We read in I Corinthians. 10:14:  "wherefore my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." Why did God inspire Paul to admonish the Corinthian Church to flee from idolatry? After all, didn't he also say in chapter 8 verses 4 that an idol is nothing? So why should it be so important to flee from , stay away from, or avoid idols?

 

We can see from the history of Israel throughout the Old Testament that idolatry was the greatest sin that God's people were ever involved in. It was also a problem  in the New Testament especially among the gentiles.  We as Christians need to understand that  idolatry comes in a multitude of sizes, shapes, forms, and problems sometimes it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recognize it.  Let's look at the definition of the word in the Strong's Greek dictionary-#1495, "eldololatreia"  -image- worship.  So, to commit idolatry is to worship images.

 

What is an image? Again, Strong's Greek dictionary, #1504, Elkon, -a likeness, statue, profile, representation, resemblance.  Also from  #1503, Elkon-through the idea of faintness as a copy, to resemble.  So and image is put in place of the real thing, a "SUBSTITUTE"  if you will.  Anything that is substituted for the real thing and used in worship -IS IDOLATRY. Understanding these definitions, can open up a whole new picture of idolatry. we are all aware of the fact that at least one of the major religions of the world, openly uses statues and images in their worship.

 

Many years ago I asked one of my fellow employers, who was a member of that religion, why did they pray to statues? I told him that the first two commandments condemns this. He explained that their statue is a representation of a real person who has better access to God, therefore this person takes their prayer to God.  I Tim. 2:5 " For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." 

 

It is obvious that praying to a statue or even to the real person is placing a substitute for the  ONLY real mediator between God and man, thus committing idolatry.

 

As I mentioned, idolatry comes in many forms; Ex. 20;3-5. the first two commandments: (1 you shall have no other gods before me. (2 you shall not make any graven images nor bow down to, nor serve them, In Acts  chapter 17, Paul saw that the city of Athens was totally given over to idolatry. Likewise, the world today is totally immersed in religious "substitutes." There are hundreds of false religions teaching hundreds of false doctrines which are substitutes for the TRUE  religion of God and TRUE doctrine of Christ. So why does God tell us to flee from Idolatry?  Deut. 11:16 "take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them."  Other gods are substitutes, and to worship them would be to commit idolatry.  Notice that he said "take heed that your hearts be not deceived---."

 

Rev. 12:9  satan  has deceived and is still deceiving the whole world. all these worldly religions, (substitutes) have been deceived into committing  IDOLATRY.  Now let's consider I Cor.6;18: "flee fornication--" this word "fornication" comes from three Greek words. Strong's #4202, 4203, and 4204.  The definition of each of these three words includes "idolatry."  So idolatry and fornication are closely related and are shown to be an evil that Christians should and must avoid.

 

You've probably heard the old saying: " If you play with fire, you are bound to get burned," this is a very true and is especially true in these cases of idolatry and fornication. A person cannot get into a situation that involves fornication and remain in that situation without getting "Burned.."

 

Remember  how Solomon, in I Kings11,  had seven- hundred (700)  wives and three- hundred (300)  concubines?  Why did Solomon have so many women?  What happened to Solomon's wise judgment, was it because of these women?  verse 4--"for it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods....." 

 

God had already shown that marriages between the sons and daughters of idolatrous nations would result in turning the heart of Israel away from God to worshiping other gods.  So God knew from the beginning that we cannot get into these situations that involve idolatry and fornication and still remain faithful to Him.

 

Unless we separate ourselves from these situations, we could very easily be turned away from the true God and go after other gods. 

 

So God gave us the best solution to the problem....Flee From Idolatry.

 

-Neil Wroten.