Please take your Bibles and turn with me to Exodus chapter 20. Exodus chapter 20. Maybe when you were growing up and in school, your teacher would sometimes say to you, students put on your thinking caps. How many of you remember that? I hear some laughs, so you remember that. Put on your thinking caps. And what that meant, figuratively speaking, is you need to think. You need to pay attention. You need to listen. This isn't something you can just check out on. You need to think, and you need to think carefully. Well, we need to put on our thinking caps, but thank God we have the Spirit of the Living God who indwells us, who gives us understanding, who aids the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. And it's not just us putting on our so-called thinking caps. But I do want you to be mindful of that concept. We need to understand this. We need to think about this command, which is very short and simple, as we'll see in a minute, the second commandment, but yet has so many far reaching implications and applications for us in our lives. So this morning in my series on the 10 commandments, we will continue to look at The second commandment. Exodus 20, I'm going to read the first and second commandments, verses 3-6. The first commandment in verse 3, you shall have no other gods before me. And then the second commandment, you shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth, you shall not worship them or serve them. And here's the reason given for the commandment, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. And then we see the judgment of God for false worship, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. But then we see the blessing associated with true worship. But showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. This morning, I need to review, because it's tied in. These things are so tied together. I need to review something of where we were last week. I need to continue to talk about the basic understanding of this commandment. then expand upon that further, and then in particular, we'll see how this second commandment applies to not only images of God the Father, but images of God the Son. Last week, we began considering a basic understanding of the second commandment. We saw that the first and second commandments are related and connected, yet they're different and distinct. We considered questions like these. How is the second commandment related yet different from the first commandment? And what is the second commandment really prohibiting? Again, this morning, we will continue to gain an understanding of the commandment and its application. Next week, we'll consider the reason for the commandment, the jealousy of God for his own glory, and the judgment and blessing of God associated with this commandment. So we're going to consider the commandment further, understanding it in greater detail, and then we're going to ask, again, what does this mean regarding images of the Lord Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity? There is a relationship between the first two commandments. How are they related? Well, they both have to do with God. with us, and then the worship of the one true God. So they both have to do with the worship of God. We must acknowledge God, He is the only God, there is no other, and we are to worship the one true God and worship Him alone. An idol is not the true and living God. Therefore, no idol of any kind is to be worshiped. But there's a distinction between the first two commandments. The second commandment is not only prohibiting worshiping false gods called idols, it is prohibiting the worshiping of the true God by way of making an image or representation of him. Therefore, the heart of the second commandment is the subject of how the true and living God is not to be worshiped, and by extension, how he is to be worshiped. People may acknowledge or name the true and living God as their God, the first commandment, and yet seek to worship Him in ways that are not worthy of Him, nor in accordance with the true worship of the true God. So we understand there is a distinction between these commandments. And I said it this way to help us understand it last week. The first commandment is about the true God. The second commandment is about the true worship of God. The first commandment is a prohibition against worshiping false gods. The second commandment is a prohibition against worshiping the true God falsely. The first commandment requires that we worship God alone. The second commandment requires that we worship God aright. The first commandment is about worshiping the right God, who is the only true and living God. The second commandment is about worshiping the one true living God in the right manner as he is commanded. So false gods are condemned in the first commandment. False worship of the true God is condemned in the second commandment. So we can sum it up in this way. The first commandment is about who is to be worshiped, the object of our worship. The second commandment is about how we are to worship. the manner of our worship. So the second commandment has to do with worship, who is to be worshiped, but it's more than that. It's how God is to be worshiped. It's important to understand what the second commandment doesn't mean. This is not a prohibition against making any image of any kind in creation for any purpose. So some would say that this means there'd be no images at all. And as I mentioned