English – Spanish
God prohibits our making or having images in a context of worshipping Him. However, man, in his unbelief, prefers a visible god to the Invisible One. Images are a sure sign of false religion and are widely used in nominal Christendom. Whereas images are seen as enhancing worship, God sternly commanded the children of Israel to destroy them, which tells us how odious to God and dangerous to man images are.
The Lord Jesus Christ came to give us life, not empty and deceptive representations. In the beginning He sent out His disciples and apostles, who, being raised as Jews and knowing the Law, didn’t use images, and likewise they taught the Gentiles to abstain from the “pollution of idols.” Paul said to the men of Athens, a city full of idols (which are a product of men making God in their own image):
“Then being offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like gold or silver or stone, engraved by art and man’s imagination. Truly, then, God overlooking the times of ignorance, now He strictly commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:29-30 MKJV).
True faith is knowing God as He is, not as men imagine Him or His attributes to be, which they express in images, as with the golden calf, representing strength. The latter is the works of men (cults), the paths of the destroyer. The former is the Rock on which His Church is built. We cover this topic, with more explanation and practical examples, in Religious Images, Icons, and Likenesses.
“The images of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but no voice, they have eyes, but they do not see; they have ears, but no hearing; and there is no breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; and so is everyone who puts his hope in them” (Psalms 135:15-18 BBE).
Consider the alternative to keeping images: Instead of focusing on dumb and powerless idols, worship the Invisible God. When you do so, He will reveal Himself to you and you’ll be on the path to becoming like Him, the Living Creator.
Related posts:
Just as water baptism in and of itself doesn’t wash away man’s sins, neither do we receive the Resurrection Life of the Lord Jesus simply by consuming bread and wine, no matter how many times and ways blessed by a priest or pastor, no matter what faith they put in miraculous intervention, no matter how much they think they please God in their error, while perishing for lack of knowledge.
Why has that which is perfect been revised numerous times to correct errors? How is it its worshippers don’t recognize the errors still remaining in the KJV? Those who worship the KJV as being the perfect Word of God are in grievous error and idolatry indeed.
From: E.C. To: The Path of Truth Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2016 11:54 PM Subject: My likely bad questions and misconceived notions. Hello and greetings in Christ our Lord and savior! I happened upon your website today as I was researching Francis Chan. I honestly don't know much about the man. In any case I spent a number of hours reading numerous things on your site and I find myself both delighted and also perplexed. You don't believe in the Trinity? I must confess it is one of the hardest things ever to try and explain to anyone and I see why you would rather just call it blasphemy...but I wonder if maybe it's just miscommunication on mans part to properly explain the person of God. We see Him in scripture clearly as "God the Father, God the Son ,and God the Holy Spirit" yet we also know according to scripture that God is ONE...Jesus said "My Father and I are one"...yet He also said know one comes to the Father but through me...giving a clear picture of distinct separation. Also the Bible says that Jesus intercedes for us...does He intercede on our behalf to Himself? In the Shema or Deuteronomy we see the Lord is One...but then in John we see Jesus as the Word becoming flesh. He is the Word, the creating force in Genesis...but we see a clear picture of all three when He is baptized, Jesus the Son, God the father speaking from heaven and the Dove descending as the Holy Spirit. I believe that God is one and three..all the same. God is Jesus, Jesus is God, God is ...