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"God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth" (Jn 4:24)

We have no problem in understanding the first of the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods before Me." Why do we stumble over the second: "You shall not make for yourself any carved image?" (Ex 20:2-6). Three things God has forbidden here concerning images: Don't "make" them or "bow" before them or "serve" them! If we are careless at the first step, we are sure to end up in idolatry.

The primary lesson we need to learn about God is that He is "Spirit" (Jn 4:24). Moses stressed this point to the people, "The Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice... Take careful heed to yourselves... lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure" (Dt 4:12-19). God has given us statutes, not statues. Pictures are not much different from statues. One is 2-dimensional and the other is 3-dimensional. The difference is only geometrical.

What about Sunday School pictures and Gospel films then? Well, they are used to explain to children and non-Christians the "earthly" life of Jesus. They must grow to believe on the heavenly Christ.

Both the Bible history and Church history abound with sad instances where "good" things became idols. An ephod became an object of worship for even a man like Gideon and his family (Judg 8:27). People were worshipping the bronze serpent that Moses had made until King Hezekiah broke it into pieces (2 Ki 18:14).

We Indian Christians must be exceptionally cautious because idolatry is in the very fabric of our Nation. Take an inventory of your houses and Church buildings. Throw away all unscriptural things. Break them, bury them or burn them.

God is our Maker; how could we His handwork presume to make an attempt to portray Him? Should you be interested to know how Jesus looks like now, read from the Book of Revelation (1:12-16; 2:1,12,18; 3:1; 5:6; 19:12,13). There you have the latest and authorized portrait of Jesus: Head full of crowns. Hair like white wool and snow. Eyes like a flame of fire. Feet like fine brass. A sharp sword in the mouth. Face shining like sun. Seven stars in the right hand. Robe dipped in blood. Try if you can capture this splendour with paint and brush! I-m-p-o-s-s-i-b-l-e!

                                 We walk by faith and not by sight! 

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