Idolatry

"You shall not make for yourselves an idol... you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them" (Exodus 20:4-5). Idolatry is one of the most common forms of sin, and Paul's word to believers is simple: "Flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:14). The Greek word comes from two words meaning "worship of" and "outward image." An idol is simply an image, and worship is service given, so idolatry is serving an image. That can include far more than statues. Anything we look to for what only God can provide can become an idol. This category is part of the series on the Ten Words. Its main study, "Idolatry's Core," shows that idolatry is a denial of reality: looking for what only God is and can give in something He has made. Seeing that clearly helps us turn back to Yahweh, the true Source of life, and find in Him what we have been seeking elsewhere. Read on to see how Scripture exposes idolatry and points us to the living God.