Articles

I hope that you have been well. My family and I were away at a conference in the US for the past week and took a week away from posting these lessons to catch our breath. I hope that you enjoyed the journey through the Book of Romans. Today we will ask a question that we all need to consider: who or what is our Idol? This may seem like a weird question to ask in 2026, but I fear that this question is maybe more relevant today than it was in Isaiah 44, about 700 years before Jesus was born. We will explore this, and I hope that we can identify and get rid of any idols that are obstacles to us truly relying and trusting in God.

Verses 1-8: God lays out that He is the Supreme God. It was He that chose Israel (verse 1), made her and formed her (by the way, read Ezekiel 16 if you ever wonder how God feels about Israel), like a child is formed in the womb. God had blessed her and blessed her offspring (verse 3). For a long time, the people loved to be called by the Lord’s name, and even in their idolatry, they did so.

In verse 6, God says that He is their King; He is their Redeemer. He shows that He is the Almighty One, the First and the Last, and clearly stated that there are no other gods; none! God finishes the opening verses by stating that He is the Rock, and there is no other. As an aside, Jesus is also called the Rock; He identifies Himself as the Rock, and in 1 Corinthians 10:4, He is identified by Paul as the Rock that followed the Israelites in the wilderness and provided water.

Verses 9-20: God launches into a very sarcastic conversation with the people of Israel and, in so doing, shows the utter stupidity of idolatry. He deals with two kinds of idols: those made of metal (verse 12), and then ones made of wood (verses 13-17). God is drawing a contrast here between Him and the idols they fall down to. He is the Creator, the Maker, the Sustainer, and the Rock; steadfast, sure and strong. In contrast, they worship an idol they have to make. He has established that the one doing the making is the actual god.

Nonetheless, the blacksmith takes metal, heats it, and beats it into shape. He cannot stop once he has begun to make the image, so he grows weary; he does not even stop to drink (verse 12), and he does not even eat until the image is fully formed. Notice that the God of Heaven did not grow tired, did not get thirsty nor hungry when making and sustaining Israel. The craftsman, the woodworker, cuts down a cedar (verse 14); he has to mark it and measure it before he cuts it and shapes it into the image of a man.

In verse 14, God throws out a dig at the craftsman, mentioning that the man had to plant the very tree he is worshipping and further had to rely on God to even send the rain to nourish the tree. Yet, he refuses to acknowledge God. In verses 15-17, he cuts down the tree and divides it into a section to burn and make food, warm himself, and then the rest he forms into a god and falls down to it and asks, ‘Deliver me.’

There is such spiritual blindness in these Israelites that they cannot see how evil and how ridiculous this is. But even in their sin, God is gracious, and in verse 21-28, He reminds them that they are loved, they will be forgiven, and that Judah will be restored.

God then gives a closer fulfillment of prophecy to confirm a promise that is further in the future. In verse 28, He mentioned Cyrus. This is the Cyrus that invades Babylon about 200 years later, and it is recorded for us in Daniel 5. In October 539 BC, we have a non-biblical historical record from the Persian Empire that Cyrus the Great defeated the Babylonian army at the Battle of Opis and entered the city basically without resistance. Then, once he spoke to Daniel, he sent the Jews back to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. This is a short-term fulfillment of a far future promise; Judah will be restored, and Israel redeemed.

There are many who tell us that God is done with Israel. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus, a Jewish King, will come to rule from Jerusalem one day, and Israel will be the center of the political and religious world for a long, long time.

Now, to us. What idols do we have? Spouses, children, homes, money, fame, comfort, security, health, and on and on we can go. A lot of us Christians may have some things that are more important than God – His way, His wants for us, His plans for us – and we would rather be complacent than step out in faith and lose these things.

The Laodicean church was rich externally, but poor spiritually. Being rich had become their god; yet if one went to a service there on any given day, you would have heard the Gospel, heard that Jesus loves you, heard from one of Paul’s writings, and maybe seen a baptism, yet they were far from God.

Maybe you are your biggest idol; you are more important than God; you are first in your life and not Him. We need to be clearing and tearing down the idols in our lives; I know I had to do some tearing down; maybe you do too!

seangooding@yahoo.ca

Dr. Sean Gooding
Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church
70 Victoria Street, Elora, Ontario

Text: “The word of this salvation is sent.” — Acts 13:26

There is no subject more urgent, more glorious, or more personal than the salvation of God. Men may discuss religion, morality, philosophy, and tradition, but the great question of the soul is this: Am I saved? The Bible declares that all have sinned, that judgment is certain, and that man cannot redeem himself. Yet the same Bible announces good news: God has provided salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This salvation is not invented by man, earned by works (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-10), purchased by religion (Acts 8:20), or secured by human goodness (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Jonah confessed, “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). From Genesis to Revelation, the message remains the same: God saves sinners by grace, through faith, based on the finished work of Christ (John 17:4,19:30).

