Eze 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Setting up idols in our hearts.
Putting stumblingblocks of sin before our faces.
Do we do this? We all know what idols are, right? Let's take a look at the dictionary definition just to be sure…
Idol
I'DOL, n. [L. idolum; Gr. form or to see.]
1. An image, form or representation, usually of a man or other animal, consecrated as an object of worship; a pagan deity. Idols are usually statues or images, carved out of wood or stone, or formed of metals, particularly silver or gold.
The gods of the nations are idols. Psa 96.
2. An image.
Nor ever idol seemed so much alive.
3. A person loved and honored to adoration. The prince was the idol of the people.
4. Any thing on which we set our affections; that to which we indulge an excessive and sinful attachment.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5.
An idol is any thing which usurps the place of God in the hearts of his rational creatures.
5. A representation. [Not in use.]
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So, ANYTHING which usurps the place of God in our hearts. Technically that means we can be our own idols doesn't it? Our loved ones can be our idols, the television can be our idol, our cellphone, our computer, our animals, our jobs, our past times -- you name it, if it takes the place of God in our hearts, if we set our affections and have an excessive attachment to ANYTHING other than God we may be guilty of setting up idols in our hearts. Notice I said MAY BE, I hesitated. In truth it should read… if we set our affections and have an excessive attachment to ANYTHING other than God we ARE guilty of setting up idols in our hearts.
We ARE guilty.
Let's take a look at this next word…
Stumbling-block
STUMBLING-BLOCK, STUMBLING-STONE, n. [stumble and block or stone.] Any cause of stumbling; that which causes to err.
Any cause of stumbling, anything that causes us to err.
Putting stumblingblocks of sin before our faces.
Do we do this? Do we PUT things in our lives that cause us to sin?
We are estranged from God through our idols. We need to repent and turn from those idols. We need to turn our faces from ALL our abominations.
We are accountable for our lives make no mistake about it. We are accountable for cherishing sin. We are accountable for the idols we choose to worship.
'the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols'
Eze 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols
Answered according to the MULTITUDE of our idols!
We don't like to think about these things. We'd rather hear about the compassion of a forgiving Savior than hear about our idols and the need to turn from them. So many people believe that Jesus will save us no matter what sins we cherish and cling to.
It was Jesus who said this--
'Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. '
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
SIN NO MORE.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
Easier said than done, I know… I know.
Perhaps examining our lives is a first step. Recognizing the idols in our hearts, noting the stumblingblocks of sin we've erected in our lives. Instead of calling sin something else, note it for what it is. There is no pretending with God. There is no deceiving God. We can deceive ourselves into believing anything, but God will not be deceived.
Our hope is in Christ now and always!
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, SEEK those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 SET your affection on things ABOVE, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 FOR YE ARE DEAD, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 MORTIFY therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Col 3:8 But now ye also PUT OFF ALL these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have PUT OFF THE OLD MAN WITH HIS DEEDS;
Col 3:10 And have PUT ON THE NEW MAN, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Col 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but CHRIST IS ALL, AND IN ALL.
Col 3:12 PUT ON therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, BOWELS OF MERCIES, KINDNESS, HUMBLENESS OF MIND, MEEKNESS, LONGSUFFERING;
Col 3:13 FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER, and FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Col 3:14 And above all these things PUT ON CHARITY, which is the bond of perfectness.
Col 3:15 And LET THE PEACE OF GOD RULE IN YOUR HEARTS, to the which also ye are called in one body; and BE YE THANKFUL.
Col 3:16 LET the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Col 3:17 And WHATSOEVER ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the LORD JESUS, GIVING thanks to God and the Father by him.
Col 3:18 Wives, SUBMIT yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
Col 3:19 Husbands, LOVE your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Col 3:20 Children, OBEY your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Col 3:21 Fathers, PROVOKE NOT your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Col 3:22 Servants, OBEY in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, FEARING GOD:
Col 3:23 And WHATSOEVER ye do, do it heartily, as TO THE LORD, and not unto men;
Col 3:24 KNOWING that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for YE SERVE THE LORD CHRIST.
Col 3:25 BUT HE THAT DOETH WRONG SHALL RECEIVE FOR THE WRONG WHICH HE HATH DONE: AND THERE IS NO RESPECT OF PERSONS.
Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him
We receive our Savior, how?
Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Act 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Joh 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Joh 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Joh 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
Joh 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
Joh 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Joh 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Act 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
We are save by the grace of our Lord and Savior and only by His grace. Believing in the Lord and His grace in all truth is transforming. While we might look at our lives and cringe with a sense of hopelessness trying to creep in believing that we'll never be free of our sins, or the idols of our hearts, we have to look to Christ and hope in Him! We must 'die daily'. TRULY WE MUST DIE DAILY trusting in our Savior for His righteousness, His love, His forgiveness- something we'll NEVER be able to earn, something we'll never deserve. Hope is in Christ and ONLY in Christ!
In His amazing love!
Amen.
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