last week, there are some who would even say, therefore you can't take a picture or make a painting of a person. That's not what this means. This is not a prohibition against images, pictures, statues, paintings, and so on of people, animals, the sun, the moon, the stars, or anything else in creation. This commandment is not a prohibition of art or the creation of images in general, Images are not intrinsically evil. We may create art. However, images of God are evil and are prohibited by God himself in the second commandment. So what does the second commandment prohibit? Well, first we could simply say this. The second commandment prohibits the worship of images or likenesses of anything in creation. It prohibits the worship of images or likenesses of anything in creation. No image, no statue, no painting, no drawing, no picture, no object in creation is to be worshiped. This is idolatry. Secondly, the second commandment also prohibits making an image or likeness of anything in creation, calling it your God, and then worshiping it. For there is only one true living God. That's the first commandment. So the second commandment, again, is related to that, but it expands upon it. Fallen sinners are worshipers. They are prone to worship false gods, and they often do so by way of an object or representation of their God. And this is a form of idolatry as well, which is an expression of the depravity of the human heart. But thirdly, and at the heart of the commandment, is this. The second commandment is a prohibition against making an image or an idol as a representation of the true and living God. There is to be no worship of the true God represented by a man-made image. No representation of God is to be made. That is false worship. You shall not make for yourself an idol is forbidding worshiping God through a depiction or representation of him. For this too is a form of idolatry, even if it's done in the name of the true God. So what does the commandment prohibit? It prohibits the worship of images and likenesses of anything in creation. It prohibits the making of images, calling it your God, and then worshiping it. But at the heart of it, it prohibits making an image or an idol as a representation of the true and living God. Now, turn to Deuteronomy chapter four. Deuteronomy chapter four. Genesis, you were in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, then Deuteronomy. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses reiterates God's commands before Israel enters into the promised land. By the way, what does Deuteronomy mean? The word Deuteronomy. Deutero, second, that word means second. Nami, Deuteronomy, comes from the word namas, which means law. So quite literally, Deuteronomy means second law. So it means that the law was given for a second time. When you read through Deuteronomy, Israel is about to go into the promised land. And so Moses, reiterates, repeats the law of God again before they go in. So therefore it's called Deuteronomy, second law, it's given for a second time. Deuteronomy chapter four, verse 15. There's a warning. So watch yourselves carefully. Verse 15, So Moses is reiterating here, you did not see any form. He did not reveal himself in that way. You didn't see God as an image. And so watch yourself, he says in verse 16, so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourself in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth, So he's reiterating again what God has commanded in the second commandment. And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and stars and all the host of heaven and be drawn away and worship and serve them. So this is the stated prohibition. But I want you to look back in verses one and two. Deuteronomy 4, one and two. Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you. You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you. So notice here, what he's emphasizing is to be careful to do what God has commanded, to keep his commandments. That means you don't add to it, nor do you take away from it. Now this has implications for the second commandment in particular as we're considering that. Implicit in and inferred by the second commandment is this, which is very important to understand. True worship is honoring God as He really is and in the manner which He has commanded. So in this prohibition not to worship God by way of a representation of some image of Him, Inferred by that is true worship is honoring God as He truly is and in the manner that He has commanded. We may not take away from His commands. We may not add to His commands. That applies to what has been commanded concerning the worship of His holy name. We may not worship Him in a manner that He has not commanded. We may only worship Him in the manner He has commanded because he regulates the worship of his name. So this is what you've heard from this place often. Hear it again. This is the essence of the regulative principle of worship. The regulative principle of worship is simply saying what Moses said here in Deuteronomy 4, verses one and two in regards to the worship of God. Verse two, you shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, you shall not take away from it. So we're only to worship God in the manner he has commanded. He regulates the worship of his name. Now, back to this specific prohibition against making an idol, a representation, an image as a representation of God. Here is an important point. I said this last week, but