Exodus 20:4-5

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. ⁵ You shall not worship them nor serve them;

The reason idols are so offensive to God is that the one and only invisible and incomparable God has taken on human flesh and entered into the world. God has made Himself known in the person of Jesus Christ. That’s why you won’t find your way to God through an idol or through endless spiritual experiences.

Jesus condemned idol worship by emphasizing that true worship must be directed solely to God, encapsulated in the commandment to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength. He taught that anything loved, desired, or prioritized above God—whether physical objects, other people, or even self-approval—is an idol and a distraction from a relationship with the true God. His teachings imply that worshiping a created thing or person is a form of idolatry, a sin that pulls a person away from God. 

Jesus’s Teachings on Idolatry

• Love for God First: Jesus reiterated the Great Commandment, stating that love for God must be supreme, consuming one’s entire being and leaving no room to love or worship idols. 
• Prioritizing God Over All Else: He taught that anyone who loves their family members, possessions, or anything else more than Him cannot be His disciple, implying that these things can become idols. 
• The Danger of Idolatry: Jesus’s warnings and the teachings of the New Testament emphasize that idolatry is a serious spiritual threat that leads people to worship things other than the true God, ultimately leading to spiritual emptiness. 

What Constitutes an “Idol” in Jesus’s Teaching

A Matter of the Heart: Ultimately, an idol is “anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God” and that you seek to give you what only God can provide. 

Not Just Physical Images: While idols can be statues or physical images of false gods, idolatry in the New Testament includes anything that captures one’s heart, imagination, and ultimate loyalty more than God. 

Examples of Modern Idols: This can include things like possessions, wealth, success, self-approval, hobbies, relationships, or anything that becomes an object of obsessive desire or craving. 

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!