“Since we are made to worship, we are always centering our lives on something whether we realize it or not. It is like a fire hose that is stuck in the ‘on’ position and shooting water out endlessly with great force. We must decide where we aim the hose as the focus of our worship. The idols of our modern world are not necessarily the hand-carved statues of the ancient world. In our autonomous self-seeking ways, people have instead come to serve or worship the self-erected idols of approval, comfort, and security. We must ruthlessly inspect the sin in our heart for these idols… so it is vital that [we] get to the heart. As Tim Keller puts it, ‘The solution to our sin problem is not simply to change our behavior, but to reorient and center our entire heart and life on God.’ Therefore, we must go after the nature of the sin by going after its root and not just the fruit of the sin. Oftentimes people repent of sin that is simply the fruit of the idols in their hearts. We must find out the why of the behavior and not just the what”.
~Tom Wood & Scott Thomas, Gospel Coach
From Graced Again
GRACE & PEACE 
Dennis, didn’t Jesus take care of the root of sin ? We agree that he did so. In that, we are dead to sin and our life secure in Christ.
Having said that, the why is clear. We are all part of the adams family and as such sin is always part of who we are, even in our core. We are in fact deprived people and even our rightousness is as very dirty rags. It’s not in us to clean ourselves.
But we can take steps against the idols you mention. Seeking after riches, comfort, and our self seeking ways… by what Keller said in seeking after God as a way of life.
I think there is a bunch of tension however, as paul described he finds he can not do what he desires but does what he wishes he didn’t. Then states who can save us from this body of sin…he thanked Jesus who is our only salvation and hope against sin.
Problem is what does seeking after God look like….You get different answers on that one. Jesus set the bar pretty high for some yet it seems very low for others. Not an easy answer here.