Nearly 500 years ago, John Calvin made a stunning statement which still hangs in the air today—”The human heart is a perpetual factory of idols.”
“The human heart is a perpetual factory of idols.”
But what constitutes something being an idol? An idol is anything in your life, other than Jesus, which if you lost it, you would lose personal worth and identity. In other words, losing it would disintegrate your life. Furthermore, an idol is anything you’re looking forward to, other than Jesus, for personal worth and identity. Receiving it would make your life complete. Idols are often not inherently bad things. They are typically good things we turn into ultimate things—gifts we turn into gods.
Idols are often not inherently bad things. They are typically good things we turn into ultimate things—gifts we turn into gods.
If the human heart is truly a perpetual idol factory, we need to approach everything we think and do asking this question: god or gift? Am I receiving this as a gift or am I worshiping this as a god? May we all pay careful attention to the Apostle John’s closing statement in his first letter: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).
Over five weeks (March 16th–April 13th), Pastor Brett will be preaching on some of the main idols in our culture: Work, Relationships, Money, Sex, and Alcohol. Join us for worship every Sunday at 10:30am at 515 W. Okmulgee Ave., Muskogee, OK 74401.
