Idol Insights

5 Insights on Idolatry by J. D. Greear

There are certain themes in Scripture that tend to beat you over the head with their persistence. Idolatry is one of those. It’s such a prominent theme in Scripture that some have said it is the central theme of the entire Bible.[1] And when it comes to idolatry, we humans are endlessly creative. As John Calvin said, “The heart of man is a perpetual factory of idols.”Give us the chance, and we’ll replace God with any and every object, person, ideal, or dream.

Most modern people don’t quite get the Bible’s obsession with idolatry. We think of idolatry as an ancient problem for backwards people who bowed down to statues, not a relevant one for sophisticated folks like us. But we aren’t beyond idolatry. We simply dress it up in different clothes.

Acts 19 gives us 5 insights into the reality of idolatry for us today: 

1. An idol is anything that promises a life of security and joy apart from God.

In Acts 19, Artemis is described as the “protector” and “prosperer” of Ephesus. With her, the Ephesians believed, they were guaranteed security and joy. This false hope is precisely what makes an idol an idol. Idols are not usually bad things, but good things that have become ultimate things—things you believe guarantee you joy and security.

What is that in your life? About what do you think, “As long as I have this, I’ll have happy”?

What do you so desperately need that you can’t imagine a fulfilled life without it?

What makes these idols so dangerous is that they are nearly always good things. I have seen the good of desiring marriage become a false god. I’ve seen the good of wanting to provide become the idol of always needing to achieve one more financial benchmark. The problem isn’t the money or the marriage. The problem comes when we trust in those things to satisfy.

2. Idols engage the deepest emotions in our hearts.

When idols are challenged, people get violent. That’s what happens in Acts 19, when Artemis’ prowess is threatened. And it’s what happens in our lives when something we love is threatened, because many of our deepest emotions are connected to idols. Some of my deepest emotions are connected to worshipping the idol of success.

What is that in your life? About what do you think, “If I ever lost this, I’d never survive”? What possible loss makes you not only frightened, butdespairing?

The irony here is that idolizing something ultimately keeps you from being able to enjoy it at all. You panic and fret about losing something so vital that you can never rest. For instance, many of the wealthiest people are the most paranoid about their money. Gaining more of an idol only heightens that sense of fear, because nothing other than God can sustain the weight of your soul.

3. Idols need to be protected.

One of the craftsmen in Ephesus, Demetrius, was making a fortune on Artemis statues, coffee mugs, and bobble-head dolls. He wasn’t about to stand idly by while Paul undermined his entire financial enterprise with his “Gods made with hands are not really gods” message. So he gathered up an impromptu group of thugs to force Paul out of town.

Don’t miss the humor in this: Artemis was the protector of Ephesus. Yet when Demetrius’ skin was in the game—his cash flow—he immediately jumped up to defend her. That’s the absurdity of idolatry: what is supposed to protect usbecomes something we fiercely protect.

What is that in your life? What do you feel obsessive about protecting in your life?

Charles Spurgeon said the Word of God is like a caged lion. If someone threatens the lion, you don’t have to step in and defend the lion; you just let it loose and it will protect itself. The God of the Word can protect himself, but our false gods always need to be protected.

4. Idols demand sacrifices to keep them happy.

The whole system in Ephesus was built on appeasing Artemis and keeping her happy. That was no accident: idols will always make you sacrifice for them. If business is your idol, you’ll sacrifice your integrity to climb the ladder of success. If acceptance is your idol, you’ll sacrifice your honesty and lie to get affirmation. If romance is your idol, you’ll walk out on your spouse as soon as the “spark” seems to fade.

But an idol is like a fire. It never says, “That’s enough.” Instead, it just keeps asking for more. The altar of idolatry is terrifyingly insatiable: the more you sacrifice for an idol, the more it will demand.

What is that in your life?What part of yourself have you sacrificed on the altar of an idol? Where do you feel that “pull” to keep cutting corners or making excuses? Don’t fool yourself into thinking that this sacrifice will be the last one.

5. The gospel overcomes our idolatry.[2]

The idol of money says to us, “If you don’t do enough to obtain me, I’ll make you miserable.” The idol of family says, “If you lose me, life won’t be worth living.” The idol of comfort says, again and again, “Sacrifice your honesty, your integrity, your closest relationships, for me.”

Idols are harsh taskmasters. If you fail them, they make you pay. But in the gospel Jesus says to us, “You did fail me. But instead of destroying you, I’ll let myself be destroyed for you. Instead of demanding a sacrifice, I will become a sacrifice for you.” In Jesus, unlike idols, we find the only God that—when we obtain him—will satisfy us, and—when we fail him—will forgive us.


