issue of idolatry.

Finally Joshua Harris gives us a poem from Kevin Hartnett that helps us reflect upon the cross.

The god of Success

On By BrianIn Idolatry2 Comments

I have been reading Timothy Keller’s book Counterfeit Gods in which he addresses idols in our lives.  Two nights ago I came to his chapter called “The Seduction of Success.”  What a challenging chapter.  Am I basing my significance on success, what I achieve or fail to achieve?  On one level I know that my significance comes from being an image-bearer of God.  It comes through what Jesus did for me.  My significance is based on who God made me to be through creation and in Christ, not on what I do.  And yet….  There is the constant temptation to base our worth on what we accomplish, what we achieve.  To love achievement, to trust achievement, to obey achievement as a god.  To do, do, do.  So I started asking questions:

Am I teaching a seminar at an upcoming conference (ironically on idols – hence the reason I am reading the book) out of a desire to serve God, or to add another level of achievement?

Do I blog to minister to people out of love for God or to be known, to achieve?  How does my intereaction with my statistics relate to this question?

Do I minister as a pastor and start up new ministries to minister to people out of a love for God, or to achieve one more success, to pastor a “successful” church?

There is nothing wrong with achievement.  As Keller notes, our idols are good things that we have turned into gods.  The issue is not achievement, but motive and goal.  Is my life about God or about what I do, what I accomplish – my achievements, my success?

What about you?

Media Madness

On By BrianIn Habit of Stewardship, Idolatry

We are surrounded by media – TV, movies, radio, music, internet, books, magazines, newspapers, mail, the list goes on.  We are bombarded with media.  Its presence and influence is pervasive; it is everywhere.

Jesus died on a cross and rose again that our sins might be forgiven, that we might be reconciled to God, that we might have a new life in Christ, and the hope of heaven and the resurrection.

How does Christ’s salvation relate to the media?  How should what Christ has done for us affect the way we interact with the media that is all around us?  The book of Ephesians gives us the answer.

The first half of the book speaks of Christ’s salvation.  God chose us to be holy and blameless before him (1:4).  Through Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we have a great inheritance (1:7, 11).  We were dead in our sins following the evil tendencies of a world opposed to God, but God has made us alive in Christ to do good works.  All of these blessings come by God’s mercy, grace, and love as we receive this salvation from sins by faith (2:1-10).  And this salvation is available to all of us (2:11-3:13).

This great salvation then ought to affect the way we live (4:1).  It should affect how we interact in the church (chapter 4), in our culture (5:1-20), in our families (5:22-6:4), and in the workplaces (6:5-9).  As media is such a pervasive part of our culture, the words in Ephesians 5:1-20 can easily be applied to how we interact with the media.  So we find four principles:

1. Guard your heart.  Verse 2 tells us to love as Christ loved us and gave himself as a sacrifice to God.  Christ loved God and us, and we should love that way too.  But it is possible for us to come to love the media – to put it before God and the people around us.  In other words it can become a god, an idol.  It can dominate us, control us – we have to have that new book, we have to see that new movie.  We become puppets, and the media pulls our strings.  Guard your heart, don’t let the media become your god.

2. Use discernment.  Verses 3-10 point us here.  Verse 10 tells us to discern what is pleasing to God.  So we need to ask, does this media choice please God.  If not, don’t watch/listen to/read it.  Verse 3 points to the sex issue.  Does this media cause you to lust (impurity)?  Does this media celebrate sexual immorality – that which God will judge (v6)?  If so, turn it off, get rid of it, walk out.  Verse 4 points to the language issue.  Again, does this media engage in that which God will judge, that which we should not even associate with (v7)?  This may rule out most sitcoms, late night shows, and many movies (even kid movies!), but again is our goal to live for media or God?

There is a wonderful phrase in Latin that Craig Cabaniss mentions in his chapter on media in the book Worldliness, edited by C.J. Mahaney.  The phrase is Coram Deo – “before the face of God.”  Everything we do is done in God’s presence.  Is it pleasing to him?  If Jesus walked this earth today, would you invite him to watch that movie, listen to that music, surf that site, read that book?  The fact is, he is with you as you do all those things.  Is it pleasing to him?

In Psalm 101:3, the psalmist says, “”I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.”  Have you made that commitment?  Is your goal to please God?  Use discernment.

Before moving on, we need to consider the message in a particular media choice.  Romans 12:2 warns us not to be conformed to the world – that is, the evil tendencies of a world opposed to God.  Does this media choice conform me to the world’s way of thinking.  Is it teaching truth or lies?  There is a grave danger here.  We are tempted to focus on language, sex, etc., but “clean” movies without those things can teach lies, can oppose God and his Word.  And this includes Christian media.  We need to think critically whenever we come to the media.  What is the message?  Does it agree with Scripture?  Use discernment.

3. Practice good stewardship.  Verses 15-16 tell us to make the best use of our time.  Is this media choice the best use of my time right now?  Am I spending too much time with a particular type of media?  Is there something else I should be doing?  Even if our media passes the discernment test, we can spend too much time in front of the TV, on the internet, etc.  We can neglect family, friends, time with God, outdoor recreation.  Practice good stewardship.

4.  Finally, enjoy gratefully.  Verse 20 calls us to give thanks for everything.  Cabaniss ends his chapter on media with this point, and it is a good one.  If our media choice passes the discernment and stewardship and heart principles, then we can enjoy it gratefully.  The other three principles remind us of the dangers of media; this point reminds us that there is a lot of good media out there that we can enjoy and give thanks to God for.

Christ purchased for us a great salvation that should affect the way we live in our culture, how we interact with the media.  Guard your heart.  Use discernment.  Practice good stewardship.  Enjoy gratefully.