Topical Bible: Idolatry: They Who Practise: Go After It in Heart

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Idolatry, in the biblical context, refers to the worship of idols or the excessive reverence for anything other than the one true God. It is a recurring theme throughout the Scriptures, where it is consistently condemned as a grievous sin. The practice of idolatry is not limited to the physical act of bowing before graven images but extends to the inner disposition of the heart, where individuals may prioritize or revere anything above God.

Biblical References:

1. Ezekiel 14:3-5 : "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of Me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: 'When any of the Israelites sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him Myself in keeping with his great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted Me for their idols.'"

This passage highlights the internal nature of idolatry, where the heart becomes the seat of false worship. The Israelites are admonished for setting up idols within their hearts, indicating that idolatry is not merely an external act but a matter of inner allegiance and desire.

2. Jeremiah 17:9 : "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"

The deceitfulness of the heart is a central theme in understanding idolatry. The human heart, in its fallen state, is prone to wander and elevate created things above the Creator. This internal inclination towards idolatry underscores the need for divine intervention and transformation.

3. Matthew 6:21 : "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount reveals the connection between one's treasures and the heart. Idolatry often manifests in what individuals value most, whether it be wealth, power, or other worldly pursuits. The heart's attachment to these treasures can lead to idolatrous practices.

4. Colossians 3:5 : "Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry."

The Apostle Paul identifies greed as a form of idolatry, emphasizing that idolatry is not limited to the worship of physical idols but includes any inordinate desire that takes precedence over God. Believers are called to mortify these earthly inclinations, recognizing them as idolatrous.

5. 1 John 5:21 : "Little children, keep yourselves from idols."

The apostle John's exhortation serves as a timeless warning to guard against idolatry. This admonition is a call to vigilance, urging believers to remain steadfast in their devotion to God and to avoid the subtle allure of idols that can captivate the heart.

The Heart's Role in Idolatry:

The biblical narrative consistently portrays the heart as the battleground for idolatry. It is within the heart that individuals decide whom or what they will serve. The heart's propensity to stray from God and pursue idols is a reflection of humanity's fallen nature. Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to return to Him with their whole hearts, forsaking all idols and false gods.

Consequences of Heart Idolatry:

The practice of idolatry, particularly when it is rooted in the heart, leads to spiritual adultery and estrangement from God. It incurs divine judgment, as seen in the history of Israel, where idolatry resulted in exile and suffering. Yet, God's desire is for repentance and restoration, offering forgiveness and renewal to those who turn back to Him with sincere hearts.

Call to True Worship:

True worship, as opposed to idolatry, involves loving God with all one's heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). It requires a heart fully devoted to God, free from the entanglements of idolatrous desires. Believers are encouraged to examine their hearts continually, ensuring that their affections and priorities align with God's will and purpose.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 20:16
Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Spiritual Idolatry
... up in their hearts, so many species of idolatry they practise. ... himself, so they cannot
rest till they rest in him ... baseness, and madness of the idolatry that has ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 78 spiritual idolatry.htm

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
... the whole extent of the promised land; idolatry was destroyed ... found, and in the way
in which they are to ... we must go through pain, we must practise self-denial ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon ix jeremiah a lesson.htm

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
... on what they had done, and though they began humbly ... Even after years of activity
against idolatry, in the words ... duty better than he did, and to practise it more ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon vii josiah a pattern.htm

Sin in the Heart the Source of Error in the Head
... 1:29, 32); and that those who practise such sins ... retain God in their knowledge, and
therefore they come to ... The origin of idolatry, and of infidelity, is not in ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/sin in the heart the.htm

Eunomius Again Speaks of the Son as Lord and God
... some destiny, just as they who practise this vain ... what the teachers of the new idolatry
preach, and ... and the ungenerate,"what else are they than transgressors ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 5 eunomius again speaks.htm

Saurin -- Paul Before Felix and Drusilla
... teach, and experience confirms, that "covetousness is idolatry." The covetous ... than
to be restricted to the practise of virtue ... They will say, as Felix said to St ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/saurin paul before felix.htm

CHAP. II. 4-25 (2-23).
... that her whole aim was only to excite to it, and to practise it ... and in the midst
of idolatrous nations, a stronger temptation to idolatry than they had in ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap ii 25-apr 2-23.htm

How the victor Runs
... were honeycombed, through and through, with idolatry and all ... You and I have to practise
rigid abstinence as ... sometimes, when temptations are strong, they do not ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/how the victor runs.htm

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra.
... command of priests, who could securely practise there the ... for our deliverance from
that gross idolatry, which once ... the religion of Christ, than they began to ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xv paul and barnabas.htm

'Make us a King'
... The parallel drawn with idolatry is very instructive. ... and one of the last which we
have to practise, is a ... They perish, and their work is none the less their sin ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/make us a king.htm