The Author of Salvation Is Christ

Hebrews 5:9 declares, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all of them that obey him.” Salvation begins with Christ because Christ is the Author of it. He is not merely a teacher pointing toward salvation; He is salvation’s source, foundation, and giver.

When the angel announced His birth, the message was clear: “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). His very name reveals His mission. He came not to improve sinners, but to save them; not to admire the righteous, but to redeem the lost.

Peter preached, “Neither is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12). Christ alone is the Author because Christ alone is qualified. He is God manifest in the flesh, the sinless Lamb, the faithful High Priest, and the risen Lord. Adam brought sin; Christ brings salvation. Moses gave the law; Christ gives grace and truth. Priests offered sacrifices repeatedly; Christ offered Himself once for all.

The Cross Is the Cause of Salvation

Hebrews 2:10 says that God “in bringing many sons unto glory” made “the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” The cross was not an accident, a tragedy, or a failure. It was the divine cause and necessary price of salvation.

At Calvary, the sinless Son of God suffered for sinful men. Isaiah had foretold it: “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). John the Baptist identified Him as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Paul wrote, “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

The cross shows both the horror of sin and the love of God. Sin is so serious that nothing less than the blood of Christ could atone for it. Yet God’s love is so great that He gave His only begotten Son. “But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

There is no salvation apart from the cross. The empty tomb proves the sacrifice was accepted, but the blood of Christ is the price by which sinners are redeemed. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

The Gospel Is Salvation’s Proclamation

Ephesians 1:12 speaks of those “who first trusted in Christ.” The following verse says they trusted “after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” Salvation must be proclaimed because sinners must hear the good news of what God has done in Christ.

The gospel is not good advice; it is good news. It is not a list of religious duties but the announcement that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Paul summarized it plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.

When Peter preached at Pentecost, he proclaimed Christ crucified and risen, and the people were pricked in their heart (Acts 2:37). When Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch, “he preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). When Paul preached in Antioch, he declared, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38). Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

The church must never replace the gospel with entertainment, politics, moralism, or ceremony. The gospel is the proclamation of salvation, and Christ is the heart of that proclamation.

The Reception of Salvation Is by Faith

Ephesians 2:8 declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Salvation is provided by grace and received by faith. It is not of us. It is not earned, deserved, or achieved. It is received. The jailer at Philippi cried out, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The answer was not, “Reform your life,” “Join a religious system,” or “Do the best you can.” The answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

Abraham “believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). The publican in the temple smote upon his breast and prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” and Jesus said that man went down to his house justified (Luke 18:13-14). The thief on the cross had no works to offer, no baptism to perform, and no time to amend his past, yet he turned to Christ in faith and heard, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Faith is not mere awareness of facts; it is personal trust in Christ. It is the empty hand receiving God’s gift. It is the sinner ceasing from self-righteousness and resting wholly upon the finished work of Jesus Christ.

The Word of God Is the Assurance of Salvation

Acts 13:26 says, “Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fears God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.” God does not leave the believer to rest upon feelings, memories, or human opinion. The assurance of salvation rests upon the Word of God.

Feelings change, circumstances shift, and the heart can be troubled; but God’s Word stands forever. John wrote, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The believer’s assurance is not presumption; it is confidence in what God has written.

Jesus said, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life” (John 5:24). He also promised, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). The assurance of salvation is anchored in the promise of Christ, the faithfulness of God, and the testimony of Scripture.

The same Word that reveals our sin also reveals the Saviour. The same Word that warns of judgment also promises mercy. The same Word that says, “The wages of sin is death,” also says, “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Conclusion: There Is No Other Way

The salvation of God is found in one Person: Jesus Christ. He is the Author of salvation. His cross is the cause of salvation. His gospel is the proclamation of salvation. Faith is the reception of salvation. The Word of God is the assurance of salvation.

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” There is no other way. Not church membership. Not good works. Not religious heritage. Not sincerity. Not personal effort. Christ alone saves. Therefore, do not neglect so great salvation. Do not postpone the matter of your soul. Do not trust in yourself when God has provided His Son. Come to Christ now. Confess your sin before God. Believe that Jesus died for you, rose again, and can save you completely. Call upon Him in faith, for “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

If you are lost, the word of this salvation is sent to you. If you are burdened with sin, Christ invites you to come. If you are uncertain, God’s Word offers assurance. Receive the salvation of God today. Turn from sin and trust the Saviour. There is no other way, and there is no better time than now.

donaodwhitchard@gmail.com

https://drwhitchardteaches.wordpress.com

Isaiah 44: Who or What Is Your Idol? :: By Sean Gooding

The Salvation of God :: By Dr. Donald Whitchard