Men and women, no matter what their religious profession and how much doctrinal assent is given unto the grace of Christ, are utterly lost, if their heart worships the creature more than the Creator. Whatever your heart is most inclined to now, wherever it finds the greatest pleasure, if the object of your truest affection cannot save you at the Judgment, then it is idolatry now. God told backsliding Israel, "But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble… (Jer. 2:28)."
It is not sinful to enjoy this world. Anything that has been sanctified by the Word of God and prayer is ours as a gift from heaven (I Tim. 4:3-5). Sanctification by prayer is eating the fruits of this world with a clean conscience in the fellowship of Christ. If you can watch that movie, read that book, or go to that place without defiling your conscience before God, then enjoy yourself (Rom. 14:14, 22-23; I Cor. 10:26). But when intemperance sets in, then the gift becomes an idol. And, it is shameful that men and women would exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for the image of His creation (Rom. 1:22-23). It is soul-damning when a husband esteems his wife, a mother esteems her child, a person esteems anything more than Christ. Families, jobs, hobbies, and things are wonderful in their place; but taken out of their proper order, they are weeds that choke out the Word. Concerning the Gentiles, God says, "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Rom. 1:25)." And, the tragedy of this perversion is not only the wrath that must come, but that man has forsaken God, who is blessed, blessed, blessed, forever. God spoke through Jeremiah saying, "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water (Jer. 2:13)."
How blessed is He? (John 3:16) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God has not limited His salvation to elect Jews. Nor has He offered us a salvation whereby we must meet certain conditions. To manifest His own love, God so loved the world that He gave His Son so that our faith and confidence would be entirely in Him. He was made sin for us. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Christ Jesus became the cause of our eternal death, and God's law exacted upon Him our full penalty. And, thanks be to God, He has given us the victory (I Cor. 15:56-57). Yet, much more, He has given us the Son HIMSELF. Not only is He our Mediator and access to God, but also the measurement of God's love is that the Son HIMSELF is God's gift. So great is God's love that sinners bearing no visible interest in the Lord Jesus Christ are united with the Son of God and brought into fellowship with His love.
My brethren, don't stop at John 3:14 where the doctrine of substitution and satisfaction is clearly set forth. Don't even satisfy yourself in the deeper waters of John 3:15 where faith receives her Lord. But, through substitution and by faith wade the depths of John 3:16 for which you have been elected. Enter His love, and see why the Son died to give Himself to fallen man. Don't settle for broken wells, but drink of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He's the remedy for the idolatry of this age.
*