Tag Archives: idolatry

Frustration Or Fulfillment

Posted on August 6, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

The absolute number one worse sin in the Bible is the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is when a person worships or seeks to please any God but the God of the Bible. It was idolatry that got mankind thrown out of Paradise. The devil told Adam:

Genesis 3:4-5 (AP) {if you eat the forbidden} you will not die {implying God is a liar}. God knows when you eat of it you will be like Him, gods who determine good and evil …

Idolatry starts in the heart, when the created tries to take the place of the Creator.

Idolatry led to the first murder. Cain killed his brother, rather than worship God and kill a lamb (Genesis 4:4-8). Idolatry led to the Noahic Flood. “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Idolatry led to the Tower of Babel. The people refused the command of God to multiply and fill the earth, saying …

Genesis 11:4 (NKJV) Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.

We don’t want to glorify God. “Let us make a name for OURSELVES. Let’s glorify US. Let’s build a building that will get us closer to God, maybe we can be gods.”

While Moses was receiving the Law of God from the finger of God, Israel in the valley was busy creating golden calves, gods to follow. Idolatry is in our DNA.

Even among God’s people. There are people today who take the Law of God (which is good, for the Bible says “the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12)) and have turned it into an idol. The concept of Pharisaism has crept into many Churches today, the idea that “since I keep the Law, then I’m going to go to Heaven when I die”. Beloved, that’s a lie. Keeping the Law doesn’t save you. Continue reading →

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The Dangers Of Idolatry

Posted on July 1, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

As Jude writes the Church, he calls it “BELOVED”, the Greek agapētos. The Church is “BELOVED” of God. Why? The word agapētos is first found in the Bible – not to the Church – but it is what God the Father calls His Son Jesus at His baptism:

Matthew 3:17 (KJV) And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My BELOVED {agapētos} Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The Old Testament Prophets spoke of God’s Beloved Son, Who would come into the world to save whosoever will. The Apostle Matthew quoted Isaiah 42:1 when he wrote of Jesus:

Matthew 12:18 (ESV) Behold, my Servant whom I have chosen, My BELOVED {agapētos} with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

Preach! Jesus is God’s BELOVED {agapētos} Son, in Whom He is well pleased (Matthew 17:5). He is the fulfillment of the prophecies of God, the one and only Messiah. The Church is BELOVED because we have received Jesus as He is, THE BELOVED of God. We are loved, because we love Him Who is loved. We are loved, because we have RECEIVED Jesus Christ as the One and only Savior and Lord.

As Jude writes the Church, he says “I gave all diligence to write unto you of the COMMON {koinos} SALVATION”. When he says “COMMON”, he does not mean it is mediocre or low quality. He means that this salvation is offered to ALL PEOPLE {koinos}. There is only one… Continue reading →

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God Hates Religion

Posted on March 1, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 15:8-9 The sacrifice of the WICKED is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: but he loveth Him that followeth after righteousness.

God Despises Man-Made “Religion”

Word Study: What does the Bible mean when it speaks of the “WICKED”? This is the Hebrew rāšāʿ, which means “to be wicked or criminal, to violate the Law, to be guilty of sin or hostile to the command of God”. The word is not used of casual sin, but of those who do wrong regardless as to what God has said. The FIRST use of the word is in:

Genesis 13:13 … the men of Sodom were WICKED (rāšāʿ) and SINNERS before the LORD exceedingly.

They were “WICKED” because their outward actions violated the Will of God. They were “SINNERS” because their hearts were far from God. God determined that He was going to destroy Sodom because of its wickedness. Telling Abraham of His plans, Abraham pled for the life of his nephew Lot. He humbly asks God:… Continue reading →

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Losing Your Soul

Posted on November 22, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

“DESIRE” is not a bad thing. The word translated “DESIRE” is the Hebrew ta’ăvâ which means “desires, wishes, longing for that which you do not have”. When used in a negative way, it can mean “lust or covetousness”.

