Do you believe in God? Many, I hope, would answer “yes.” (If not, there are other issues to address). But do you believe in the one, true God as He reveals Himself to us in the Bible? That’s a tougher question to answer and it involves some introspection, personal examination and a lot of honesty.
What if you are unsure or the answer, you find, is “no”? What then? This means that you believe in your own version of God. What does that mean? That means, probably unknown to you, that you are practicing idolatry. You may not have wooden, stone, or golden statues that you look to for answers, but if you look to a version of God rather than who He really is, isn’t it the same thing? Either way, the real Almighty God is unknown to us and so we relate to or pray to or worship a false image of Him. This is idolatry even if it’s out of ignorance.
In the book of Acts chapter 17, the apostle Paul was visiting the city of Athens and, as he walked throughout the city, he saw idols everywhere; including one that was labeled “To the unknown god.” He could tell they were “religious” (had some interest in spiritual matters), but he took the opportunity to talk to them about the Creator, the God of Heaven and Earth- not ones made with human hands or the human mind. Religion is one thing (having an idea of God and trying to approach Him or Heaven on our own terms), but having a saving relationship with Him is altogether different. Which is it for you and what will you do about it now that you know the difference? May Jesus give you the grace to turn to Him. Until next time– Ken
Christ View Versus World View 