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Author Topic: Idols of the Heart  (Read 4998 times)

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Sozo

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Idols of the Heart
« on: May 28, 2008, 10:18:13 AM »

What constitutes an Idol of the Heart?  What would be a good way to describe an Idol of the Heart?
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mharrell08

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Re: Idols of the Heart
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2008, 10:45:59 AM »

Hello Sozo,

Here is a excerpt for the LOF series pt. 14

IF YE BE CIRCUMCISED, CHRIST SHALL PROFIT YOU NOTHING

To me it is a thing of overwhelming amazement that what most Christians around the world aspire to BE and ACCOMPLISH in their spiritual walk with God, is the very thing that our Apostle Paul called: "DUNG"!

Christians claim that their bondage to physical commandments and traditions of men, are really spiritual.

Some make an idol of the heart out of keeping the Saturday Sabbath;

others make an idol of the heart out of claiming they are "tithing" when they give money to the church;

others make an idol of the heart out of physical circumcision;

others make an idol of the heart out of being baptized in the name of Jesus ONLY;

others make an idol of the heart out of believing in the unscriptural teaching of a trinity or rapture,

others make an idol of the heart out of demonic gibberish and tongues speaking;

others make an idol of the heart out of drinking poison and handling poisonous snakes;

others make an idol of the heart out of Christian Politics;

others make an idol of the heart out of their own church affiliation or pastor or choir or a plethora of church activities;

others (many) make an idol of the heart out of some pet, little-understood and little-believed Bible prophecy, which only they understand;

others make an idol of the heart out of much speaking using spiritually-sounding words and phrases (of which they understand little or nothing);

others make an idol of the heart out of joyfully condemning all those who do not subscribe to their brand of Christianity, to an eternal torture in hell fire (I am the brunt of a lot of these);

and others just flat out worship themselves


These are just a few 'idols of the heart' that everyone must repent of. Everyone at one time or another (and most to the end of their physical life) have some if not all these idols in their hearts. One way an idol of the heart be described is anything (person, place, thing, idea, doctrine, etc.) that one places before God in their hearts. That's the best description I can come up with using the little wisdom The Father has given me. I'm pretty sure others can help out as well.


Marques
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Stevernator

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Re: Idols of the Heart
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2008, 10:50:27 AM »

An idol is anything that receives the worship that is supposed to be given to God. So an idol of the heart can be many things such as money, a person, power, lust, yourself, worldly philosophy, art, drugs, music, revenge, false doctrine... etc. So if any of us have more affection to something than we do for God it is likely we may have an idol of the heart.

"Love not the world, neither the things are are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is NOT IN HIM.  For [here's the reason why] ALL that is in the world, [1] the LUST OF THE FLESH, and [2] the LUST OF THE EYES, and [3] the PRIDE OF LIFE, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:15-16).

Rom 14:23
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.


I believe that I still have some idols of the heart.

This is from LOF 3.

And so we are assured that EVERYONE will be "revealed," "tried," "salted," and "baptized" "in FIRE." And these fiery trials as Peter calls them go on for a lifetime. If it were real, physical fire, all believers’ lives would be short indeed. God is SPIRIT, and God is a CONSUMING FIRE. It is God’s SPIRIT that is likened to fire. The spiritual teaching in this symbol is to recognize what real fire accomplishes and to then use that as an analogy as to what God DOES TO US (or more properly FOR US).

Fire does a number of things:

Fire CHANGES things. Fire brings about molecular changes in the materials that are burned. God’s spiritual fire will make changes in our mind, heart, and spirit.

Fire PURGES. In times past if a building were diseased and rat-infested, they would purge away the filth by burning it down. We are to be purged from all our diseases of sin and carnality. Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin for us, but now God wants to get at the root and core of what caused us to sin in the first place. We all need desperately to be CHANGED and PURGED.

Fire BURNS UP combustible materials that have no value in saving. God will burn out of all of us the straw, grass, and stubble, which represent evil and wrong doctrines, idols of the heart, and philosophies that exalt themselves against God.

Fire PURIFIES things of value which we do want to retain. The analogy is used in the Scriptures of purifying gold by fire to make it more beautiful and more valuable. Gold represents the highest doctrines of spiritual understanding such as the Love of God and the Sovereignty of God, and salvation of all.

No one teaches us more regarding the fiery trials of life than the apostle to the nations, Paul. Paul was "revealed, tried, salted, and baptized" in God’s "CONSUMING FIRE," and yet never a single hair on his head was ever singed.

http://bible-truths.com/lake3.html

I also encourage you to check out this from LOF 14

TURNING OUR IDOLS OF THE HEART INTO POWDER

In Ezekiel 14:7 we read:

"For every one of the house of Israel [WE {Gentiles} are now the circumcision of God, Phil. 3:3. WE {Gentile believers} are the true Jew, Romans 2:28-29. WE {Gentiles & a remnant of racial Israel} are the spiritual Israel of God, Gal. 6:16] or of the stranger that sojourns in Israel, which separates himself from Me, and sets up HIS IDOLS IN HIS HEART…"

We all have "idols of the heart." Whenever we disobey God, we are giving allegiance to and manifesting idols in our heart.

