The Apostasy: The Idolatry of Evangelical Believers

Since I began this blog about the Apostasy and believers being falsely taught that God's Law has been "done away with", I've had the feeling that idolatry is being practiced by many believers - but I just couldn't figure out how to explain it.  For one thing, we don't have carved idols that we actually bow down to here in the U.S. as many foreign countries have with their various religions, etc.

Well, yesterday God showed me in Ezekiel 14:3-6, the idolatry that many evangelical believers are practicing today.  It's called "Idolatry of the Heart".  Here is how this passage reads in the NKJV:

"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity.  Should I (the Lord God) let Myself be inquired of at all by them? Therefore, speak to them, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God:  "Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols."'  Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God:  "Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations."

Ezekiel 14:7 & 8 then says:  "For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself.  I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people.  Then you shall know that I am the Lord."

How do we identify "idolatry of the heart"?  First of all, this idolatry is not referring to carved images that are set up in order for one to practice their religion by bowing down before them and/or offering sacrifices to them, etc.  This idolatry is something that "estranges and separates" us from our relationship with our God. (14:5)  This idolatry is something that "causes us to stumble into iniquity". (14:3,4,7)  It is an "idolatry of the heart" that makes our hearts lukewarm towards God.  I wrote about this in my blog in June 2010 regarding apostasy-and-uncircumcised hearts.

Many evangelical Christians are spending their spare time playing video games on their i-phones, playing fantasy games with others on their computers, and many are even spending time viewing pornagraphic websites.  Spending your spare time watching T.V., being on the internet, going shopping, being with friends, can all be "idolatry of the heart" IF it all leaves you with NO TIME to spend with your God by reading His Word (not someone else's devotionals) or being on your knees in prayer and worship before Him.  Of course, the more time we stay away from God and His Word - the more likely we are going to "stumble into iniquity" as Ezekiel 14 put it.  As someone else has put it, "If the devil can't get you to sin, he will keep you BUSY!"

If you as a believer in Christ Jesus, find you have "no heart" for spending time with Him - then you need to examine your heart and your lifestyle.  If you find that your "want to" is broken regarding spending time in prayer and Bible-reading, then do what Ezekiel 14:6 says to do:  "Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations."  If you find you don't even have "the heart" to do this - then you, my dear friend, have been deceived into thinking that you are truly a born-again Christian.
As I John 3:10 says, "Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God..."    If you have a desire to have a personal relationship with God, please let me know and I will be glad to introduce you to Him.