Genesis 3:5 (The serpent said) “God knows that when you eat the fruit of that tree your eyes will open and you will be like gods who know good and evil.”
When I was a kid, I thought that one of the commandments was very outdated and useless: idolatry. Of course it was needed for ancient pagan cultures and people living in undeveloped nations, but not for modern cultures – especially not for Christian’s. I didn’t know anyone who had been tempted to install an idol in their home and worship it. As it turns out, idolatry is one of the most relevant and significant of the ten – especially since it follows and emphasizes the first command (No other gods). The god that was worshipped in Eden wasn’t the fruit, the serpent, nor the tree: it was their desire to be gods. That is the very nature of sin.
By their actions the first couple worshipped the “right” to choose their own path: to decide what was good or evil, regardless of what God had pronounced. They listened to the voice of the tempter saying, “Surely that’s not what God meant.” They were enticed by that lie. They worshipped the reality it presented. They desired the lie to be true. They loved it more than their very Creator.
There is a cultural trend that is like that cancerous proposal spoken in the garden. “You can decide what the scriptures mean or which ones are important for you. You can decide which gender you are. You can decide what is sin and what isn’t. You know best!” Yet, there is another side to this temptation that is more subtle. When the ways of Christ (to love, to give, to bear with one another, and to pray for our enemies) are difficult or uncomfortable to obey, then it is tempting to say, “Surely God didn’t mean it that way. I have the right to determine to what degree His words apply to my situation.” That’s a hard one for me and I often falter, but I desire to trust God above all else and to obey His will!