let me reiterate it and elaborate on it and apply it even further today. Making images of the one true living God is not worthy of Him. Making images of the one true living God is not worthy of Him. It makes Him less than He is. It dishonors His nature. His being, His majesty, His power, His sovereignty, His self-sufficiency. Whatever you can say about God, making an image of Him degrades and diminishes His glory. Can any image or anything created by man rightly and justly represent God's divine being and attributes? And the answer is no. Anything we make is finite, but God is an infinite spirit. So making images of the one true living God is not worthy of him. How is it unworthy of him? Well, first, we could say it this way. Simply, it diminishes, degrades, dishonors, disgraces, and defames His glory. Turn to Romans 1. Romans 1. And I want to expand on this more. I want to show you more specifically from the Word how this defames, degrades, dishonors the glory of God. Romans 1, beginning in verse 18. Again, hear God's word, just hear it again. I know you're familiar with it, I've read it before, but hear the word of God, Romans 1, 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them And one of the ways he made it evident is through what he has made. Verse 20, for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, his eternal powers, divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. So by the way, this is something God makes, not man. So don't confuse it. Well, God made something that shows something of his glory. God made it, not man. There's a big difference. But, we don't worship those things as a representation of God. You have to be very careful. When you look at the beauty of a sunrise, that you're not worshiping the sunrise, but instead you say, what a powerful, wise God who created that, and controls it, and has given the limits of those things in His creation. So, Paul is simply saying that God has revealed something about himself, but yet man in his sinfulness suppresses the truth about God, and they do not acknowledge him, they do not honor him. Verse 21, for even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks. What is that? That's a violation of the first commandment. They don't honor him as the one true living God. but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools." Now, verse 23 is key to understanding the second commandment and how making images of God is unworthy of Him. Verse 23. Here's what they do. They 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. So here you see a contrast. The glory of the incorruptible God. And then the image in the form of corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. And in man's depravity, in his idolatry, He makes images. And when an image of God is made, an exchange takes place. The word here, exchange the glory of the incorruptible God. The word exchange means to make otherwise, to change, to alter. The glory of God is now changed, not literally, but in their false worship or in their idolatry is changed into an image made like corruptible man. What is so wrong with this, in fact evil and wicked, is that it takes the glory of God and it exchanges it, it changes it into an image of that which is corruptible. Notice the contrast, the glory. of God, the glory of God, His radiance, His brightness, His splendor, His majesty. You've heard me say before, the glory of God is a sum total of all of who He is and all His attributes. God is glorious. And it takes the glory of God and it changes the glory of the, notice the adjective, incorruptible, the incorruptible God. The word incorruptible here means immortal, imperishable. It's the same word used. Now to the king eternal, immortal! Invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. 1 Timothy 1, 17. We just sang a hymn based on that verse. God is eternal, immortal, imperishable, incorruptible. And making an image or representation of God changes or exchanges the glory of the eternal, immortal, imperishable, incorruptible God into that which is corruptible, it says. Whether it's an image of man or an animal, it is corruptible. The word corruptible means subject to decay and destruction, mortal, perishable, transitory. An idol, the image itself that is made is corruptible. The thing made is corruptible and the created thing in whose image it is made is also corruptible. So the sin here is the exchange of what is incorruptible with that which is corruptible. That which is imperishable changed or exchanged into that which is perishable, that which is unchanging and immutable with that which is changing, that which is immortal with that which is mortal. This is not worthy of God. It obscures and diminishes his glory. Verse 25. talks of another exchange. They exchanged a different Greek word here, but similar in meaning to the word of verse 23. