The Physical Nature of God, the Father:
As we have studied so far, the making of images
or idols for worship was condemned by God in the Old
Testament. Let's look at how these
instructions continued in the New Testament
writings:
"Being
then the offspring of God, we ought not to think
that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or
stone, an image formed by the art and thought of
man. "Therefore having overlooked the times of
ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all
everywhere should repent," Acts 17:29-30 (NAS)
"For even though they knew God,
they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but
they became futile in their speculations, and their
foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise,
they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the
incorruptible God for an image in the form of
corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals
and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over
in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their
bodies might be dishonored among them. For they
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped
and served the creature rather than the Creator, who
is blessed forever. Amen." Romans 1:21-25 (NAS)
"And you see and hear that not
only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this
Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable
number of people, saying that gods made with hands
are no gods at all." Acts 19:26 (NAS)
"but that we write to them that
they abstain from things contaminated by idols and
from fornication and from what is strangled and from
blood." Acts 15:20 (NAS)
"Therefore concerning the
eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that
there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and
that there is no God but one. For even if
there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on
earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from
whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one
Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we
exist through Him" 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 (NAS)
"You know that when you were
pagans, you were led astray to the dumb idols,
however you were led." 1 Corinthians 12:2 (NAS)
"Do not be bound together with
unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness
and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with
darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or
what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or
what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For
we are the temple of the living God; just as God
said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and
I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
"Therefore, come out from their midst and be
separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is
unclean; and I will welcome you." 2 Corinthians
6:14-17 (NAS)
"For they themselves report
about us what kind of a reception we had with you,
and how you turned to God from idols to serve a
living and true God, and to wait for His Son from
heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus,
who delivers us from the wrath to come."
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 (NAS)
"Little children, guard
yourselves from idols." 1 John 5:21 (NAS)
"And the rest of mankind, who
were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of
the works of their hands, so as not to worship
demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of
brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither
see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of
their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their
immorality nor of their thefts." Revelation 9:20-21
(NAS)
"Now the deeds of the flesh are
evident, which are: immorality, impurity,
sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,
factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and
things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I
have forewarned you that those who practice such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Galatians 5:19-21 (NAS)
"Therefore consider the members
of your earthly body as dead to immorality,
impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which
amounts to idolatry. For it is on account of these
things that the wrath of God will come, and in them
you also once walked, when you were living in them."
Colossians 3:5-7 (NAS)
"And he deceives those who
dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was
given him to perform in the presence of the beast,
telling those who dwell on the earth to make an
image to the beast who had the wound of the sword
and has come to life." Revelation 13:14 (NAS)
Question:
According to the scriptures above, is it okay
today now that we are under the New Covenant of
Christ to make images or idols, or to worship the
sun, moon, stars or heavens? |