What can deliver us from the worship of all other gods, and ensure we come to enjoy the fullness of the Lord as our peace? It is none other than the Prince of peace himself, who faced off against the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air, Satan himself, the very power behind all the Baals of the nations. Consider what he did already well before the cross. He was speaking with the woman at the well. His disciples come and meet him there, urge him to eat something. But he’s in no hurry to do so. Instead, he says, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work
(John 4:34). What does that say to you but that as it were the altar in our Saviour’s heart was dedicated to the Lord! He derived his joy, his delight from doing the will of his God. Move to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus’ soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, he tells his disciples. And he then prays, My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will
(Matthew 26:38ff.). Christ could have cut his losses and run. But that does not happen. He continues to pray, placing his life completely in his Father’s hands. In God alone his soul found rest, and in his faithfulness he trusted. So he went to the cross, enjoying God’s peace in the turmoil. And he continued to submit completely to God’s will. He knew precisely where he was going to go, where God would bring him. And God did so, after those three hours of darkness. He crowned his Son’s undivided love, trust, submission, and honour with manifold blessing, wholeness, peace, and safety. He received Christ into glory! Christ found his security, his comfort, his well being in God alone.
And Christ’s undivided heart, his obedience toward God, is what the believer receives by faith. His righteousness is ours! And so he could say through Isaiah after speaking of idolatry, O Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you
(Isaiah 44:21–22). That message is for us today as well! God forgives through Christ, the one who soundly demolished the proud enemy.
This is the Saviour to whom you are to run, again and again. Otherwise your idols will bring you to destruction and judgment. Christ is the only one who can deliver you; and he’s the only one able and willing to crush the remaining idols of your heart, and help you have only one Lord as Lord of your heart, and thereby grow in enjoying the Lord as your peace.
25 That night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it