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie. And what happens? They worship and serve the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. So when this happens, There is no true worship of God taking place, for the truth about God, the true God, is exchanged for a lie and a false worship. And notice how the Creator is described here. You wonder if the Apostle Paul has the first two commandments in mind. who is blessed forever. That's the first commandment. You shall have no other gods for me because he is the one and only God who alone is to be worshiped and praised forever and ever. Amen. He's glorious. He's worthy of praise. And yet images in the worship of the true God obscures his glory. It's a form of idolatry. It degrades God. It dishonors his glory. It makes him less than he is. Consider the golden calf that Israel made in Exodus chapter 32. They may have been attempting to produce an image that would depict God's strength, his might, and his power. But a calf? A four-footed creature? What about God's, not just His power, but His immortality or self-sufficiency, His immutability, His wisdom, His justice, His righteousness, His mercy, His kindness, His grace? A golden calf cannot display those things. A man-made image cannot display or represent the glory of the incorruptible God. Therefore, an image or representation of God is incomplete. But worse than that, it is a distortion of who he really is. To use such images in the worship of his name, again, is to disgrace and defame his name. By the way, here we see how the second commandment is tied to the third commandment. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. To make an image of God is also to take His name in vain. It treats God as less holy than He is. His name is not hallowed and treated as holy. You see the coherence and unity of these commandments. Now this is serious. We see how serious it is by God's response. Look at verse 24, Romans 1 verse 24. I skipped that verse. But notice it, therefore God gave them over in the lust of their heart to impurity so that their bodies will be disgraced among them. When there's false worship, God acts. There are always consequences to false worship or the worship of a false god. There are always repercussions, there are always consequences upon the person who worships false gods or who worships the true God falsely. And we'll see that when we consider next week the judgment and blessing of God associated with the commandments. He visits iniquity on those who falsely worship him. They're said to hate him, but loving kindness to those who love him and keep his commandments. So this kind of false worship is actually hating God. No matter what the intention is, the act itself is a form of hatred of God. So making images of the one true living God is not worthy of him. It diminishes His glory. It degrades Him. It dishonors Him. It defames His glory. But also, secondly, it makes God lifeless and impersonal. When in reality, He's living and active, ruling and reigning. He is the living God. You hear me say this sometimes. I refer to it as the one true living God. He's the one God, He's the only God. There are not many gods, there's one true living God. He is the true God, He alone is God, but He is also the living God. And this description of Him as the living God is found throughout the scriptures, Old and New Testaments. 15 times in the Old Testament, He's described as the living God. 13 times in the New Testament, He's described as the living God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42 verse two. Peter said, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Matthew 16 verse 16. Hebrews 10, 31. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. It's not terrifying to fall into the hands of an idol. The imagination of man's mind crafted and carved by his hands. But it's a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. You see, God is the living God. He is not dead and lifeless. He's not dependent upon man. He's the living God. And so making an image of God makes him lifeless and impersonal, when in reality, he is the living God who is active, who is reigning, who is ruling. Listen to Psalm 115. Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory. because of your loving kindness, because of your truth. Why should the nation say, where now is their God? But our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases. Their gods, he says, their idols are silver and gold, the work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak. They have eyes, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear. They have noses, but they cannot smell. They have hands, but they cannot feel. They have feet, but they cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throat. They are not the living God. There's one true living God. And our God is in the heavens. He does whatever He pleases. He's eternal, incorruptible. He rules, He reigns, He acts for His namesake and for His glory. He is the living God. And so to make an image of the living God is to make God lifeless and impersonal. And you say, well, what if I don't make a literal physical image in idol? What if I just have an image of him in my mind? Someone has said this, God's real attack is on mental images of which metal images are more truly the consequence rather than the cause. In other words, how you think about God is important. So you may not just say, well, I won't make it. The commandment talks about making an idol. But what if I just think of God in those terms? Well, the making of idols really comes from the mind anyway. Here's how I think of God. So we can commit idolatry in our thinking as well. How we think about God is important. Do you think about God rightly and biblically as he has revealed himself and as he truly is? The Westminster Larger Catechism, question 109, asks, what are the sins forbidden in the second commandment? And it answers it this way. