21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.
Romans 1:21-24 ESV
According to Oxford Dictionary, an idol is:
- An image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.
- A person or thing that is greatly admired, loved or revered.
Making anything other than God the object of worship is idolatry, elevating any person or thing above God in terms of love, devotion, and attention.
This passage states that although humanity knew God, they chose not to acknowledge or honor Him as God; instead, they decided to exchange the glory of the immortal God for mortal images resembling things in creation. They manufactured idols to worship instead of the One True God.
Disconnecting ourselves from the Living God has disastrous consequences; it darkens our hearts because we separate ourselves from the Father of Lights. It makes us foolish in our thinking, as we have severed our connection from the All-Knowing One. Without proper light to lead us clearly, or without knowledge to keep us in truth, we will go our own way and chase after what is not like God. And God allows us to do just that; He gives humanity up to its idols and does not restrain them from seeking after what they want. When we do not crave God and the holy, pure things of God, we will crave the exact opposite: unholy, impure things not of God that will eventually cause us to dishonor our bodies. This idolatry creates a vicious cycle that separates us from God, keeps us from seeking Him, yet compels us to try to find something to satisfy our hunger as only God would.