Accommodating Idolatry

“The road to apostasy begins with accommodation.”

Deuteronomy 12:29-32
(29)  When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
(30)  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
(31)  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
(32)  What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Explanation

Trying to worship God the way the culture around us worships theirs is accommodating forms of idolatry. God is utterly unique: He will not be worshiped as one among many, nor does He desire to be worshiped as other gods are. Our worship of God should reflect the character of our God, which includes His uniqueness and holiness. However, when we accommodate forms of worship that compromise His glory and holiness, we are on the path to idolatry.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash