You Believe the Virgin Birth

Some people believe in the virgin birth of the universe, but they don’t believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Or you could say it this way…People believe in the virgin birth of the cosmos, and not in the virgin birth of the Christ.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Idols in the Church

Part of proclaiming the gospel is pressing it’s demands. Yes, the offer of forgiveness is free. But the gospel demands that you let go of your idols and cling to a new identity. 1 Thessalonians 1:9 says that Christians are those who turn away from serving idols in order to serve God.

Of course, you don’t lose all your idols at once. But as you come under true gospel preaching, idols are exposed and confronted. And Christ is presented as greater than what you’ve been holding onto, and you let the idol go and cling to Christ more fully, and deeply. But too many people are still clinging to their idols. I’m not talking about some statue. I’m talking about the idols in your heart. And true gospel preaching doesn’t feed your idol; it finds it and roots it out. 

So, some people leave the church because they’re not getting what they want. But they’re not getting what they want because their idol got smashed. 

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Faith as an Idol

What do you think will give you security and joy, and that without it you won’t have security and joy, even if you have God? That’s an idol.

The irony is that idolizing something ultimately keeps you from being able to enjoy it. You fret so much you can’t rest. For instance, many wealthy people are paranoid about their money. And many healthy people have an unhealthy obsession with their health. And many Christians, who are active in the things of God, never enjoy God’s grace, because they idolize their faith, and worry about losing it. 

Gaining more of an idol actually increases your fear, because nothing other than God can sustain the weight of your soul. You can make an idol of your imagination about yourself, because you fear the truth about yourself. You fear the loss of your feeling of control. Don’t make an idol of your faith. 

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©