When ancient Israel turned from God, they too manifested the idols in their hearts by building a literal golden calf idol with which to worship. And what did God do through Moses?

"And he [Moses] took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire [don’t forget I Cor. 3:15], and GROUND IT TO POWDER, and scattered it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it" (Exodus 32:20).

How many understand our Lord’s statements in Luke 20:17-18?

"And He beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the Head of the corner? Whomsoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever It shall fall, It will GRIND HIM TO POWDER."

When we fall on the Stone (Jesus), we are broken. Or as John tells us in Revelation,

"And I saw one of his heads as it were WOUNDED TO DEATH…" (Rev. 13:3).

Yes, when we fall on Christ we are broken, we are wounded (by the "sword" of God—Rev. 13:14 vs. Heb. 4:12). This is our human attempt at salvation. But then we fall, and our "deadly wound [which we received by the Word of God] was healed" (Rev. 13:3), we went back into the world, back into Babylon, thus leaving our first love. When the wound of the Sword of God’s Word that had slain us, is healed, we fall from the love of God, and we again turn our love to the world from which we came.

But here’s the good news concerning this stone. If we are among the chosen that overcome, then the Stone falls ON US, and our spiritual house built upon the sand comes crashing down. And when Jesus falls on us, He GRINDS US [along with all of our idols of the heart] TO POWDER!

Remember we are but "clay" in the hands of the Master Potter, and clay consists of particles of sedimentary silicates of aluminum less than two-thousandth of a millimeter in diameter—in other words, very fine powder. In Ancient Israel, the sin offering, the peace offering, the meat offering, and thank offering all had to be made with fine flour. All of the universe is composed of very fine things.

http://bible-truths.com/lake14.html

There are times when I want something that I know goes against God's word. Whenever that happens I can be pretty sure that I have an idol of the heart.

Peace to you,
Steve
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Roy Monis

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Re: Idols of the Heart
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2008, 10:52:38 AM »

Hi! Sozo

What constitutes an "Idol of the Heart?" Now that's not a difficult question to answer. I believe that any preconceived corrupt teachings taught by Babylon which have become firmly implanted in one's belief and not got rid off completely on coming out of her will constitute an "Idol of the Heart." That is just my opinion, I may be wrong.

Anything that takes preference to God is an idol, and that means a looooot of idols.


God bless you my brother/sister in our walk in Christ. 

Love in Christ Jesus.

Roy UK     
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David

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Re: Idols of the Heart
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2008, 03:42:09 AM »

This is an easy one. We all have them, and its probably more difficult than any time in history to avoid them or put them out of our minds.
As has already been pointed out, there are religious idols of the heart, false doctrines etc, rituals we have difficulty letting go of. False doctrines are probably the worst idol of the heart according to Scripture. Jesus reserved his most wrathful indignation and condemnation for those scribes and Pharisees that were filled with hypocrisy and blasphemed God.
Riches was another idol of the heart that Jesus had a few things to say about.
Today we are tested more than any time in history. Those people whom Christ got so angry with in Mathew 23 didn't have anything like the stuff we have to contend with. Thousands of denominations, all saying they have the truth etc. Constantly bombarded with advertising for meterial things, imagery that attempts to lure us into sin, pressure to be socially and financially successful, the list is almost endless. As far as temptation is concerned the people in the time of Christ had it easy by comparison. Their lives were probably much harsher, probably more brutal etc, but they didn't have the temptation we are faced with almost the moment we open our eyes in the morning.

Mat 24:12  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

Mark 13:13 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

2 Thes 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;

2 Tim 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

2 Tim 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.


2 Tim 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

James 5:10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful

Satan tempts us all the time with idols of the heart, but as these scriptures show we must endure to the end.
God bless
David.
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Heidi

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Re: Idols of the Heart
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2008, 05:05:59 AM »

I thank all of you who have replied to this post.  I have learned so much from reading the different replies.  I think that what stands out for me is without God crushing the idols of my heart to powder, there is nothing I can do but to push on to the end.

1 Peter 4:1
Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

That would be any idol of the heart be it financial, prestige, speaking in tongues etc.  Because having to give it up will be hard...you may physically suffer in your body from it....but have the same attitude will make us overcomers with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Just my two cents worth?
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ellie77

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Re: Idols of the Heart
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2008, 06:48:12 AM »

Thank you all for these wonderful posts. Part of what I realised was that I have some repenting to do. As I learned more of how the chuch so deceived or rather how I was deceived and turned away from these things,there was a sort of shock going on inside.Just didnd't want to know anymore...but on some things I just plain forgot to repent.Sometimes it is difficult to have those things up front in my mind on a repentance level....Oh well..off to repent.....Peace to all Ellie.
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