God Defines Idols and Consequences of Idolatry

God's definition of what constitutes an idol is found in Isaiah Chapter 44. Notice that God says that includes anything, including ourselves, in which we trust or that we prefer before or instead of the due love, fear, respect, duty, and allegiance that we owe to God. Therefore, all of us have committed idolatry at one time or another.

Jeremiah 7:17-20 is an example of what our idolatry deserves:
¹⁷  Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
¹⁸  The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
¹⁹  Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
²⁰  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.


For those who want to learn more, here's a Bible verse summary of God's outlook on idols and our idolatry.

God is NOT simply going around trying to find ways to trip us up or hurt us. BUT, OUR OWN sin nature, and our idolatrous attitudes, thoughts, and any of our idolatry-supporting behaviors are what WE USE to separate ourselves from God. We are already sinners in need of salvation. It is by idolatry, the self-worship of doing things our own way instead of God's way, by which we provoke God's wrath. Because of our sin-nature, ALL of us have made decisions that have pushed God aside. We need to repent. 

God says that there is ONLY One Escape from the Final Judgment. Please, seek God's salvation and accept His Eternal Gift to you. As Jesus, the Christ of God, said to Nicodemus, "Marvel not that I said unto ye, Ye must be born again."