Ask a Pastor Column

Q: I know that the Bible says that idolatry is wrong, does that include wearing a cross necklace or things like that? What is Idolatry?

A: Oftentimes moral questions of this sort boil down to the heart attitude rather than the act itself. In other words, idolatry isn’t so much what we do as why we do it and who or what we do it to. 

Idolatry is fundamentally about worship, and worship is about what we focus on and hope-trust in. God knows that He is the only true and wise God, and that placing absolute trust in anything or anyone besides Him is ultimately like stepping on quicksand. It’s why He treats worship so seriously in the Bible and why we are told to avoid setting our hope, value and confidence in anything but Him.

Wearing a cross necklace can certainly be idolatry if we approach it from the wrong perspective. If, for example, we think that wearing the necklace will protect us from bad things or bring good luck, that is certainly wrong. Ultimately, that would be a form of attempted spiritual manipulation. Israel attempted something similar when they took the Ark of the Covenant into battle; they were confident that the symbol itself was enough to assure victory (I Samuel 4:3). That didn’t work out too well (I Samuel 4:5-11). If you don’t feel safe or secure without your necklace, or you find yourself thinking that it has influence over your life, then you’ve crossed a very unhealthy boundary and should get rid of it. 

However, most people I know don’t wear crosses for any such reason. For most, the cross is worn as a memorial or reminder for ourselves or others. This is a practice that is quite praiseworthy and has a solid biblical basis (Joshua 4:1-7; etc.). The cross is a symbol of the work Christ accomplished upon it, gaining forgiveness for us, cleansing and a new relationship with God. We need to be reminded we were sinners, hopelessly lost before Christ found, rescued and redeemed us. Now, regardless of what we’ve done, we stand before God clothed in Jesus’ Righteousness. Through Him we are blameless, forgiven, adopted, empowered and free. It is easy to be distracted from these truths in life, and if wearing a cross helps you remember HIS power and forgiveness, then more power to you!

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