Tony Clark's Page

The first of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3). Throughout the Bible, we are told that there is only one true and living God, and that we should only worship him. (Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Timothy 2:5). Living in the West, we like to think that most people in our society do not worship idol gods. Only occasionally do we find people worshipping statues of the Hindu gods, Buddha, etc. The truth is that modern man has created an idol god. He is the god of the age.

Most people in America today seem to believe in "God." The problem is that their understanding of God is far different from the God of the Bible. Even though they have not built statues out of stone, wood, gold, silver, or brass, they have constructed an idol in their minds. They believe that there are many roads to this god. It does not matter if you call him God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, Krishna, Ahura Mazda, Zeus, the Supreme Architect, or the Great Spirit. You can refer to this god as "Him," "Her," or "It," and He/She/It doesn't mind at all. This god has very few moral standards. He does not care if you cuss, cheat, lie, steal, or watch pornography -- as long as you think you have good intentions. He does not care which religion you practice or how you practice it. He certainly could not care about your denominational beliefs or what type of church you attend.

He is a god of universalism. There is a heaven, and everyone is going there. There is no Hell. This god allows everyone to go to Heaven when they die, because he understands that we are all good -- deep down inside. All of our wicked deeds can be explained away by our upbringing and cultural socio-economic background. Even Hitler is waiting for you in Heaven.

This god has only one commandment, "Thou shalt not judge." To tell someone to get a job, to stop having promiscuous sex, to take care of his children, or to go to church is to sin against the god of non-judgmentalism. No greater abomination could be committed than to shatter someone's self-esteem.

Followers of this god rarely take moral stands on controversial issues. They never stand up against abortion or gay marriage. They are quick to try to harmonize the the most unharmonious beliefs: Naturalistic evolution and Biblical creation, Islam and Christianity, pantheism and monotheism are just a few examples. They are usually unwilling to drive more than ten minutes to church because doctrinal differences seem unimportant and silly. If they do go to church, there must be entertainment! They yearn for rock n' roll worship music, elaborate programs for children, and quick snappy sermons. It certainly doesn't hurt if the pastor and his wife have sex appeal.

The idea of intense prayer, listening to a Bible-based sermon and singing traditional hymns bores them to death. Their god is a god of adreniline -- not a god of Christ-exalting Spirit-led worship.

In contrast, the true God of the Bible is very different.

The Bible teaches that he is absolutely holy, righteous, and just. He has no sin.

Exodus 5:11:  “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

Isaiah 6:3 “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory.”

Leviticus 11:44 “For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy….”

The true God knows all things (He is omniscient).

Psalm 147:5:  “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”

The true God is all-powerful (He is omnipotent).

Revelation 19:6:  “…the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”

The true God is everywhere (He is omnipresent).

Psalm 139:7-8:  “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”

Since God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere, (and most importantly holy), this puts the human race in a difficult situation.  The Bible tells us that we have all sinned against God. 

Romans 3:23:  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

We have all broken God’s commandments many times over.  The Bible says that God hates a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:17).  Have you ever told a lie?  If so, that makes you a liar.  Have you ever used the name of God in vain (Exodus 20:7)?  If so, you are a blasphemer.  Have you ever lusted after someone you were not married to?  Jesus says you are an adulterer in your heart (Matthew 5:28). 

We have all sinned against a holy God.  We all deserve his wrath.  Even though we deserve eternal punishment in Hell, God sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross as a substitute for our sins.  He suffered, bled, and died on the cross so we could be reconciled to a holy God.  The eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for our sins so we could be forgiven and not suffer eternally for our sins in Hell.  (1 Peter 2:21-25, John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:6).

What must we do to be saved from eternal punishment for sin in Hell?  We must repent of our sins and trust the Savior Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15).  You cannot work your way to Heaven.  You cannot be good enough to go to Heaven.  We have all sinned against God.  However, even though we were enemies with God, Jesus Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, and he rose from the dead.  God wants to forgive you of your sins.  But he requires that you repent (ask forgiveness) for your sins and trust in his son Jesus Christ for salvation. 

If God is convicting you of your sins, I encourage you to pray.  Call upon the Lord with a broken heart and a crushed spirit.  Ask him to forgive you of your sins and trust in his son Jesus Christ. 

Isaiah 55:6-7:  “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

I encourage you to call upon the Lord until God lets you know that you are saved by the power of his Holy Spirit.  You can know that you have truly repented and trusted in Christ for salvation when the Holy Spirit takes away the condemnation of sin in your heart and replaces it with the peace, love, and joy of God. 

Romans 8:16:  “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

1 John 3:24:  “And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

Please, consider your situation.  Reject the god of the age.  Repent of your idolatry and trust the Savior Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.