Let No Evil Remains: Idolatry As An Example

Posted on by J. O. Soboyejo, Ph.D

Let No Evil Remains: Idolatry As An Example

Don’t you KNOW that when

you offer yourselves to someone

to obey him as slaves, you are

slaves to the one whom you

obey.

Christians must conquer idolatrous tendencies. They must destroy the spoil, regarding all that had been polluted by idolatry as an accursed thing burned with fire. We must treat all sins in the same manner. We must not allow a single evil habit to remain. We must war with sins of all sorts and sizes, whether of the body, the mind, or the spirit. We must not look upon the giving up of evil as deserving mercy but regard the loss as a fruit of the grace of God. There are different types of idols entrenched in the lives of people. It is evil not to appreciate the goodness in others. It is idolatry to serve other things instead of God Almighty. Some trust in chariots, the Scriptures say, some in money, some in power, and many more in self and self-acclaimed powers derived from demonic or occult sources.

 

The significant problems in the world, especially in Africa, include but are not limited to the following:

  1. Political Leadership;
  2. Militarism;
  3. Democracy;
  4. Public Accountability and Corruption;
  5. Religion and Ethnic politics and tribalism;
  6. Structural Adjustment Programme;
  7. External debt burdens and Servicing; and
  8. Poverty / Creation and distribution of wealth.

Political Issues:

  1. Leadership and Succession problems;
  2. Problems of Religion/State relationships;
  3. Problems of one-party/multi-party governments;
  4. Problems of wars of ethnic genocide;
  5. Problems of refugees and lack of peaceful co-existence;
  6. Problems of land use and ownership;
  7. Problems of population control; and
  8. Problems of Foreign policy and political ideologies.

Economic Issues:

  1. Prevailing poverty and economic decline;
  2. Unemployment and industrial decline;
  3. Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP);
  4. External debts and burdens of servicing external debt
  5. Environmental issues like pollution and toxic waste dumping;
  6. Industrialization problems;
  7. Creation and distribution of wealth;
  8. Brain drain and an exodus of professionals;
  9. Embezzlement and mismanagement of private and public funds and resources; and
  10. Labour issues and Strikes

Judicial Issues:

  1. Problems of human rights and Civil liberties;
  2. Problems of Public accountability;
  3. Gender discrimination;
  4. Detention without trials, tortures, and mutilations of suspects;
  5. Prisons Congestions;
  6. Disregard and Violation of professional judicial ethics and code of conduct;
  7. Harassment, detention, silencing, and imprisonment of human rights and civil liberty activists and advocates; and
  8. Problems of arbitrary state laws, decrees, legislation, state security, and national interests.

Religious Issues:

  1. Problems of proselytization and religious propaganda;
  2. Religious fundamentalism and violence;
  3. Religious persecution, violation of human rights, and denial of religious liberty;
  4. Religious pluralism and secularism;
  5. Problems of Religious politics and dominance; and
  6. Rise of new religions, Cults and Occultism

Other Issues:

HIV/Aids, Epidemics, Prostitution, Domestic Abuse, Abortion, Pornography, LGBTQIAP, and Secret Societies

 

The challenge of addressing these issues lies in the hands of all of us; patriotic Religious Bodies, i.e., The Church/Mosque; The Church, according to Calvin, has spiritual and moral resources to tackle these issues effectively. The Church/Mosque is responsible for creating peace since peacemaking is an essential religious Virtue. Therefore, peace is reconciliation and harmony between God and people, people and people, and between people and nature (Augsburger 1990:135).

 

The Church/Mosque falls short of these responsibilities despite its sustained presence for several years. Initially, the Church was very effective as an instrument for enlightenment. The Church introduced the literacy in virtually all aspects of learning, Medicine, Law, Education, Pharmacy, Teaching, Theology, and Journalism.

 

The Church would have been more effective if it participates in politics and governance to provide quality leadership. Then there would have been less injustice, oppression, and differentiation but more cohesion, love, fairness, and justice. The doctrine close to Calvin’s heart is that everybody has his calling; your calling is holy, and you must pursue it and excel in it. Some Christians are probably imbibing the Protestant Work Ethic, the direct teaching of Calvin that God is glorified in everyday work and Family life. Some glorify God in all areas of human and work endeavors yet have not addressed themselves to legitimate, viable political systems, structures, and good leadership where ethnic, class or religious conflicts can be managed and moderated.

 

WISDOM NOTES:

  • Let me end this piece with Wisdom Notes from the Wisest Man created and sustained by God Almighty. 
  • The wisest man on earth gave us tips on Knowledge and Understanding in the proverbs of Solomon, so prepare to arm yourself with wise counsels:
  • Greed takes away the life of the owner.
  • Choose the fear of the Lord.
  • Love Knowledge.
  • Prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
  • Only those who hold on to God shall dwell in safety.
  • God gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
  • Discretion preserves a man.
  • understanding keeps a man.
  • The soul that forgets not the law and heart that keeps the commandments of God has a length of days and long life and peace.
  • Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
  • Fear Lord and depart from evil.
  • Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
  • Get wisdom, get understanding, forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
  • Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honor when thou dost embrace her.
  • Drink water out of thine own cistern and running water out of thine own well.
  • Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

 

These six things the LORD hates, yea, seven are an abomination unto Him:

  • A proud look, 
  • A lying tongue, 
  • Hands that shed innocent blood;
  • An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in the running to mischief;
  • A false witness that speaks lies 
  • He that soweth discord among brethren.
  • He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind, and the fool shall be a servant to the wise of heart.
  • He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
  • The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.
  • The wrath of a king is as a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
  • Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
  • Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
  • Death and Life are in the power of the tongue, so tame your tongue.

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