Idols | The Religion Trap
About this series:
To follow Jesus as Lord means putting nothing before Him. This is not only right but logical: no one is greater, no one satisfies more. Yet the daily struggle of discipleship is the pressure—both within and around us—to live as though something else is more worthy.
Christians have long understood this in terms of idols. Tim Keller defines an idol as “anything more important to you than God…anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” Martin Luther said, “Whatever your heart clings to and relies upon, that is your God.” John Piper calls it “anything we rely on for blessing or guidance in place of wholehearted trust in the living God.”
Scripture is clear from the start:
“You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7).
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind” (Matt. 22:37).
The danger is profound. Idols dishonor God, deceive us with false promises, and deform us into their image: “Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them” (Ps. 115:8). Humanity is wired to ascribe worth to something beyond itself, but this longing finds fulfillment only in the Creator: “Trust in the Lord—he is their help and shield” (Ps. 115:11). Only He truly satisfies, only He is worthy, only He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6).
Identifying idols is not always simple. Good gifts from God can quietly become an idol that replaces him. However, questions like these can help us begin to probe our hearts and minds:
What consumes most of my time and thoughts?
What stirs my emotions most deeply?
What do I feel I cannot live without?
Where do I place my hope for meaning and worth?
About this talk:
It is the nature of religion to focus on what we can do - whether for God, gods or other people - in order to put ourselves in a place of divine favour and to avoid divine wrath. Religion can have the appearance of being positive and healthy, particularly depending on its cultural setting, yet it often has a self-centred focus: protecting self and seeking good for self.
It is in this sense that we might speak of much of the world’s religions - as attempts to gain the favour of the god / gods or of nature or whichever higher power is considered to influence events in the world and the fortunes of individuals. Plenty of examples could be given.
And with that understanding of religion, we agree with Dane Ortlund who wrote, ‘Christianity is the unreligion. It turns all our religious instincts on their head.’ How can that be so? Because the Christian faith states that we bring nothing positive to God and instead receive from him all the blessings he has provided. As Tim Keller said, ‘Traditional religion says, ‘I give God a good moral record, so he has to bless me.’ The gospel says, ‘God gives me a good moral record through Christ, so I want to bless him’...Religion says, ‘If I obey, then God will love and accept me.’ The gospel says, ‘God loves and accepts me, therefore I want to obey.’’
So it is not that the Christian faith has no regard for obeying and serving God. But it is a response to God’s blessing, not a means of gaining it. The story in Luke 18 provides a stark contrast between one man, a Pharisee, who was conscious of what he believed gave him merit with God, and another man, a tax collector, who knew only that he had nothing positive with which to come before God. The first could distinguish himself from “other people” generally and from “this tax collector” specifically, highlighting his meritorious life by listing his good deeds. His assumption was that God must therefore be pleased with him and pleased to bless him. The tax collector’s actions, however, are described in four ways that show how little good he knows he has in his account: he stood at a distance, kept his head down, beat his chest in mourning and called out for mercy (v 13).
The language of Isaiah 1 is very shocking! Among other things, God speaks of “meaningless offerings...worthless assemblies...your feasts and festivals...I hate with all my being...I am not listening.” God’s reaction is the result of the people’s lack of love for him and for people, even though they continue to obey many of the sacrificial commands. Which is further evidence that religion ignores the intent of God’s law in favour of the details. It is entirely possible to keep laws, yet for one’s heart to be far from the sort of life that the law was intended to produce.
Doing good things is, of course, a good thing! But trusting in our own goodness is both arrogant and pitiful. In contrast, giving up any trust in our own goodness in order to have a right standing before God is the counterintuitive route to a right relationship with God both now and for eternity. Peace with God is not a position to be worked towards, but a gift to be received.
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