Paul called covetousness idolatry (Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:5). Think about that. Do we view coveting as idolatry? No, in America we call it shopping! In 2 Timothy 3 Paul said that in the last days “people will be lovers of self, lovers of money … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:1–4). First John 2:15 says do not love the world because if you are loving the world, you are an idolater; you are not loving the Father. So what is idolatry? Timothy Keller, in his recent book Counterfeit
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