It’s a matter of Life or Death

Deuteronomy 8.19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. 20 As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.

We are not Israel, the church is not Israel, but the principles are from God. It is important that the church fight against Idolatry in its midst. We are not called to destroy others, but we are called to pursue restoration and forgive offenses. Idolatry starts with our thoughts and imagination

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Galatians 6:1 “1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

2 Corinthians 10.5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We, the local church, must remain focused on helping others mature by shedding the Idols of their former lives and putting on the love, grace, and mercy that God’s word calls us to. It is a matter of life and death for the local church to exist and fulfill its calling. Love does not mean we accept sin, it means we care for sinners and seek to restore and integrate them into the fellowship, into corporate worship of our mighty God. May God help us to build his church; the gates of hell will not prevail against it.