[1] Cf. Jewish scholar Moshe Halbertal, Idolatry, in which Halbertal claims that the story of the Old Testament is primarily that of the conflict between the true God and all false challengers.

[2] I am indebted to Tim Keller throughout this post, but particularly in this last point. For more on idolatry, see Keller’s Counterfeit Gods.

The One Who Bleeds For You

Some great stuff from J. D. Greear:

The main question the prophet Elijah was commissioned to answer was “Is there really only one God?” and, “If so, which God is the right one?” Elijah’s name gives away his answer, “Eli-jah” in Hebrew means “The Lord is God.” The climactic answer takes place in the showdown on Mt Carmel. Elijah is outnumbered 850 to 1. What Elijah revealed about the true God there, or, rather, what God revealed about himself, is as relevant today as it ever was. Jehovah is distinct from the ba’al’s, and every false god our culture puts forward, in at least four ways, two of which I’ll share with you here, and two of which you’ll have to listen to the whole sermon on this passage to get!

1. False gods require strenuous efforts; the true God is known by grace through faith.

False gods require strenuous dancing to please them. We see it in the prophets of Ba’al, who danced around the altar in their attempt to get their god’s attention (1 Kings 18:26). That is how every false religion operates: if you obey well enough, then you will be accepted. Thus religious ‘gods’ like Allah say, “Are you dancing hard enough? Are you keeping the commandments well enough?”

But secular gods are just as demanding. Popularity, money, or beauty demand that you dance like a slave to please them. So if money is your god, you dance like a slave for it, to get into the right school, to get the right job, to get that promotion. If beauty is your god, you dance—sometimes literally—so you’ll feel good about your body. If popularity is your god, then you dance for your circle of friends, desperately seeking to gain their approval.

The prophets of Ba’al danced, but all Elijah did was pray in faith (1 Kings 18:36–37). That is because Elijah knew the true God, the God of the gospel. Every other religion says that your acceptance is based on your obedience, but the gospel is unlike every other religion. The religious say, “I obey; therefore I am accepted.” The gospel reverses that: “I am accepted; therefore I obey.”

2. False gods mutilate us; the true God mutilated himself for us.

The prophets of Ba’al begin by dancing around their altar. They end by slashing at themselves until their blood runs (1 Kings 18:28). False gods always push us toward destruction: “Work harder. Do better. Obtain more. You still aren’t getting my attention. Slash yourself!” So we slash at our bodies by going through crash diets to attain that perfect figure. We slash at our families by overworking to make extra money. We slash at our souls by compromising our integrity to get someone’s affection.

False gods push us to mutilate ourselves, because we desperately want to win their approval. But only one God was ever mutilated for us—Jesus Christ.This story ends with a magnificent fire coming from heaven, but as Jesus himself points out to his first disciples, the fire was not intended for sinful humanity (Luke 9:51–56). It was ultimately intended for him: of all the characters in this story, Jesus is not Elijah, calling down fire; he is the sacrifice who receives the fire of judgment.

At the cross, Jesus took into his body the fire of God’s justice so that we could take into our lives the fire of God’s love. Other gods demand dancing, slashing, mutilation. But Jesus Christ is the only God who was slashed and mutilated for us. As Tim Keller has said, “Every other god will make your blood run; only the true God bleeds for you.

The Advantage of Weakness

From J.D. Greear:

...Before God can use us, He must first break us. God was breaking Elijah as a way of preparing to use him, and he is often at work in the same way in our lives. Someone we trust betrays us; or we lose our job; or we have a sudden decline in health. In all of this, God is at work—removing our idols, those areas of false trust, false joy, and false hope. Because if dependence is the objective, weakness is an advantage.

Paul said it like this: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that power of Christ may rest on me” (2 Cor 12:9). On the face of it, that is just crazy. We do not naturally boast about being financially weak (poor), or occupationally weak (unemployed), or relationally weak (alone). But Paul boasted in his weakness because he knew that God’s miracles and his glories are found there, not in our strengths.

So rejoice in your weaknesses! And on the flip side, beware your strengths, because those are the areas you are most likely to forget God...

More at the link.

Fellowship with God

From How to Have Communion With the Spirit by J.D. Greear:

The Christian life is not just about doctrines or spiritual disciplines, but about fellowship with God—koinonia. But how can you experience moments of fellowship with God?