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are all devising, counseling, commanding, using, or any wise approving any religious worship not instituted by God himself, tolerating a false religion, And then it says this, the making any representation of God of all or of any of the three persons either inwardly in our mind or outwardly in any kind of image or the likeness of any creature. So notice here, even in our minds. Listen, wrong thoughts about God are a form of idolatry. Idolatry can be in the mind. That is what one thinks, in particular what one thinks about God himself. Wrong thoughts about God are as dangerous as physical images of God. To think something about God that is not true of him is a form of idolatry. And sadly, this form of mental idolatry pervades much of the professing church today. Listen to what A.W. Pink wrote in 1975 in his book, The Attributes of God. The God of the 20th century no more resembles the supreme sovereign of holy writ than does the dim flickering candle of the glory to the midday, excuse me, comparison of the flickering candle to the glory of the midday sun. The God who is now talked about in the average pulpit spoken of in the ordinary Sunday school, mentioned in much of the religious literature of the day, and preached in most of the so-called Bible conferences, is a figment of human imagination, an invention of maudlin, meaning mushy, sentimentality. The heathen outside the pale of Christendom form gods out of wood and stone, while millions of heathen inside Christendom manufacture a god out of their own carnal mind. In reality, they are but atheists, for there is no other possible alternative between, as he speaks of the sovereignty of God, between an absolute supreme God and no God at all. A God whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possess no title to deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits nothing but contempt. So there, he's talking about people who deny the sovereignty of God. God they made up in their own imagination. The heart of the problems with the church today is that The church no longer believes in the God of the Bible. There is much in the name of Christianity that is nothing more than idolatry. The God that is proclaimed and supposedly worshiped is nothing more than a golden calf. This is why A. W. Tozer wrote in his book The Knowledge of the Holy Let us beware, lest we in our pride accept the erroneous notion that idolatry consists only in kneeling before visible objects of adoration and that civilized peoples are therefore free from it. The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of him. It begins in the mind and may present where no overt act of worship has taken place. When they knew God, wrote Paul, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. then followed the worship of idols, fashioned after the likeness of men and birds and beasts and creeping things. But this series of degrading acts began in the mind, Tozer says. Wrong ideas about God are not only the fountain from which the polluted waters of idolatry flow, they are themselves idolatrous. The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true. He writes, perverted notions about God soon rot the religion in which they appear. The long career of Israel demonstrates this clearly enough, and the history of the church confirms it. So necessary to the church is a lofty concept of God that when that concept in any measure declines, the church with her worship and her moral standards declines along with it. The first step down for any church is taken. when it surrenders its high opinion of God. And therefore, you have probably heard Tozer wrote, worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. So he says this is the weightiest issue the church faces. a right understanding of God. He says the heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him. And what is worthy of Him? That we think rightly about Him. And how do we do that? By thinking of Him as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures. and then to worship Him as He really is in light of the revelation of Himself in the Word and in the manner He has commanded. How many times I've heard someone say, my God would never, and then they say something about God that's not true from the Bible. And in this way, people make up a God in their mind, call him the God of the Bible, it's nothing more than idolatry. My God would never send people to hell. My God is too loving. It's idolatry, it's not the God of the Bible. God needs me. God can't live without me. He loved me so much that he didn't want to spend eternity without me. That's idolatry. It's not the God of the Bible. It's not served by human hands as if he needed anything or anyone. So in order to guard ourselves from such idolatry, In idolatrous thoughts about God, we need to study this book. It doesn't get back to the basics of the Christian life. We need to understand what God has revealed about himself in the scriptures. And so knowing and believing the Bible is a safeguard against this form of idolatry. As we know God as he has revealed himself, we are guarded from idols. So making images The one true living God is not worthy of him. And one must be careful to not have thoughts that are not worthy of him, not true of him. Now, this brings up a question. Are images of Jesus, the second person of the triune Godhead, prohibited by the second commandment? What about images of Jesus, pictures of Jesus, stained glass windows with depictions of Jesus? What about children's Bibles with pictures of Jesus? What about