No Other Gods
'Do not worship any other gods besides me. Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god! ’What does it mean when God says, ‘Do not worship any other gods besides me’? It means that we are not to allow anything or anyone to takes the place of God in our lives.— Exodus 20:3–5
That god could be a career. It could be a possession. It could be a relationship. It could be so many things. But the Bible tells us, ‘Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts’ (1 John 5:21).
Scripture also warns us about idols that include objects or carved images. Before we dismiss this as an issue from the Old Testament period, let’s consider how many religious icons and images we have in our culture today. While I’m not saying all of these are necessarily wrong, I am saying that we don’t need them to worship God.
Sometimes people say, ‘I need these things to remind me of God.’ But a person who knows God, loves Him, and is living in fellowship with Him does not need an image or a representation of God to worship Him.
A dependence on such things indicates the absence of an inner spiritual life. Jesus said, ‘For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth’ (1 John 4:23–24).
We don’t need images. We don’t need icons. We don’t need symbols. God tells us, ‘Do not make idols of any kind.’ Give Him your undivided love.
Ah, Idols, we do not worship idols. Ask him if Perhaps he or someone in his family may have a photo or a sketch or a painting or whatever of a loved one, alive or deceased but lets say deceased. Has he or anyone in his family ever known a person to reflect on the missed loved one through that image? If a mother or loved one kisses a photo of one who passed on would you say that the photo is loved and replaces the person in it? Of course not. Statues are not there as idols of worship at all. Only as an image to induce perhaps even deeper thought of that “loved one”. Going further into this explanation would only serve to legitimize such a childish accusation. That is what I would tell him.A recent aquaintance of mine who is married to an ex-Catholic (who bristles at the thought that Catholics are even Christians) recently passed this along to me…
How would you all respond?
The writer should also know The Bible also speaks of the dedication, respect and loyalty there is to be in a relationship between husband and wife and that this is blessed. Of course nothing should come before God but neither should anything come between those bound by God. The pastor seems to set part of the Bible aside to serve his own goals or judgments.The writer was told that if she cannot leave her husband and children then she is not fit to be with God - she is told she must hate her husband and children.
.
. . .The Ark of the Covenant which God gave specific instructions on how to construct, was itself a “type”, and the statues of the Cherubim on the top were certainly representations (indeed, representations of something which is in fact spiritual, and by it’s nature incorporeal). The vestments worn by the Aaronic Priests had illustrations of vegation on them, and we know that the Temple of Solomon (which God consecrated to Himself) had representations of Cherubim all over the place, a representation of Paradise in the inner area, and two gigantic gold leafed statues of Cherubim in the inner sactuary, between which the Ark of the Covenant was placed.
It can be said, and very correctly, that the entire ritual and Temple worship mandated by the Old Covenant was “iconographic”, both in it’s representations of Angels, and of spiritual ideals like God’s Throne, Heaven, the Heavenly Altar, etc. This is not only not condemned by God in the Old Testament, but was constructed according to His will.
For believers in God, who are rightly initiated into the New Covenant (made not upon Mt.Sinai, but Mt.Zion, where the house was located that the Last Supper occured in…surrounded not by twelve stone pillars as Moses was, but the twelve Apostles), this iconographical principle (representing in type heavenly things, and mysteries of the Kingdom) is still in force. . .
According to Hebrews 12:1, these Saints of the Old Testament (who now, being rescued in death by the power of the Ressurection, have inherited the promise), and for us (by default) all of those who have successfully run the course before us in the New Covenant, exist as a “cloud of witnesses” that “surrounds us”.
This Holy Mystery, lies at the heart of the true Church, and is the reality it participates in, this reality being most clearly shown where and when She gathers to celebrate the Eucharist (which was established on Mt.Zion)
18 For you are not come to a mountain that might be touched and a burning fire and a whirlwind and darkness and storm,
19 And the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, which they that had excused themselves, that the word might not be spoken to them.
20 For they did not endure that which was said: and if so much as a beast shall touch the mount, it shall be stoned.
21 And so terrible was that which was seen, Moses said: I am frighted, and tremble.
22 But you are come to mount Sion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels,
23 And to the church of the firstborn who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:18-24)
The above shows the direct communion which the Church Militant (the Church in this world) has with the Church Triumphant (the Heavenly Church); a union which is made manifest when the Mass is celebrated (the Priest acting in the person of Christ the Offerer, the Bread and Wine seperately consecrated as His Body and Blood, the sacrifice for our sins).
The above also shows, just how superior the life of the Church is, over the Synagogue; how more fruitful the New Covenant is, over the Old (which it in fact came to fulfill and bring to completion; the Old by it’s very symbols and nature, points to the New). Where as the Old Covenant was characterized by severity, and fear, the New Covenant is characterized by fellowship with God as His very sons, being baptized into the eternally begotten Son.
Therefore, just as God hallowed Solomon’s Temple, is it not right to believe that God hallows the Temples which the Church has erected, for the purpose of giving them a place to gather and celebrate the Holy Mass? And just as this Temple had rightful Icons, reprenting Heavenly beings and mysteries, would it not make sense that the Angels and Saints are also represented in our Houses of Prayer? Indeed, are not such representations only giving symbolic form, to that which is in fact VERY REAL and very much present?
Hi ASimpleSinner,
Pastor's letter:
And let us not forget that Christ “is the image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)We don’t need images.
VC