Definition
Idolatry, the worship of something other than God, is at the root of all sin because sin seeks to steal glory from God, to whom alone it is due, and take it for the sinner.
Summary
Adam and Eve were created in the Garden of Eden to rule as kings, priests, and prophets, bringing glory to God their maker. Their sin, then, was a determination to bring glory to themselves rather than God; in short, they worshipped themselves rather than God. Israel continues this idolatrous pattern, desiring to worship a god, the golden calf, who would give them what they desired rather than waiting for the true God to tell them what he desired. Just like Adam and Eve in the garden, they deemed God’s word insufficient. Jesus came and restored humanity to their roles as obedient kings, priests, and prophets through his faithful life, which ended by taking the punishment for our idolatrous failure to do the same. Now, Christians live in the overlap of these two ages, still suffering under the curse of sin and fighting against the tendencies of the old Adam while having our minds renewed by the Spirit into the image of Christ.
Sermon
Articles
Reexamining Idolatry: The Golden Calf and False Worship
Idolatry isn’t just worshiping a false God. It’s also worshiping the true God falsely.
How to Know If You’ve Made an Idol of Politics
Here are 21 questions to ask yourself to see if you might have become an idolator of politics.
Beware the god of Open Options
I write this with tears. Over the past 20 years of my Christian life, I’ve repeatedly worshiped and served a false god.
Materialism Is Easy to Decry and Hard to Avoid
Everything that strips us of dependence on this world is to be welcomed.
Video
Jen Wilkin on Why It’s Good News That God Is Not like Us
Jen Wilkin talks about the essence of idolatry, the attributes of God, and how Christlikeness hinges on the way Christians view God.
Podcasts
Book Reviews
How Idolatry Shrivels Your Soul
Only Living Water can quench our thirsts—all of them.
When Marriage Became About Me, Myself, and I
The fundamental posture of marriages that flourish is not self-service but self-giving.
Gods at War
This book forces us to interact with many facets of our idolatry—a reality we all need to face.
Brené Brown and the Lie of the Divine Self
The more we belong to ourselves, curving inward, the less likely we are to lay down our lives for others.
