By David Robinson
Man’s biggest problem is his natural inability to see the beauty and worth of God. This is what causes him to seek joy and satisfaction for himself through other things or people. It might be argued that the heart of all idolatry essentially is self-worship. The fall didn’t destroy our capacity for worship and delight. Rather it leads us away from whom worship truly belongs and where ultimate delight is found – God!
The next counterfeit god Keller focuses on is money. Keller lays the foundation of this issue by quoting German atheistic philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, pointing to greed being the root cause of this new god in Western Culture. Keller goes on to say that the real danger behind it all is that most people are blind to their own greed due to sociological brackets. Simply put, we’re trying to keep up with The Joneses.
Citing Colossians 3:5, Ephesians 5:5, Luke 12:15 and Luke 16:13-15, Keller shows us that the heart of greed is idolatry and idolatry enslaves us to our idols. If money is our idol, we will be mentally and emotionally consumed and driven to obtain it and protect it. This is slavery! Keller’s use of (pre-conversion) Zacchaeus paints an excellent picture of the seductive enslaving power of money.
Where Keller really strikes the bullseye, in my opinion, is his assessment of deep idols and surface idols. He said, “Sin in our hearts affects our motivational drives so they become idolatrous, deep idols.” He goes on to say money is actually a surface idol that serves to satisfy more foundational impulses. In other words, money can be a means to the end of various forms of self-worship. We use money to buy things to impress others. We use money to enhance our appearance to gain others’ approval. We obtain money to obtain a sense of security. We obtain money to gain power and influence over others. There is a measure of praise we’re seeking when we use money in these ways.
The remedy of this counterfeit god all other gods – the gospel. Keller’s use of 2 Corinthians 8:9 calls attention to the generous sacrifice of Christ to an impoverished people – us. Keller puts it this way, “The solution to stinginess is a reorientation to the generosity of Christ in the gospel, how he poured out his wealth for you.” Idolatry also arises from an identity misunderstanding. It is only when we understand our standing before the Father because of Christ, that we will be free from the desire of the praise of man and the search of satisfaction outside of Christ. Then and only then can we truly and confidently sing:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Questions for Thought
- Is there a chance that money or possessions are your means of identity or self-worth?
- In light of Luke 16:13-15 and 1Timothy 6:10, how can we guard ourselves from despising God and wandering from the faith?
- Despite the many mentions from Scripture about the uncertainty of money (Job 31:24- 25,28, Psalm 52:6-7, Psalm 62:10, Proverbs 11:28, Proverbs 23:4-5, 1 Timothy 6:17), why are we still trusting in money?
- How can we move from discontentment with God to ultimate satisfaction in God?
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I really appreciate Keller’s ability to get to the sin beneath the sin. Even in discussion on idolatry we can tend to remain on the surface without pressing the deeper heart issues related. We might call money or sex or power the idol, when in reality there are things beneath them. There are deeper reasons why we want to gain such things or why we are afraid of losing them. That’s where we have to search if we are going to rid ourselves of counterfeit gods and worship Christ alone. Great post, Dave! Thanks for the helpful summary!