1. Put yourself in the presence of his Word.

If you want God to manifest himself to you, don’t get alone with yourself and “listen to your heart.” That’s a pit of poison. Don’t go out in the woods and wait for a bolt of inspiration. My advice to believers and non-believers here is the same: you need to consistently put yourself in the presence of the Word. After all, God cannot make the Word of Life come alive in your heart unless that Word is already there!
Here are several practical suggestions to this end:

Do a ‘quiet time.’ This is probably the worst naming job in contemporary Christianity: it sounds like God is putting you in the corner and telling you to shut up. But the idea behind a ‘quiet time’ is an important one. Every day, for at least 30 minutes, set aside time to spend with God. I split my time up into thirds: 1. Read the Bible, 2. Pray, and 3. Read through a devotional book.

Memorize Scripture. When I was a kid, I memorized Scripture for all of the wrong reasons. I wanted the gold star and for everyone to say I was #1. But despite my terrible motivations, when I became a Christian those verses came alive to me in awesome ways. Having chunks of Bible tucked away into our memory doesn’t earn us any merit with God, but it does provide fuel for an experience of God’s fellowship.

Pray the Scriptures back to God. Part of why I read the Bible before I pray is so that I can do this. I pray back over what I’ve just read. Sometimes I associate certain passages with people I’m praying for. Scripture shows me the mind of God and teaches me how to pray.

New Eyes To See

From a great post by J.D. Greear:

In the opening verses of 1 John, the Apostle John says that one of the signs that you really know God is you have fellowship—koinonia—with him through the Spirit. God begins to come alive to you. In a very real and tangible way, he speaks to you.

Now, I’m not talking about some new word from God. I hear church talk like this all the time: “God told me that you should give me $1,000,” or “God told me that we are supposed to get married.” That’s bad enough (Have some courage and ask the girl out on your own!). But I even hear people tell me about “God’s word to them” that contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture. I hear with depressing frequency the astounding claim: “God told me to leave my wife.” I cannot stress this enough: God will never speak to you in a way that contradicts his Word.

No, koinonia—the experience of God’s presence—does not happen when God delivers a new word, but when the Word of Life is “made manifest” to us (1 John 1:2). Manifestation means magnification, coming alive. A genuine experience with God is the magnification of the word of the gospel in your heart.

When this happens to you, you begin to feel the word of life. The cross becomes larger. Your sin becomes more real. God’s grace becomes sweeter. The “old” words of life press in on your heart and they become new to you. It’s like those magic eye pictures (Remember them?). You can stare at the morass of dots for hours, and it just looks like random pixels. But if you cross your eyes just right, you suddenly see the 3-D image. That’s how it is when you experience God: you aren’t given new information to understand, but new eyes to see...

Read it all at the link.

Let's Go Swimming!

"The gospel isn't the diving board of Christianity. The gospel is the pool itself."

             - J.D. Greear

Hat Tip: Darryl Dash

The Defining Element

"A gospel-centered church is always about the gospel. It preaches the gospel in all places, at all times, to all people. The gospel is the defining element in every part of their ministry.

Nonbelievers need to hear the gospel to believe it and be saved.  Believers need to be reminded of the gospel so they can grow deeper in Christ. There really is no distinction, you see, between what believers need to hear and what unbelievers need to hear. Both believers and unbelievers need to get a glimpse of God's majestic glory, a taste of His surpassing beauty, and a sense of how much grace God has shown toward them in Christ. Both believers and unbelievers need to be rebukes for their pride and self sufficiency, to be reminded of the all surpassing beauty of God. They both need to be stirred up to faith. The gospel is the center of the message no matter who you are talking to. It is everything. Christ is all."

- J.D. Greear, Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, page 240.

The Power of Beholding

"When we see the size and beauty of the God who speaks to us, the power of sin and idolatry over our hearts is broken.

The way that we will stop sinning is not by being told over and over, 'Stop sinning!' but by seeing the majesty and glory of God in our hearts.

'But wait!' you might say. 'The Bible is full of directives and prohibitions.  Isn't the point of the Bible to stop sinning?'

Yes. But ceasing to sin is the by-product of seeing God. As we see the beauty of God and feel His weightiness in our hearts, our hearts begin to desire Him more than we desire sin. Before the Bible says, 'Stop sinning,' it says, 'Behold your God!'"

- J.D. Greear, The Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, page 97

I'm finding gems like this on almost every page of this powerful book!

Promise First

"Think of what Jesus said to the woman caught in the act of adultery. He said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more' (John 8:11 NKJV). What is most significant about His statement is its order: promise first; command second. 'Neither do I condemn you' precedes 'go and sin no more.' We almost always try to reverse those. We say, 'If you can manage to go and sin no more, then God will accept you.'

