NEWS Religious Idolatry
Here's a meditation for you today inspired by something T. Austin-Sparks said in one of his talks many years ago. Sparks said:
"Idolatry is all that is not God as the basis or object of man's life. That is tremendously comprehensive. You see, it is possible to have the things of the Lord in the place of the Lord Himself; and that is idolatry in principle. Idolatry is always religious, and it may be the Christian religion as well as any other religion that is marked by idolatry. Touch some Christians, or Christian institutions, and let the touch be even in relation to something more of the Lord Himself, and you will find an uprising of jealous regard for the institution which utterly blinds to that possibility of an extra measure of the Lord Himself. You can be so devoted to a denomination, a missionary society, a piece of Christian work, that there is no room for any extra measure of the Lord. The thing itself has become the end, the object for which you live, and when the Lord wants to get you moved on into something more of Himself, the obstacle is that good Christian work, association, institution, tradition, connection.
Yes, and that is idolatry in principle, and we see from history how the Lord again and again has had to smite with smashing blows things which in themselves were good, in order to save His people unto Himself personally. Even things which He gave at one time, have had to be taken away or shattered because the gift has become the end, the object. That is what is happening: and a very necessary thing it is too. The Lord is not protecting good things today. If those have become something to which men have become devoted, with which they have become bound up, He is allowing them to be broken and destroyed."
"Idolatry is always religious, and it may be the Christian religion as well as any other religion that is marked by idolatry." Yes, indeed. That is the truth! Sparks is hitting on a very important subject. I encourage you to meditate on what he is saying and then go back a read Matthew 23.
In Matthew 23, the Lord delivered this message to the scribes and the Pharisees, but in a much more powerful fashion! He called the religious leaders of the time "hypocrites," "fools," "blind guides," "serpents" and "brood of vipers." I have no doubt the Lord has the very same message for the leaders of Christianity (and other religions) today. Indeed, it's remarkable how modern day Christianity resembles Judea prior to the crucifixion. The Jews sacred temple eventually fell, much to their dismay, just as the Lord said it would (cf. Matt. 24:2). Rest assured, the Lord is dealing with all of the idolatry we observe in Christianity and other religions. It must perish! Christ must increase (John 3:30). There is no idolatry in Christ. NONE!
Idolatry leads to death - not Life. We must let go of our religious traditions if we wish to follow God and walk in love. Even Peter, who was full of himself and clung tightly to his religious traditions for years, was able to do it. If Peter can let go, you can too.
May you let go of your religious traditions and be led by Love and only Love.
Agape,
Steve
"Idolatry is all that is not God as the basis or object of man's life. That is tremendously comprehensive. You see, it is possible to have the things of the Lord in the place of the Lord Himself; and that is idolatry in principle. Idolatry is always religious, and it may be the Christian religion as well as any other religion that is marked by idolatry. Touch some Christians, or Christian institutions, and let the touch be even in relation to something more of the Lord Himself, and you will find an uprising of jealous regard for the institution which utterly blinds to that possibility of an extra measure of the Lord Himself. You can be so devoted to a denomination, a missionary society, a piece of Christian work, that there is no room for any extra measure of the Lord. The thing itself has become the end, the object for which you live, and when the Lord wants to get you moved on into something more of Himself, the obstacle is that good Christian work, association, institution, tradition, connection.
Yes, and that is idolatry in principle, and we see from history how the Lord again and again has had to smite with smashing blows things which in themselves were good, in order to save His people unto Himself personally. Even things which He gave at one time, have had to be taken away or shattered because the gift has become the end, the object. That is what is happening: and a very necessary thing it is too. The Lord is not protecting good things today. If those have become something to which men have become devoted, with which they have become bound up, He is allowing them to be broken and destroyed."
"Idolatry is always religious, and it may be the Christian religion as well as any other religion that is marked by idolatry." Yes, indeed. That is the truth! Sparks is hitting on a very important subject. I encourage you to meditate on what he is saying and then go back a read Matthew 23.
In Matthew 23, the Lord delivered this message to the scribes and the Pharisees, but in a much more powerful fashion! He called the religious leaders of the time "hypocrites," "fools," "blind guides," "serpents" and "brood of vipers." I have no doubt the Lord has the very same message for the leaders of Christianity (and other religions) today. Indeed, it's remarkable how modern day Christianity resembles Judea prior to the crucifixion. The Jews sacred temple eventually fell, much to their dismay, just as the Lord said it would (cf. Matt. 24:2). Rest assured, the Lord is dealing with all of the idolatry we observe in Christianity and other religions. It must perish! Christ must increase (John 3:30). There is no idolatry in Christ. NONE!
Idolatry leads to death - not Life. We must let go of our religious traditions if we wish to follow God and walk in love. Even Peter, who was full of himself and clung tightly to his religious traditions for years, was able to do it. If Peter can let go, you can too.
May you let go of your religious traditions and be led by Love and only Love.
Agape,
Steve
posted by Steve at
8:26 AM
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