ARE YOU GUILTY OF IDOLATRY?

 

Most Christians would react very quickly and reply that they are most definitely not guilty of such a thing : after all, particularly if we are of the western world, we don’t have gods or altars to gods in our culture or society.
As TV coverage takes us into the cultures of other countries, we do see that indeed gods, goddesses and altars for the giving of sacrifices to these gods, do exist.

The Idolatry we are writing of here is the worship of someone who is believed by the worshipper to be God.  He is revered and trusted.  Songs have been written to extol his position, words which are generally correct according to Scripture but great license has been taken in their use, and as to what belongs to The One True God alone.

This person that God Himself fixed in a position of high honour has become like a peg, with everyone hanging onto him, even to the point of calling  Him “Father”.
God said that He would cut off the Peg, but more to the point those who are hanging on that person (who has been fixed into a great position), making him to be God, even to calling him Father,  they shall be cut down.     Isaiah 20: 20-25.

Generally, the Church is guilty of Idolatry; by the worship of the person Jesus Christ, The Son of God.  Through belief in The Gospel of The Trinity, believing Jesus to be God and that he must be God, in order to be identified with The Work that is God’s alone.  They are not understanding Jesus’ call and oneness in working with God The Father.
Proverbs 8: 22-36,   John 14: 10-12,   1 John 5: 1-5,  John 8: 16-17,  John 5: 17,  John 14: 10-12

The Church, around 181AD  by the thought of one man, Theophilus of Antioch, planted the seed to create a God apart from the One True God, The Father, and exalted Jesus beyond the position  which God Himself exalted him to, this was through lack of understanding of what Jesus was and is now.
Due to this progressive movement of error, thousands and thousands have not enjoyed all that God planned for them through the work of salvation exercised by Himself and His Son Jesus Christ.

They formed Jesus Christ into an Image that he is not, asking of him for what is not his work, but that of His God and Father.
They  have  energised his Name beyond that of his position, giving him power they expect to operate on their behalf, especially in the areas of overcoming sin.  The power that The Father has given him they have misunderstood by interpretations given by their assumptions.
1 Kings 12: 26-33,   Acts 2: 31-36,   John 16: 13-15,    John 17: 3-5,   1 Corinthians 8: 6,
1 Peter 1: 3-12,   2 Peter 1: 3-12,   1 John 2: 24-25

HE IS NOT GOD BUT GOD’S AGENT IN BRINGING MAN TO GOD HIMSELF.
HE IS NOT GOD BUT GOD’S ACCESS TO GOD THE FATHER.
GLORIFY HIM IN THE POSITION GOD HAS GIVEN HIM.
Ephesians 2: 17-23,    Ephesians 1: 17-23,   Acts 2: 31-36,   Acts 5: 31,    Ephesians 4: 5-6

In the glorifying of Jesus the Son of God to be God, they have fulfilled in their Idolatry, the meaning of the idol.  Through worship and by the teaching of the leaders,  believers are encouraged to give  Jesus excessive devotion. 
Whereas when the believer repents to God and believes in the sacrifice of Jesus, who was God’s Lamb, we are  called to love Jesus and to obey  his commandments, to love and forgive one another and be Baptised with Holy Spirit.   When this is obeyed, Christ is glorified in his position as Christ and Lord and we gain by being taken out of Death and placed in Life by God The Father, to whom Jesus brings us.   Romans 8: 1-2
Galatians 3: 22,    John 14: 6,   Acts 20: 21,    John 1: 29-34,    Acts 20: 28,    John 14: 13-17**
Acts 1: 4-5,    Acts 2: 31-36,    1 Corinthians 12: 13-18,    Ephesians 4: 5-6

All men are to know that we are to love The Lord Our God with all our hearts.  We are to have no other gods before Him.  Jesus said this.
THE FATHER IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
Israel knew Jesus then, as the Angel of the Lord, God’s chief Messenger, whose glory was so awesome that many mistakenly believed he was God.
Isaiah 44: 24,    Isaiah 40: 25,   1 Corinthians 8: 6,    James 2: 19,    James 17: 3,    John 17: 3,  
Malachi 3: 1-3,    Judges 6: 6-24

There are many gods in the Spiritual Realm who make their presence known in our world.  This is apart from Satan.  We, as the Church, have been called to pull down God’s enemies.
All gods shall be judged by GOD The Almighty One, The Father.   Jeremiah Chap. 10
The Moslems believe in Allah who is a god of the desert.  Those who believe in Allah shall be judged with Allah because of what is believed in association with Allah.  This is the case for  Budda, Baal etc.

The Christians who believe that Jesus, the Son of God, is God, shall be judged, just as will the spirit, called Belial, who caused this lie which has caused the Church to become what appears to be pathetic, and giving the appearance that this is what their God is like.

Jesus is not in agreement that he is God.  When going out to die, he asked to return to the position he had before he came as The Son of Man; as The Angel of The Lord whose position and authority was very powerful.
God was in him, so he was called Immanuel.  He was God’s Lamb for God to reconcile the world to Himself through the work of His Son, as Lamb and Immanuel.
God The Father was in Jesus, but this did not make him God any more than those with Christ and The Father by their Spirits in us,  make us what and who they are.

Ephesians 6: 10-18,   Jeremiah 10:  ,  John 17: 3-5,   Colossians 1: 19-20,   Acts 20: 28,  
John 14: 13-23,    John 1: 29-34,   Exodus 33: 1-3.

It is urgent that Christians deal with this matter, to understand what is the penalty for Idolatry.  For those who are Baptized with Holy Spirit, who have been given entrance into the Sanctuary of His Temple, through Baptism, that if one has the sin of Idolatry, they cannot serve Him or go near Him in The Inner Sanctuary where God’s Throne is.  They can serve in The Temple, but not God Himself.  There will be  no fellowship.

Are you aware of this already?  Be honest.  While there is time.

You will revert to servants as those who are unbaptised because they have not obeyed Christ’s command to do so, due to erroneous teaching.

Deal with any Idolatry ; but in particular that of Jesus as God, for it will hinder you gaining Eternal Life.  Those who are as yet unbaptised by Christ,  -  recognise his heavenly position of Christ and Lord, so that you too will know him as your brother and be Co-Heir with him, as God said.  
Romans 8: 17.
Ezekiel 44: 10-14,   Matt. 8: 12,   John 15: 14-15,   Matt. 13: 37-42 / 47-50,  Ezekiel 43: 6-12,  Acts 1: 4-5,   John 14: 13-17,   1 John 2: 24-25,   Mark 16: 16-18,   Hebrews Chaps. 2 & 3.

 

Jesus came and lived and died and was raised by His God and Father in order that we could enter Heaven and fellowship with The Living God and The Son of God.  If we inherit and enter The Eternal City, it will be because we have done The Will of The Father, as Jesus did.

Ephesians 1: 17-20,    Galatians 1: 1,    Ephesians 2: 6,    Matthew 7: 21-23,   1 John 1: 3.

WHOEVER BELIEVES AND TRUSTS IN JESUS AS GOD IS GUILTY OF IDOLATRY.