Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

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The second commandment states that we are not to make a graven, or carved, image of anything that is in heaven or on the earth, and that we are not to bow down to such images. This seems straight forward enough. There are examples of idol worship in the Bible such as Asherah poles and the golden calf. We can think of examples of idol worship in the world today such as Buddah statues, tv, and money. But there is a bit of confusion within the Christian church as to what is and is not an idol.

There are also examples of images in the Bible that were acceptable to make, and the people were even commanded to look at such as the bronze serpent and the stones to mark the Jordan crossing. The Catholic church is full of statues, paintings, and icons that they are to bow and pray to. Protestant churches say that such things are idols, and that we are not to have them. But some churches go even further and say that the cross is an idol. We should not dismiss such accusations outright without careful introspection. Has the symbol of the cross become an idol in the church?

“See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” (Gal 6:11-15 ESV)

Our church received a thank you card in the mail this week. The card is a physical object that reminds us of an abstract idea: their thankful hearts. It wouldn’t make sense to thank them for the card they sent, because the card wasn’t a gift, it merely represents their thankfulness. It’s like when we say “thank you” to someone after they just said “thank you” to us. It doesn’t make any sense! The card is merely a physical reminder of the thankfulness they wanted to express.

The apostles almost always referred to the cross as an abstract idea rather than a physical object. They seldom used the word solely to refer to the actual tree on which Christ died. The cross represents the death of Christ. The cross represents His suffering. When we look at the cross, it should brings these kinds of things to our minds. The cross should remind us of the freedom we have in Christ. We have freedom not to sin, but to live to the glory of God. The cross should remind us that we have died to this world, so that we may live for Christ.

Jesus stated that we cannot serve God and mammon. The word is often translated “money,” but it’s actually more broad than that. Jesus was saying we can’t serve God and things. We must serve God only. I think this is the key to determining what is an idol versus what is an acceptable symbol. When something replaces worship of God, it is an idol.

Idols take many forms. It can be an object. It can be an idea. It can be wealth. The rich young ruler was told to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor in order to follow Jesus not because this is a requirement for all of us, but because money was an idol to him. So I say to all of you, if money is an idol to you, if you worship money and if it gets in the way of your worship of God, sell all you have, and follow Christ instead!

But when something helps you to worship the true and living God more, it is a symbol. It is to be embraced. The Israelites were commanded to look at the bronze serpent because in doing so they were showing they trusted God. They were told to set up stones in order to remember how God had led them out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Surround yourself with symbols that direct your heart towards God.

I’d like to conclude with a quote from Martin Luther. “Ask and examine your heart diligently, and you will find whether it cleaves to God alone or not. If you have a heart that can expect of Him nothing but what is good, especially in want and distress, and that, moreover, renounces and forsakes everything that is not God, then you have the only true God. If, on the contrary, it cleaves to anything else, of which it expects more good and help than of God, and does not take refuge in Him, but in adversity flees from Him, then you have an idol, another god.”

Do not worship anything, whether an object of your making or choosing. Do not worship your ideas and thoughts, placing them on the level of Scripture. Worship God alone Allow all of your possessions, and all of your thoughts to direct you to worship God.