Sunday school curriculum? What about manger scenes, passion plays depicting Jesus? What about portraits of Jesus in your home? Are images of Jesus, prohibited by the second commandment. Well, here's a summary of some of the views. People have differing views on this. Let me give you a summary of differing views to the answer to that question. I guess the first is simply this. Some have never thought about it. Maybe you're in that category. You say, wait a minute, I've never thought about this. And I encourage you to think about it and consider what scripture has to say. It's an important question. Secondly, some people believe that images of Jesus, in whatever form it's found, is not only permissible in general, but it's often encouraged as a means of devotion and worship. For example, there is the Roman Catholic practice of what is called the Stations of the Cross. One source describes this practice in this way. Stations of the cross is a series of 14 pictures or carvings portraying events in the passion of Christ, from his condemnation by Pontius Pilate to his enthronement or entombment, excuse me. And so the series of stations, there are 14 of them, are these, Jesus is condemned to death, Then Jesus is made to bear his cross. Jesus falls for the first time. Jesus meets his mother. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross. Then a station, a place, a carving, a picture, something as Veronica wipes Jesus' face, which isn't even in the Bible. Jesus falls a second time. The women of Jesus weep over Jesus. Jesus falls a third time. Jesus is stripped of his garments. Jesus is nailed to the cross. He dies on the cross. He's taken down from the cross. He's placed in the sepulcher. These are the 14 stations. And this source says, the images are usually mounted on the inside of walls of a church, a chapel, but it may also be erected in such places as cemeteries, corridors of hospitals, religious houses, or on mountainsides. And each station is commonly visited with some variation of prayer. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. And so, there are these images that help in your devotion to Christ. And you go before those images of these scenes, these stations of the cross. And it's there that you adore Him. Images, statues, carvings are a staple of the Roman Catholic Church. But every scripturally informed believer should reject such images of Jesus. So there are some who say, no, they should be used in our devotion and worship. But there is the view, some would prohibit pictures, images, and statues and such of Jesus at church as a means of worship. However, it wouldn't prohibit various images of Jesus for teaching or evangelistic purposes. And then finally, there's the belief that all images of Jesus for any purpose are prohibited by the second commandment. This is the position that I take. Now, there are godly people who disagreed and who disagree about this subject. There are some who may agree on some points and agree about some areas. Yeah, it shouldn't be in church. You shouldn't have a picture of Jesus here. Maybe at home it's okay. So there are variations of it. I would simply ask that you consider this subject. Maybe you haven't thought about it. Maybe just without defensive posture, I know sometimes when there's something that maybe you've just grown up a particular way. Maybe you grew up in a home where there was a picture of Jesus. I don't remember if it was my home. I think it was my grandmother's house. I remember a picture of Jesus. It's a very common picture where he's kneeling and there's a light shining upon him. I have this recollection of that in my memory. And maybe you grew up where in your home or grandparents home or whatever the case may be. And you may think, oh, it's very harmless. It didn't affect me in any way. It's what does the scripture say? What is God commanded about the worship of his name? And so let me give you some arguments that people give for permitting images of Jesus, at least in some cases, and for specific purposes, and then give you my response to those arguments. Some would say that the second commandment does not prohibit images of Jesus because Jesus, the Son of God, became a man and dwelt among us. And since the second person of the Trinity became a man, the argument is that it is permissible to make images of Jesus, but not of the other persons of the Trinity, not of the Father, not of the Holy Spirit. For, they would say, Jesus became flesh and blood. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The apostles speak of they touched him, they beheld him, they saw him. He was flesh and blood. Very man. He was truly man. He was not just a spirit who appeared to be a man. You know, that is the heresy of docetism. The word docetism comes from a Greek word that means to seem, to appear. And so there were those who would say, because they believed that all physical things were inherently evil, that Jesus couldn't have become flesh and blood, for that would be taking upon something which is inherently evil. And since he is only holy, he only seemed and appeared to be a man, when in reality, he was only a spirit. And so scripture condemns that. 1 John speaks of those antichrists, those who are heretics, those who teach falsely that Jesus did not come in the flesh. That's the spirit of the antichrist. He did. And some would argue, well, since he had a physical body, if we Don't depict it. If we depict Bible scenes, maybe from