(Galatians 4:8-14)…..8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. 12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Paul having shown that the Law was intended to point men to Christ, with the intention of making them son’s of God, heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ, now asks the Galatians why they seek to return to bondage. Notice that Paul addresses their prior state of ignorance in idolatry (4:8). Remember what took place in Galatia (Acts 14:1-18. Idolatry by definition is excessive devotion or reverence to some person or thing which displaces God. Wow, what a definition that is. But, how does God view idolatry (Exodus 20:3-6)?
For the most part, when someone falls into the sin of idolatry, they did not set out to worship a graven image itself, they simply refused to glorify God for who He is. They don’t accept the truth of what God says of Himself, His Son, His Spirit, and His Word (Romans 1:18-25). When a person rejects the only true God and wants to serve a god of his/her making, they begin to view an image as something “holy” that is to be “revered” That which is “created” begins receiving adoration that is rightfully due the “Creator.” However, idolatry is not just the adoration or worship of images, Paul defines “covetousness” as idolatry (Ephesians 5:5) (Colossians 3:5).
Think about that, any strong desire for material things that replaces our desire for God is a form of idolatry. We can be idolaters when we make things other than God Himself our priority in life (Matthew 6:19-21) (Matthew 6:24) (1 John 5:21). Let’s not be so presumptuous to believe that we are too modern or to sophisticated today to have to deal with the issue of idolatry in our culture.