God made humans with the ability to desire, to want something outside of ourselves.

When God made man and woman, the Bible says that God said “Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let THEM have DOMINION over the earth” (Genesis 1:26). God gave man and woman the whole world and everything in it. Adam and Eve lacked nothing, but were told to dominate all creatures. God told them:

Genesis 1:28-29 (ESV) Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

Adam and Eve were to desire three things… Continue reading →

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The Second Commandment

Posted on January 5, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

One of my heroes of the faith, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was a pastor in Nazi Germany. Rather than “Go along to get along” he actively taught against and stood up to the Nazi atrocities committed in the concentration camps. Bonhoeffer could have taken the easy way out and run away when the Nazis began executing and burning Jews and other prisoners of war. He was martyred for standing up to evil, strangled and hung up naked in the very concentration camps he fought against. Bonhoeffer wrote:

“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.”

Many people today are on the “wrong train”. Many are on a “long, black train” like Josh Turner sings about.

There’s a long black train comin’ down the line
Feedin’ off the souls that are lost and cryin’
Rails of sin, only evil remains
Watch out, brother, for that long black train

You get on a “Long, Black Train” when you get away from God’s Ten Commandments. … Continue reading →

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Baptist Distinctives #3: Jesus Is God Our Brother

Posted on January 20, 2022 by bibleteacherorg

During our “Snow Day” last Sunday, I listened to an online preacher talking about the Dangers of Idolatry. It was a very interesting sermon/ teaching, and very much enjoyed it. In the sermon the minister noted that “everybody worships something”, and that when God took His people out of Egypt under Moses’ leadership, one of the first requirements that God gave His people was:

Exodus 20:2-3 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

God identified Himself as Israel’s Savior, and Israel as a people saved. God commanded that His people have no other gods before the God Who saved them. God identifies Himself frequently throughout the Scripture, using the same terminology He uses in Exodus 20:2 ..

Deuteronomy 5:6 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt …

Psalm 81:10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt …

Isaiah 43:3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior: I gave Egypt for thy ransom …

Hosea 13:4 Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no savior beside me.

God identifies Himself as Israel’s Savior.
God identifies Himself as OUR Savior.

When we make an idol of anything, if we worship anything or anyone outside of the God of the Scripture, we demean God our Savior. It is God Who saves us, and not we ourselves. When the commercials today say “Keep on doing YOU”, they are bidding us to follow idols. … Continue reading →

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The Parable Of Two Idolaters

Posted on May 16, 2021 by bibleteacherorg

Turn with me in your Bibles first to Matthew 5:17-20. We’ve studied this text in detail just a few Sundays ago, but I want to refresh our memories. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus came to this earth – God become perfect Man – Jesus lived the Law. He fulfilled the Law of sacrifice by dying on the Cross as “the Lamb of God”. There are no more animal sacrifices accepted from God to cover sins. If you are saved, your sin is covered by the blood of Christ.

It is His Blood that brings us near God (Ephesians 2:13)
It is His Blood that establishes the New Covenant (1 Corinthians 10:16)
It is His Blood that makes it possible for us to serve God (Hebrews 9:14)
It is His Blood that covers our sins once and for all (1 Peter 1:19)

Under the Old Covenant, God called His people to the Temple to worship. Under the New Covenant, the people of God ARE His Temple. God lives in us who are saved! We are to cherish God above all else.

Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial… Continue reading →

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Where Are You Looking For Blessing? Red Letters Series #4

Posted on February 2, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

Beloved, you need Jesus. You need to sit at His feet. You need to hear His Word. You need to reject all other messiahs and gods and goddesses, and come to Him Who alone can save. Give yourselves to Jesus. Continue reading →

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The Eyes Of The Lord

Posted on April 15, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

If we follow the Lord and do the good as His Family no one can harm us. On fire for Him we will prevail. Let us live our lives in Jesus, for Jesus, and through Jesus. For the glory of God forever. Continue reading →

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