What about the sin of idolatry? You folks do believe that idolatry is a sin, do you not?
How many times did God condemn Israel for idolatry? How many times did God raise up armies to destroy Israel because of their idolatrous ways?
But you folks apparently think that idolatry today is no big deal. It's okay to mix the resurrection of Christ with the celebration of Ishtar, which is what Easter is. It's okay to mix the birth of Christ with Saturnelia and Brumelia. It doesn't matter what Scripture says in II Corinthians 6:14-18.
"What does the temple of God have to do with idols?"
Obviously, man-made traditions are more important than the Word of God.
But go your own way. You'll find out who is right in this discussion when it comes time for judgement.
Idolatry is putting something before God or making it more important than God in your life. I do not for ONE SECOND see how celebrating Christmas - the birth of CHRIST - makes me an idolater and I don't care WHAT day it falls on or HOW it originated. We also have "Praise Night" at church in place of Halloween. Am I going to hell for that, too?
The Bible also says "judge not, lest ye be judged." That's the passage I think you should be concentrating on.
dear folks, lets take a look at what it is idolatry really means here..
exodus 20:3 -6 3"You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
wikopedia,
The word idolatry comes (by haplology) from the Greek word eidololatria, a compound of eidolon, "image" or "figure", and latreia, "worship". Although the Greek appears to be a loan translation of the Hebrew phrase avodat elilim, which is attested in rabbinic literature (e.g., bChul., 13b, Bar.), the Greek term itself is not found in the Septuagint, Philo, Josephus, or in other Hellenistic Jewish writings. It is also not found in Greek literature. In the New Testament, the Greek word is found only in the letters of Paul, 1 Peter, 1 John, and Revelation, where it has a derogatory meaning. Hebrew terms for idolatry include avodah zarah (foreign worship) and avodat kochavim umazalot (worship of planets and constellations).
There is no one section that clearly defines idolatry; rather there are a number of commandments on this subject spread through the books of the Hebrew Bible, some of which were written in different historical eras, in response to different issues. Taking these verses together, idolatry in the Hebrew Bible is defined as either:
the worship of idols (or images)
the worship of polytheistic gods by use of idols (or images)
the worship of animals or people
the use of idols in the worship of God.
me again,
so as you can see for yourself folks. anytime, anyday ,any night that you wanna celebrate or worship or serve GOD THE FATHER,OR GOD THE SON. youre welcome to do so less youre bowin down to an idol or worshipping an object or worshipping a different god than the one true AND LIVING GOD OR JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR.
its a simple question for each one of us all. who or what are you celebrating or worshipping? and thats a question only each one of us all can answer for themselves.
FIRSTLY, IDOLATRY IS AS BIG A DEAL AS EVERY OTHER SIN, THAT IS FOR SURE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY INTERPRETATION OF SAMSONS POST IS THAT, PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY SOME CHRISTIANS, ARE INCREASINGLY VALUING THE BUYING AND OPENING OF PRESENTS, THE PURCHASE AND DECORATION OF CHRISTMAS TREE'S, EASTER EGGS AND SO ON, MORE HIGHLY THAN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND WORSHIP TOWARDS OUR LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOUR�S BIRTH AND RESURRECTION.
PERSONALLY, DEPENDING ON HOW WE VALUE THE EASTER AND CHRISTMAS ATTACHMENTS/PERIPHERALS, THEN YES, SAMSON HAS A POINT, IF WE AS CHILDREN OF GOD, PLACE MORE IMPORTANCE IN SUCH MATERIALS, TO THE EXTENT OF WORSHIPING THEM, WE DEFINATELY THEN ARE COMMITING IDOLATRY. MATTHEW 6:24 24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money
IN ADDITION, I DO NOT THINK THE EASTER AND CHRISTMAS ATTACHMENTS/ PERIPHERALS , ARE WRONG, AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT BECOME THE FOCAL POINT AND AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT WORSHIPPED, CHRIST HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND SHOULD REMAIN AS THE FOCAL POINT AND OR THE NUMBER ONE IN OUR LIVES.
IN CONCLUSION, I THINK THAT WE AS CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT JUST SIT AROUND AND WATCH WHILST PEOPLE IDOLISE AND WORSHIP ON SUCH THINGS, NEITHER SHOULD WE CONDEM AND OR JUDGE, BUT WE SHOULD JOIN TOGETHER IN PRAYER FOR SUCH PEOPLE.
THE WORD OF GOD IN (MATTHEW 7: 16-20), SAYS THAT, 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
HAVING READ THIS AND IN REPITION OF MY 6TH PARAGRAPH, LETS JOIN TOGETHER AND PRAY:prayingf: FOR THE IDOLATROUS OF THIS WORLD, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN THE POWER TO JUDGE, OUR FRUITS WILL TELL THE STORY ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.
That is only part of what I am saying. The commercialization of the birth of Christ is certainly wrong. But that is not everything.
And, Linnie, have you studied the origin of Christmas? I have.
By the mid 4th century A.D. the church of Rome has been attempting to bring the pagans into the church. But, the pagans did not want to stop their pagan practices. So, Liberius, bishop of Rome, made a decree that the pagans could continue their practices and accept the sacraments of the church at the same time. Out of this decree grew three "holy days" of the church. Easter, Holloween and Christmas.
Easter, Holloween and Christmas is just as idolatrous as the Golden Calf.
I realize I left gaps in this explanation. But the information I have on this idolatry wold take a book to put it all in.
I suggest, Linnie, you study to show theyself approved unto God. II Timothy 2:15
�What about the sin of idolatry?� Originally posted by Samson01
1st, Physical idolatry (outward acts of idolatry) comes from spiritual idolatry (inward acts of idolatry) = thoughts and beliefs developed within our minds apart from the knowledge of God that are untrue).
2nd, Then we take those thoughts and beliefs, which lack truth and meaning and elevate them to equality with the only truth that exists (the truth of God), and we act upon them as if they were truth. = We act as if we were God, knowing or determining good and evil. = This Is The Essence Of Idolatry.
What is the most immediate form of idolatry able to be committed? = That of the false image of ourselves. Our own identities built up apart from the �truth of God�. The image of God which each of us bears being filled by feeding from the world (untruth) or by feeding from the Manna from Heaven (Truth Itself, the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ).
Adam = the image of God filled with the knowledge of God (truth) by feeding from God = a truthful image (the substance of the image being true to the image).
Adam = the image of God filled apart from the knowledge of God (untruth) by feeding or �leaning on our own understanding� = a false image or an �idol� carved or created by the spiritual �hands� of man. Which according to Exodus 20 verse 5, we are not to bow down to or serve.
Thanks for welcoming me. I have enjoyed reading both of your responses in the forums as well as the responses of others. From what I have seen so far there are many thoughtful people here on this site.