the gospels, but without Jesus, won't that appear that we don't believe that he's really man, that he became a man? We don't wanna be docetistic. Let me just respond a little to this argument. First, a person is not a docetist. or implying it at all just because he believes that visual depictions of Jesus are a violation of the second commandment. That's not what's at issue here, it's an issue of understanding the second commandment. And I would ask this, do we need depictions to betray his humanity? I would say no, God has given us a sufficient revelation of the person of Christ, who he is and what he has done for sinners. We know of his two natures in one person, not because of images of him, but because of God's revelation in the scriptures about who he is. And is the word of God, it always comes back to this, is the word of God sufficient for knowing, loving, and worshiping Jesus? I would argue that a man-made depiction of Jesus is not needed. and it surely will not be worthy of him. How do you depict the Son of God who became flesh and blood? What did he look like? Scripture does not describe the face and features of Jesus. And we know he had a beard because they plucked it out. But you only know that by way of that description of how his sufferings and his passion He became flesh and blood, but what were his physical features? What was his complexion like? What color were his eyes? You can only surmise. And so any depiction of Jesus is completely made up and contrived. So wouldn't that be true if we make images of Abraham or Moses? We don't know what they look like, yes, but they were mere men and nothing more. If a betrayal of Moses falls short of him in some way, we're not falling short of portraying the God-man, but only of a mere man. We do not know what Jesus looked like because scripture doesn't tell us. Often when I preached about the birth of Christ, it pointed out that all the details of his birth are not described. It's just he was born, who he is, and that he was born in a very humble means. But it doesn't describe him. We want to know, how much did he weigh? How long was the baby? What's the color of the cow? What's it look like? We want to know that. Nothing of that matters. Do you like Joseph or Mary? It doesn't matter. The Bible simply doesn't reveal these things to us. Shouldn't that tell us something? Images of Jesus will always fall short of portraying him, even of his humanity. So how does it help me in any way to have a depiction of a man who is supposedly Jesus, conjuring up thoughts and ideas about Jesus that are neither accurate nor necessary? But Jesus is not just a man. He became flesh and blood, but he is the God-man, truly God and truly man, He is one person with two natures. He's described in Hebrews 1 verse 3 in this way. He is the radiance of the Father's glory, the exact representation of his nature. He upholds all things by the word of his power. Therefore, aren't all physical depictions of Jesus less than who he is? Could it not be argued that to depict his humanity alone is to diminish who he is? Here's another argument for images of Jesus. If they're not used for worship, would they not be permitted? So this argument points out that the second commandment is addressing the worship of God. You shall not worship them or serve them. So as long as they're not used for worship, wouldn't they be permitted? Therefore, some have argued that artistic portrayals of Jesus are allowed as long as they're not for the purpose of worship, devotion, veneration. So the argument says that images of Jesus, those types of images of Jesus are not intended to evoke worship to him. If only it were that simple. First of all, we're prone to idolatry. And this is a sin which is not easily avoided. But even more important than this, if those images of Jesus are not for the purpose of evoking worship, then what is their purpose? What is the purpose of an image of Jesus? Now, I'm gonna address shortly purposes that people might say, well, it's pedagogical or it's evangelistic. But what is the purpose of an image or a picture? A picture of Jesus, does it not cause you to think about Jesus? An image or depiction of Christ in some scene with Christ in it from the Bible, does it not cause you to think of Christ in some way? Does it not communicate something about Christ? It gives a knowledge of something about Christ, whether it's accurate or not. And thinking about Christ should always lead to what? Worship. Should I think of Christ, I should say, and not worship? Should I have thoughts of Christ and not be drawn to worship Him? When we think of Christ, should we not worship Him? Can I ever say I should have a thought about Christ and then it not evoke worship to Him? Every thought of Christ. should be, in a sense, adoration of worship. And so when an image is made of Christ, how can I say, oh, I'm to think of Christ, but I'm not to worship Christ in any way in conjunction with what I'm seeing and how that's communicating something to me about Christ? And by the way, people can easily get tied to a picture and venerate it. Consider a person who has a picture of Jesus in a room in the house. Every time he walks by it, he thinks of Christ. His thoughts are drawn to Christ. Eventually, he wants to have his devotions in that room because of the picture. He feels closer to Christ. He likes to pray in that room. When trials come, trials come, he finds comfort in that room. Why? Because of the