See also
Sorcery & Occultism Through the Ages
Persecution | Perverting God's Truth & Ways | Rejecting God's warnings
Redemption | Our Refuge in Christ |
"Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man.... Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator...
"For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men... men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased [depraved] mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness.
"They are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." Romans 1:22-32
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:5-10
"You who love the Lord, hate evil! " Psalm 97:8
"You shall have no other gods before Me." Exodus 20:3
"....these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?" Ezekiel 14:3
"... their gods shall be a snare to you." Judges 2:3
"...when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful
houses and dwell in them... [then] your heart is lifted up and you
forget the Lord your God. ... you say in your heart, ‘My power and
the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’
"...if you by any means
forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods...
you shall surely perish.
As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall
perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord
your God."
Deuteronomy
8:10-20
"'Be very desolate,' says the Lord. 'For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns -- broken cisterns that can hold no water.'" Jeremiah 2:12-13
"...you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress." Judges 10:12-14
Scriptures that may seem more relevant to the idols of ancient times but provide guidelines for today:
"For anyone... who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself. I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 14:7-8
"What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?" 1 Corinthians 10:19-22
"Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’ But they rebelled against Me and would not obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes." Ezekiel 20:7-8
"'...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served... or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' So the people answered and said: 'Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods....'" Joshua 24:15-16
"...they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one
in the imagination of their evil heart..."
Jeremiah 11:8
“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.
They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart,
not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who
despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, 'You shall have peace' and to
everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart,
they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’”
Jeremiah 23:16
"And he [the antichrist or lawless one] was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.... Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 13:5-8
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." Mark 7:21-23
"Blessed is the man who
- Walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
- Nor stands in the path of sinners,
- Nor sits in the seat of the scornful [mockers];
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1-2
"The
people will be oppressed....
The child will be insolent toward the elder, and the base toward
the honorable....
Because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord....
For they have brought evil upon themselves....
As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule
over them.
O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy
the way of your paths."
Says the Lord God of hosts...."
Isaiah 3:5, 8-9, 12
"... in the last days
perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers,
without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors,
headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such
people turn away!
"...all who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow
worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue
in the things which you have learned..."
2 Timothy 3:1-14
times of testing: "... many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Matthew 24:10-14
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Matthew 23:27-28
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
'I will dwell in them and walk among them.
I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'
Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the Lord.
'Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'
'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,'
Says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
"The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but shad pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
"Blessed are those whose
lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."
Romans 4:6-8
"Do not be conformed to this world.... Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good." Romans 12:2, 9
"You love evil more than good...." Psalm 52:3
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness....
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!" Isaiah 5:20-21"How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?" Psalm 4:2-3"All those who hate me love death.” Proverb 8:36
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:15-17
“An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land:
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power;
And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?" Jeremiah 5:30-31“...scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge....
I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
Because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke,
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,
When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies." Proverb 1:8-31“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:11-14
"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." James 1:12-15
"Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:10
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:19-20
"Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things..." 2 Timothy 4:2-5
“Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. ...they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them." 2 Kings 17:24-25
"...every nation continued to make gods of its own.... They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away." 2 Kings 17:29, 33"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:15-17