Do Not Make God in Your Own Image

 

God made us humans to seek Him and find Him:

 

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:16-31

 

That means He made us to seek Him – the true, living God – and not to invent our own god.

 

John’s first letter is a remarkable piece of inspired writing, telling us who the true God is, what He requires of His people, and vitally telling us that we know this true God only through Jesus Christ.

 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:1-4

 

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:2

 

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:20-21

 

The life and light of God were evident in the person of Jesus Christ. God in the flesh was seen, heard and touched.

To see Jesus was to see God. John 1:1-4,14; 5:17-24; 10:27-33; 14:9; 20:26-28

 

To listen to Jesus was to listen to God. John 12:44-50

 

Notice that the love of God is evidenced in His people keeping His commandments – whatever they may be. God’s love encourages people to obey Him! “God is not only the God of Grace, He is also the God of expectations.” Samuel Mills. This author went on to mention 38 commandments of Jesus in the gospels. Jesus, in his last words on earth, said that His disciples are to be taught to observe all His commandments. Matthew 28:18-20.

 

Just as loving parents give their children rules to obey, so a loving God gives His children commandments to be kept for their own good. But a lot of people don’t want a God who commands obedience.

 

Because it is all too easy to create a picture of God in accordance with our own desires, John ends his first epistle with the words, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

 

An idol is a personally-created and worshipped god – whether made of stone or made in the imagination.

 

Be careful to believe the God of the Bible and only the God you read about in the Bible – and not a god of your own creation because of what you want God to be.

 

“We are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”

 

David Carr