God, however, motivates us from acceptance, not toward it. Jesus' affirmation would give this woman the security that could free her from her destructive relationship with sex. Without that, she'd never truly break free. God's approval is the power that liberate us from sin, not the reward for having liberated ourselves."

- J.D. Greear, The Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, pages 53-54

Upside Down

"When our salvation depends upon our righteous behavior, our righteousness will be driven by a desire to elevate ourselves in the eyes of God.  This is not love for God, it's self-protection.

The gospel turns religion upside down. The gospel assures us of God's acceptance, given us as a gift earned by Christ's worthiness, not ours. In response to that gift, we are moved to obey. Love for Him grows in response to His love for us....

...The gospel reawakens us to the beauty of God and overwhelms us with mercy. Our behavior changes us because we change. Until that happens, all religious changes will be superficial. Even if you force yourself to act right, your heart will be going in the other direction. This is the doctrine of total depravity."

- J.D. Greear, The Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, pages 36-37

The Cure

"Whatever spiritual dysfunction you have in your life, the cure is the gospel. Do we want to be filled with passion for God? We should drink from the gospel. Do we want to get control of our bodies? We must be captivated by the gospel. Do we want to be content with what we have? We need to feast on the gospel. Do we want to learn how to love your spouse? We have to be overwhelmed by the gospel.....

....Always 'begin again' with the gospel. Abide in it; swim in it; make your home in it. See more and more of your life through it. Be absolutely convinced at every moment of every day of the goodness of God in your life. That's the only way you'll ever really grow."

- J.D. Greear, The Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, pages 22-23

Escape the Default Mode

"...as Martin Luther noted, religion forms the default mode of the human heart. It is essential, then, that we distinguish religion from the gospel.  Religion, as the default mode of our thinking and practices, is based on performance: 'I obey; therefore I am accepted by God.' The basic operating principle of the gospel, however, is, not surprisingly, an about-face, one of unmerited acceptance: 'I am accepted by God through Christ; therefore, I obey.' To truly understand this paradigm shift at a life-altering level requires that the gospel be explored and 'looked into' at every opportunity and in regular, systematic ways."

Tim Keller, from the foreword to J. D. Greear's Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, page xiv.

Grace Based Prayers

From J.D. Greear’s new book Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary come these suggested themes for “gospel prayer”:

1. In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less.
2. Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy.
3. As You have been to me so I will be to others.
4. As I pray, I’ll measure Your compassion by the cross and Your power by the resurrection.

Hat Tip: Is the Gospel Influencing Your Daily Life? – Justin Taylor

You can read an interview with the author by Trevin Wax here.

What Religion Cannot Do

"The gospel is able to do produce in our hearts what religion never could: a desire for God."

This quote is from a great piece by J.D. Greear at the Resurgence. He goes on to say:

“ 'Rediscovering' the Gospel has given me a joy in God I never experienced in all my years of fervent religion. Now I sense, almost daily, a love for God replacing my love for myself. The jealously that once consumed my heart is being replaced by a desire to see others prosper. I feel selfishness giving way to tenderness and generosity. My cravings for the lusts of the flesh are being replaced by a craving for righteousness, and my self-centered dreams are being replaced by God-glorifying ambitions. A power is surging in me that is changing me and pushing me out into the world to leverage my life for the Kingdom of God."

Good stuff! Much more at the link.

How the Gospel Does What Religion Cannot | The Resurgence:

November Reading Report

Here's what I have read and am reading this month.

Breaking the Islam Code: Understanding the Soul Questions on Every Muslim, by J.D. Greear. I've enjoyed Greear's writngs in his blog and internet journals, but this was the first of his books I've read. Greear lived among Muslims for many years and knows both Islamic and Christian theology.  The book is designed to help Christians understand the deep longings in the hearts of many Muslims, and to address those longings with the message of the Gospel.  I think he accomplished his mission - Good book! Trevin Wax has an extensive review of the book here.

Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God, by John Piper.  The goal of this new Piper book is that "thinking is essential in coming to know God; and mature thinking is needed in order to know God maturely" (page 143), and to "encourage serious, faithful, humble thinking that leads to the true knowledge of God, which leads to loving him, which over flows in loving others" (page 154). Guess what - This book made me think! (You never would have guessed that from the title, would you?)

First Family: Abigail & John Adams, by Joseph Ellis.  John Adams is my favorite member of the pantheon of American Founding Fathers. His tremendous contributions to the foundations of American constitutional theory and diplomacy have been relatively under appreciated, despite the popular HBO mini series and the David McCullough book. This book focuses on the role the wonderful and unique relationship between Adams and his wife Abigail played in his accomplishments as a diplomat and statesman. I'm enjoying it.