Be Not Deceived

By Dan Bailey

 (I Corinthians 6:9-11 —Article #2)

" Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

God does not want people to be deceived. He has given us the Bible to show us the way to heaven and to fight against the wiles of the Devil. Idolatry is condemned in the scriptures. According to I Corinthians 6:9-11, idolaters shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Idolatry was almost totally universal in the first century. Noah Webster defined idolater as: "A worshipper of idols; one who pays divine honors to images, statutes, or representations of anything made by hands; one who worships as a deity that which is not God; a pagan."

At the time in which Paul preached in Athens, it was said that they had no less than thirty thousand gods. We read in Acts 17:16-17, "Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him."Paul was greatly disturbed over all the idolatry in Athens. It was the same everywhere. Go to Ephesus and it was full of idolatry. Go to Corinth and again, it was full of idolatry

The book of Revelation condemns idolatry in the strongest of words. We read in Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." And again we read in Revelation 22:14-15, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." We have a great challenge as Christians to take the gospel to the whole world.

The Bible teaches us that if we love something more than God, such as money, then we are also idolaters. One's money can become his god. This is true of the covetous person. Paul said,"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (Colossians 3:5-6). Let us flee from idolatry of any form. May God help us to worship Him and Him alone.

"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10).

"And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God" (Revelation 22:8-9).