Are some of us idolaters? What should our reaction be when confronting them?

 

Idolatry is on of the deeds of the flesh which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissentions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things will NOT inherit the kingdom of God.

(Galatians 5.19-21)

According to the Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary an idolater is not only the one who worships idols, but a person that admires intensely, and often blindly one that is not usually a subject of worship.  I could add that if you attack one, passionately, or laugh at him/her with mockery, you are idolizing his opponent, and you make the follower of the one you attack feel attacked too.

I felt like that this past weekend when I went to visit an attraction, a very peculiar festival, which name I will not publish for they are not at fault of what one of their actors is doing by discriminating people on account of their political belief. Actually, I am used to it. That is very common at the country I come from, where if you belong to the “wrong minority” who happens to think different than the “circus owners”, they make your life so irritable until you make a mistake and probably end up badly. That is why when that actor did not get the response he wanted, instead of saying:  What’s the matter, are you sleeping? He said: Are you ______ (and said the party name)? He kept on putting down the party people not caring if there were any of them in the audience.

At first I felt angry knowing that the ones he backs have atheist preferences, but I calmed down immediately and simply left.  No use to suffer. They are the ones who are really wrong, I thought. If those he and the ones like him idolize are Godless, their voters are also like them, and would harass their opponents. Immediately I remembered when Jesus spoke and said: Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. (Mathew 5.11)

And, am I acting badly by saying they are the ones who are wrong for being Godless? Well, perhaps they would also feel offended to that because they might think it is their right to think the way they want to and in their opinion they are not wrong. All right I can accept that. But one is right and the other one is not. I have the experience and I know when one is lied to as far as political beliefs is concerned. And as far as Christian beliefs I also know that my Redeemer lives and gives me strength to go on in this world influenced by the evil powers. God, once, became one of us in Jesus and was humiliated too and killed for political reasons because the people wanted someone to deliver them from an iniquitous (wicked) tyranny, but Jesus came to fulfill God’s agenda to deliver us from the evil that separates us from God. He said: My kingdom is NOT of this world (John18.36a) but, this is the world many people are idolaters of. And Paul said: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6.12)

So instead of insulting one another, we should love one another like Jesus asked us to overcome death together with Him. It is sad, though, that many will still argue there is no God, yet,  for this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.  (Ephesians 5.5-7)

I ask the ones who blindly idolize people to really study and scrutinize their agenda before hurting others who might belong to the family of God who is the only one worth worshiping for having overwhelmingly conquered to give us life eternal.

                       Happy Easter!