When we see the word, idol, most of us wash our hands and say: “Well, that is not my problem”. We have the tendency to allocate idolatry to images of worship, such as the multiple gods of the Hindus or the Buddhist statues in the Far East. Some consider the images of the saints in Catholicism or the icons in the Orthodox churches also within this practice, that is so clearly condemned in Scripture. Sure, the cultural context, in which the New Testament was written, was definitely inundated with this kind of idolatry, but the reality is that idolatry is universally practiced by us all. John’s admonition to be idol free is as true for us today as it was for the first century Christians. (I John 5:21)
An idol, in a broad definition, is anything that is more important to us than God. For those who have given themselves to idolatry, it is almost never considered as wrong. In fact, it is most manifest when we think something good can really satisfy the deep desires of our heart. An idol is a substitution for God as the principle supply of our needs and the love of our life. The Lord told Ezekiel that the elders, that had come to receive a word from the Lord, had allowed idols into their hearts. (Ezekiel 14:1-3) Idolatry is more an issue of the heart than anything else. An object, person, function or activity, in and of itself, may not be wrong, but it is to the degree they have taken over preeminence in our lives that will leads us to giving them our attention and worship.
John uses the word “lust” to describe a disordered or perverted expression of love. In I John 2:16, he talks of the “lusts of the flesh”. This is when expressions reserved for God, (i.e., trust, hope, love, adoration), are used to describe our false loves, false hopes, false pursuits and false trust. Sometimes this is money, our image, our sexuality or positions. Whatever becomes our focus becomes our passion, which then receives our worship. John goes on to speak of another “lust”, and that is the “lust of the eyes”. This has to do with cultural idols. These are the things that our culture deems to be most important. We can see these idols in fashion, sports, politics, gadgets. etc. It is what we see daily before us and demands that we purchase the latest iPhone, wear the best brand of clothes and have the “perfect” physique. Whether it be cultural idols or idols of the heart, they never really satisfy, and they constantly demand more; more exercise, more make-up, more stuff, more power, etc.
Disordered love leads to disordered lives. When one’s attention is turned away from God, he finds himself at the center of his own life. This is the “pride of life”, as referred to in I John 2:16. This is when idolatry descends from the flesh, to the world and then to the demonic. It is when attention and interest become compulsory and obsessive. It is when you have to have the latest gadget, be a certain weight and please just the right people. This results in indebtedness, depression, manipulation, anorexia, etc. It is when you are willing to sin to get what you want.
You can never satisfy nor be satisfied by an idol. Only God can love you as you desire to be loved. Only God can fill the void in your heart. John wrote of the love of God more than any other author in the Bible. He seemed to have that special connection to the Heart of God. Because John knew, through experience, that a love relationship with God is what really satisfies, he ends his first epistle with this admonition: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols”.
Scriptures to meditate on: Romans 1:18-25; Ephesians 5:5-6; I John 2:16, 5:21; Jeremiah 17:5-6