PD102 Idolatry and the Power of the Cross
Overview
What is idolatry, and how do we identify it? Elyse Fitzpatrick demonstrates how idolatry can destroy ministries, and teaches key steps for leaders to identify idolatry before it takes root. Focusing on God’s commands against idolatry in the Old and New Testaments, Fitzpatrick illustrates how idols manifest in the lives of biblical characters. Further, Fitzpatrick shows how idolatry reaches men and women in their unique callings.
Top Highlights
“‘And now, Israel, what does the Lord require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?’ What does God require of us? That we love Him with all that we are. Deuteronomy 30:6–7, again: ‘And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, that you may live.’” (source)
“The Christian must carefully guard his or her heart against idolatry. And again, I’m not saying we need to be careful that we don’t set up a Buddha in our house. That kind of idolatry is easy to get rid of. I just throw it out. The kind of idolatry we need to be careful about is the idolatry of our hearts. What is it that we love? What do we worship? What do we serve? Another question to ask is: What is it that you’re willing to sin in order to get, or willing to sin because you don’t have it? See, anything that I am willing to commit sin over is functioning at that moment as an idol. John reminds us, ‘Little children, keep yourselves from idols.’” (source)
“The great and foremost commandment enjoins of us worship of God above everything else. What that means is that there should be nothing, absolutely nothing, in my life that means more to me than the Lord. Now it’s easy for me sitting here to say to you, ‘Well, of course, that’s true. Of course there shouldn’t be anything else that means more to me than loving the Lord. But then, why do I sin?’ Why do you sin? We always sin in response to an unmet desire. We always sin because we want something at that moment more than we love God. We always sin because we have functional idols in our lives.” (source)
- Title: PD102 Idolatry and the Power of the Cross
- Author: Elyse Fitzpatrick
- Series: Logos Mobile Education
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Print Publication Date: 2014
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Courseware
- Subjects: Christian life; Education › Christian life; Spiritual life › Christianity
- Resource ID: LLS:PD102FITZPATRICK
- Resource Type: Courseware Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-14T02:28:25Z
Elyse Fitzpatrick has been counseling women since 1989. She is a retreat and conference speaker and the head of Women Helping Women Ministries. Fitzpatrick has a certificate in biblical counseling from CCEEF in San Diego and an MA in biblical counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary.
She is the author of more than 15 books, including Love to Eat, Hate to Eat. Fitzpatrick has developed an extensive curriculum in biblical counseling and has trained students in both North and South America.