idol

Even from his mother’s womb [quote]

Idolatry, Quotes

From John Calvin’s Commentary Upon the Acts of the Apostles

Let us learn by this how ready the world is to fall to superstition.  Yea, this wickedness is in a manner born with us, to be desirous to adorn creatures with that which we take from God.  Wherefore, no marvel if new errors have come abroad in all ages, seeing every one of us is, even from his mother’s womb, expert in inventing idols.  But lest men excuse themselves therewithal, this history doth witness that this is the fountain of superstitions, because men are unthankful to God, and do give his glory to some other.

Or as a newer translation of Calvin’s words puts it

Let us also learn from this how ready the world is to become superstitious.  We seem to be born with the desire to adorn created things with what belongs only to God.  It is not surprising, then, that new errors have spread in every age, since every one of us is expert in inventing idols.  But this story show that the source of superstitions is our ingratitude to God and giving his glory to someone else.

Created to Worship [Quote]

Quotes

It is easy to see that you and I have been created to worship. We’re flat-out desperate for it. From sports fanaticism to celebrity tabloids to all the other strange sorts of voyeurisms now normative in our culture, we evidence that we were created to look at something beyond ourselves and marvel at it, desire it, like it with zeal, and love it with affection. Our thoughts, our desires, and our behaviors are always oriented around something, which means we are always worshiping (ascribing worth to) something. If it’s not God, we are engaging in idolatry. But either way, there is no way to turn the worship switch in our hearts off.

from Matt Chandler’s The Explicit Gospel

What We Revere,We Resemble

Bible, Idolatry, Quotes

What we revere, we resemble, either for ruin or restoration. To commit ourselves to some part of the creation more than to the Creator is idolatry. And when we worship something in creation, we become like it, as spiritually lifeless and insensitive to God as a piece of wood, rock or stone. We become spiritually blind, deaf and dumb even though we have physical eyes and ears. If we commit ourselves to something that does not have God’s Spirit, to that degree we will be lacking the Spirit.

From G. K. Beale’s We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry