IMAGES

Ephesians 5:5

Being certain of this, that no man who gives way to the passions of the flesh, no unclean person, or one who has desire for the property of others, or who gives worship to images, has any heritage in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Very scary truth that God wants us to beware of.

Exodus 20: 4-5a

"You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.

When you read the old testament you have to read it without the veil.

2Corinthians 3:16

Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

That is the gift of God, liberty from ignorance of grace and who God is.

Today this image therefore is not limited to graven idols as in pagan worship but just as the enemy has modified other types of deceit, the images have also been modified.

What is an image?

A representation of something, be it a picture or an idea.

Now the only image we should have of God is Jesus Christ. selah!!!

Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

(hope you will understand this!)

We are actually to look upon this image till we become the same image!

2Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

1John 3:2

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Romans 8:29

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Now this image is not a picture like so many have religiously and erreneously done. Getting a painting of a person then focusing on it. No! Some have even gone so degrading as using pictures of those who acted as Jesus in a movie! What is it with humans and idolatry?

No it is not a literal picture but a spiritual picture. Listen to Christ:

John 4:24

For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

So the whole essence is that we become a replica of God and of course that was what God created!!!

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

So it is a disaster for God's image to begin to look for another image to worship!

So when the veil is taken away we see ourselves as God's image reflecting in God, so as we draw closer to Him each day we become Him. That was what happened to Enoch the bible says He got so close to working with God (beholding His glory) he left here without necessarily having to die. That is extraordinario.

So the enemy works at giving us other images to focus on. Other heights to attain to distract us from the real glory.

Cults, hatred, political positions, wickedness, canal positions, church positions, financial brawling, religious attainments, rituals, keeping of times and dates, ceremonies and so on are examples of images we could focus so much on and loose our main focus.

Hebrews 12:2

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Romans 1:28

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

The enemy, the anti-christ also has an image and it is already being revealed!

Revelation 13:15

He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

(for those who understand eschatology)

Yes there are battles, but in all we know that we have victory already. We will overcome because we know!

Hosea 4:6a

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Therefore we can say:

We who are God's people cannot be destroyed because we have knowledge.

I see us not falling into the trap of the enemy.

All those false images are destroyed from our lives.

Our eyes are refocused to God in Jesus the Christ His very image.

We shall be like Him.

We shall be in Him.

No other image is worth the focus.

Glory to God!

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father keep me from any type of idol. Help me Lord to focus on You through Christ Jesus that I will have no place for any image that wants to take my mind from You. Help me O Lord.

He call us blessed.

Love

@the watcher.