An idol is anything you love, trust, fear, desire, or obey more than God. It doesn’t have to be a carved statue. It can be money, success, relationships, pleasure, reputation, or even your own goodness if those things take the place that belongs to Christ alone.
When Adam, the first man of creation, disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, he brought sin and death into God’s perfect world and passed on the curse of his sin nature to all of mankind. So we are all born separated from God, lost, condemned and without hope apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Turn to, hope in and rely on Jesus for your salvation. Put your faith and trust in Him today.
The Love of Sin (John 3:19-20) – The unwillingness to give up a sinful lifestyle. People sin because they want to, not because “the devil made me do it.”
“Men loved the darkness rather than the Light…”
Satan is the “father of lies.” His goal is to destroy humanity—whether directly or by tempting us into self-destruction, leading to eternal separation from God in a fiery torment. Though he influences every living person, he cannot force anyone to sin. He lies, deceives, and confuses in order to tempt you to make sinful choices and turn away from God.
People reject Christ because they love sin more than him.
Money and Wealth (Matthew 19:24) – Trusting riches instead of God.
“And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.“
Career and Success (Mark 8:36) – Making achievement life’s highest priority.
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
Earthly success is worthless if it costs your soul for eternity.
Power and Influence (Matthew 20:25–28) – Desiring control over submission to God.
“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Pleasure and Entertainment (2 Timothy 3:2-4) – Living only for comfort and enjoyment.
“For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…“
Sexual Immorality (of all kinds) (1 Corinthians 6:18-20) Refusing God’s design for purity.
“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
In the Bible, sexual immorality is a broad term for sexual activity outside God’s design for marriage between a man and a woman.
The word translated “sexual immorality” in the New Testament is porneia, an umbrella term covering unlawful sexual conduct.
And “flee” is significant. Paul does not say merely to resist it or see how close you can get without sinning.
- Adultery — sexual relations with someone other than your spouse.
- Fornication — sexual relations between unmarried people.
- Prostitution — exchanging sexual activity for money or other compensation.
- Pornography — viewing or producing sexually explicit material for sexual stimulation.
- Lustful fantasizing — deliberately entertaining sexual desire for someone outside marriage.
- Incest — sexual relations between close relatives forbidden by Scripture.
- Homosexual sexual activity — sexual relations between people of the same sex.
- Pedophilic sexual behavior — sexual activity directed toward children.
- Child sexual abuse — any sexual contact with or sexual use of a child.
- Grooming of children — manipulating or preparing a child for sexual exploitation or abuse.
- Bestiality — sexual activity with animals.
- Sexual abuse — forcing, exploiting, or violating another person sexually.
- Sexual coercion — pressuring or compelling someone into sexual activity.
- Sexual exploitation — using another person for sexual gratification, profit, or advantage.
- Other sexually impure behavior — sexual conduct outside the marriage covenant that violates biblical standards of purity.
- And, unfortunately— many others…
Sexual intimacy belongs within marriage; outside that covenant, Scripture calls us to purity, self-control, and avoidance of situations that cultivate lust.
Pride (James 4:6) Refusing to humble oneself before God.
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
The unbeliever’s inner spirit is bent on evil. God’s grace is greater than the power of sin, the flesh, the world and Satan. Only His grace can rescue man from his lust for evil.
Proud means having an inflated view of yourself; self-exalting, self-reliant, unwilling to submit to God, correction, or truth.
Humble means having a right view of yourself before God; recognizing your dependence on Him, being teachable, submissive, and willing to put others before yourself.
Self-Rule (Luke 9:23) Wanting to be one’s own master rather than Christ’s servant.
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Popularity and Approval (John 12:43) Fearing what people think more than fearing God.
False Religion (Matthew 7:22-23) Trusting rituals, good works, or another religion instead of Christ.
Intellectual Pride (Romans 1:21-22) Refusing to believe because of unbelief or skepticism.
Family or Relationships (Matthew 10:37) Loving others more than Christ.
Possessions (Luke 12:15) Living for material things.
Fame and Recognition (John 5:44) Seeking personal glory rather than God’s glory.
Comfort and Security (Luke 9:57-62) Avoiding the cost of following Jesus.
Addictions (1 Corinthians 6:12) Being enslaved to alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, or many other destructive habits.
Bitterness and Unforgiveness (Ephesians 4:31-32) Refusing to surrender one’s heart to God.
Fear (Matthew 10:28) Fear of persecution, rejection, or losing one’s lifestyle.
Time and Busyness (Hebrews 3:15) Continually putting off responding to Christ.
Self-Righteousness (Isaiah 64:6) Believing one is “good enough” without the Savior.
Do not let these things become idols.
“Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” — 1 John 5:21
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