The temple in Jesus day was seriously corrupted. The temple had been turned into effect a idol factory of human greed. There were no statues outside or inside to foreign gods but the very exchanging of money and selling of offerings was just as sinful. It was just a more subtle form of idolatry. Faith had been turned into a profitable activity. The Reformation theologian Calvin said “The heart is a idol factory.” In our day we seldom think that we can be born again Christians while practicing idolatry. We really have to asks ourselves what are our hearts producing?

We take verses like “You are a new creature in Christ” and try to make that mean that we are some how no longer really sinners. BTW, 2 Cor. 5:17 means that we as a group are all positionally part of the new creation i.e. the Church. We are part of the new work of Christ that has been going on since the resurrection to the second coming. It is not a verse teaching some form of individual Christian perfectionism. Some even teach that we don’t really sin anymore. We may sin but those sins don’t really count and are rationalized away. The Corinthian Church had this attitude. The church in Corinth was struggling because its members were not practicing justice in their day to day lives. They were worshipping their own desires. Their desires became their idols and Jesus was left in the periphery of their lives. They had forgot the charge to walk humbly with their God.

When I first desired to plant a church my first thought was on leading people to Christ. Not on Christ. Some may ask what’s the difference. One is the indirect object of our affection while the other is the subject of our affection. It is the same as if you are a husband loving your wife for who she is versus loving her for what she will give you. If you love your wife just for what you can get such as sex, partnership, friendship, kids, or family then you don’t really love your wife. None of those things are bad things in and of themselves. When the priority though is mixed up they become idols. Same thing with Jesus and the desire to say plant a church. If you aren’t walking humbly with him you are likely worshipping something other than him. It can even be a good thing like planting a church.

The problem is God hates idols. He especially hates the idols of those that are cloaked with his name. It was the first thing he was against in the Ten Commandments. “You will have no other gods before me!” Jesus is no different. Jesus like God will allow us to worship idols for a season so that we can see how terribly insufficient they are to be worshipped. He will then drive them out. If you think he won’t tear down your idols by the way you would be wrong. If you have idols and they aren’t torn down then that may mean you are not of him. So how do you know? What is your pride telling you to bear that humility tells you that you can not bear? This likely is your idol.

Part 3 of 5, part 4 coming Wednesday at 12:01 A.M. E.S.T.