Repentance for the Arrogance that is Idolatry

Author: Andrew Comiskey
October 22, 2008
The Apostle Paul claims that all of humanity knows something of the truth of God through His design in creation. Our hearts bear witness of His grandeur through the works of His hand. That applies to the duality of male and female in humanity and throughout all of creation.

Humanity that rejects the witness of God in creation comes under judgment. That is because God holds us accountable to the witness of who He is through His design. Paul writes in Romans that “men suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what is known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” Men and women are without excuse when they reject God and His image in humanity, because God’s qualities are evident in what He made, including His heterosexual design for creation. (Rom. 1:18-20)

In denying God and His creation, rebellious humanity cannot worship the true God. So we make idols to worship. That idolatry ultimately results in sexual immorality, including the futile and compulsive quest to become one with a member of one’s own gender. “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” (Rom. 1:25)

Last June, I witnessed the celebration of this idolatry when CA began to issue gay marriage licenses. All the major papers and TV news shows featured glowing accounts of same-gender unions. Every editorial gushed at CA’s noble and courageous effort to serve justice to gays.

I thought: “No-one covering this tragedy has any fear of the Lord and His creation.” I thought of those verses in 1Samuel 15:23 where the prophet likens “rebellion to the sin of witchcraft, and arrogance to the evil of idolatry.” Those who promote gay marriage place their own foolish ideas of justice over reverencing God and His creation. They are without excuse; God has made Himself plain to them through creation and they have rejected that witness. Such arrogance is the evil of idolatry.

Idolatry perverts justice. I recently spoke with a man who lost his wife to a lesbian who was training for the pastorate in the Presbyterian Church USA. The two women began to have an affair. The diocese in charge of the lesbian supported her new relationship, even though it meant breaking up a marriage with kids! While advocating for the ‘poor’ lesbians, the church abused the betrayed husband, and presided over the destruction of a marriage.

Thinking themselves just, the world and the worldly church become foolish and abusive. Isaiah writes: “So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the street, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.”(Is. 59: 14, 15)

Such idolatry and perversion of justice offends God. “Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!” (Is. 37:23)

“Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, ‘Who sees us? Who will know?’ You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, ‘He did not make me’? Can the pot say of the potter, ‘He knows nothing’?” (Is. 29:15, 16)

God knows all. He knows what He place in our hearts that attest to His grandeur in creation. And He knows our tendency to turn away from Him and thus subject ourselves and others to all manner of perversion. In that delusional state, we become dull, arrogant, and proponents of false justice. We grieve God’s heart.

“Father, we confess our idolatry. We have worshipped our own perspectives on sex and justice. In our deception and pride, we have blasphemed Your very essence. We confess , O God, how gay marriage blackens Your eye, spits on Your creation, and reveal our rebellion. We really think we know better than You. We confess we have little if any fear of who You are, and how You have revealed Yourself to us in creation. Forgive us, O God. Please give us a holy fear of You before it is too late. May we fall on You the Rock and be broken of our arrogance before the Rock falls on us. (Lk 20:18)

“For our offenses are many in Your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities; rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, fomenting oppression and revolt, uttering lies our hearts have conceived.” (Is. 59:12, 13)

Honor marriage for the good of all. Vote YES on Proposition 8.


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