One woman placed a picture of a man depicting Jesus Christ on her wall. When I asked her why she had a picture of the man on her wall she said; "every time I look at that picture it reminds me of my Lord."
On a Facebook post I wrote some time ago a woman was offended that I didn't like pictures depicting Christ. I asked the woman this question: "what if you put a picture of a man on the wall that was not your husband and told your husband "every time I look at that man it reminds me of you", wouldn't your husband be offended that you were looking at picture of another man pretending he was your husband? Looking longingly at a man wishing your husband looked like that would be offensive, even a form of adultery."
The woman I write about here was a missionary for many years. She became angry that I would suggest that perhaps a picture depicting Christ was not only improper but an idol. I didn't say all that I was thinking, I was feeling the grief of the message she was sending others about idols by having one.
Matthew 5:28 "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
When we longingly look at a picture of a man depicting Christ we are worshiping an idol. If we pray in front of the picture of Christ we are praying to a false god.
We were told in scripture not to make images of God. We know there were no pictures of people from the days of Christ, therefore any idea we had in our head about him would be an idol and idle imagining.
Exodus 20:3-5 "…3 You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,"
When we have Christ living in us we have no need to "see" something to feel close to Him. How much closer to Christ can we get than for Him to be inside of us.
2 Corinthians 5:7
"7 For we walk by faith, not by sight."
What's next?, praying to that picture to feel as if we have communicated with Jesus Christ?
When we look at a picture of a family member we know that was really that person. But when there are many pictures of various men depicting Christ we know none of them are Him because there were no cameras in His day.
I am convinced God never left behind any artifacts or images of Himself because it is human nature to assign power to objects rather than walking by faith based on our trust in Him. Christ is Spirit and we worship Him in Spirit and Truth not with objects. Faith is believing without seeing.
Deuteronomy 4:16
"that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,"
This passage makes it clear that statues and pictures of a god to speak to or bow to are deeply offensive to Him, it is adultery against Him.
Isaiah 53:2
"2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him."
God didn't want people following Christ because of His appearance. He wanted us to trust in Christ and follow Him because He is God and worthy to be worshiped. God did not want anyone lusting after Christ as they would lust after a man who is attractive.
When we worship in Spirit and in Truth there is great reverence for Him because He is God not because He was physically desirable. All the pictures depicting Christ are handsome and attractive, not at all what the Bible says about Him.
Many people hang onto artifacts and pictures as though they are sacred even becoming angry with those who question the use of those objects. When we see this happening we know the faith of a person who does this is based on the object and not Christ Himself.
Obeying God's Word is far more than just saying we believe it is the Word of God, it is a matter of taking seriously everything He said to us to implement its practice in our lives.
Changing God's word to justify our own desired belief is a form of rejecting Christ Who is called "The Word", using His Bible anyway we want is to deny Him in practice.
If we say we believe in Christ then we ought to take very seriously everything He said and pray about the things that are not clear to us. It also means rejecting the false teachings of those who add to the Word and subtract from it, to suite their own purposes.
When we are not sure about something in the Bible we ought to be praying first and then read, if the answer does not come right away, I know it will because God will not deny His children wisdom if they want to hear from Him.
James 1:5-6
"5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind."
When we get answers from God after our prayers we can be sure that most "Christians" will come against us to defend their traditions instituted by men, their comfortable space.
I can tell you that when God answers the prayer for truth and only truth it has not always been comfortable because friends and family will not agree and will even reject us, however, t it is more satisfying to understand the principles of Christ and to walk in them, than it is to have friends who cherish and follow their traditions of men.
Mark 7:13 "13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”
When we follow Christ diligently because we love Him we will not be angry at a challenge to follow His principles, we will be excited we learned something new. In fact, we will be yearning for more of His wisdom everyday, our joy is full and we need nothing more than this to be satisfied.