picture of Christ. We can easily fall into idolatry, to worshiping through images and objects. Some would say, well, what if the use of images of Jesus are solely, although I don't believe it can be solely for this, but solely for evangelistic or pedagogical purposes. Pedagogical means for teaching purposes. Evangelistic purposes, let's say, to share the gospel through passion plays or movies. Well, all of what I've already said applies. But let me answer this in an additional manner. Has God not specifically prescribed how we are to evangelize and how we are to make disciples? God has not only prohibited certain things, but he has prescribed and commanded certain things. God has spoken in his written word about how we are to make disciples and teach. All that Jesus has commanded, and it does not say, make images of the scenes in the Gospels. It tells us how to evangelize. It's through verbal proclamation. Not through pictures. We have the written word of God. God sends preachers. They preach. They don't sculpt and draw. There's no indication that the apostles in the early church made images of Jesus as tools for evangelism and discipleship. Our devotion to Christ, our following Christ, if we want to use, if we want to be pedagogical, if we want to teach, we want to make disciples, our devotion to Christ, our following Christ, our love for Christ, our worship for Christ is not tied to sight. but to the word that has been spoken and now inscripturated. In 1 Peter 1 verse 8, Peter says, though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You see, love for him and belief in him is not tied to sight. No, it's tied to hearing the message. They had not seen Jesus. They did not currently see Jesus, but they believed in him. How? They heard the gospel. The gospel came through verbal proclamation about Jesus and what he had done to save sinners. They did not need a visual depiction of Jesus to believe. God sends preachers, not artists. Preachers, not cinematographers. We open our Bibles and we speak the truth of the Gospel and evangelism. We do not carry around depictions of Jesus, sufferings of Jesus, through pictures, paintings, videos. That is a sufficient means of evangelism because it is the God-ordained means. So what about movies or passion plays? Someone might argue that movies or videos have been used as tools to bring people to saving faith in Christ. The end does not justify the means. The whole idea that if a person, one person professes faith in Christ through some means, and that makes it a legitimate way to do it, that's nothing more than pragmatism. If it works, it must be of God. As long as we get results, we must do it. No, God cares about the means. Yeah, I've probably shared this with you before, but somehow got into a silly, I think somewhat silly discussion and argument in college with some believers about, as we drove by and saw Jesus or hell painted on a bridge about whether that was the proper way to do evangelism or not. Is that permissible? Well, that's not the God or day means. Jesus or hell? The Gospel must be explained, taught. You have to take the Word and Jesus. Who is Jesus? Hell. And of course, defacing property and all the other things that are involved in that. God has given us a means to do it, so why go around? If one person saw that and came to Christ, isn't that okay then to do that? No. Christians should ask this question. This commanded of God. What is the ordained means of the gospel going to sinners? It's not can God use those things, it's what is God commanded? You see, at the heart of this whole issue is really the rego to principle applied to other areas as well, the sufficiency of scripture. Yet many believe that we need more. It's a visual society, and we need it. It'd be more effective if we show these images. You remember, The Passion of the Christ. Mel Gibson, who produced the movie The Passion of the Christ, said, you can read about it, but I want to make it more real. More real than what God has revealed in His Word. This supernatural book that is living and active and the Holy Spirit uses, Mel Gibson said about the movie The Passion of the Christ, I made the ultimate superhero film. When you think about Christ, you should not be remembering an image conjured up by Mel Gibson or some portrayal of Jesus by an actor. You should not think of Jim Cavazel when you think of Jesus. Cavazel said, and you may recall some of this when the movie came out, he said this, I think it's very important that we have mass every day, at least I need, that I need to play this guy, he said. I felt if I was going to play him, I needed the sacrament in me. And so Mel Gibson provided that for him. People proclaimed it, it's gonna be the greatest evangelistic tool in the history of Christianity. Where is it now? What was the fruit of it? The Word, the written Word, and then that Word now proclaimed by believers is a sufficient means of evangelism. Galatians 3.1, listen to this. Paul says, you foolish Galatians, who's bewitched you before whose eyes Jesus was publicly portrayed as crucified? Now, the Galatians actually did not see Jesus with their literal eyes as crucified. How was Jesus' crucifixion portrayed to them? Through the verbal proclamation of the gospel. It was proclaimed and explained verbally. And so it's spoken of figuratively there, before whose eyes, not their literal eyes they saw it. You didn't have to see the crucifixion of Jesus. No, you had to hear the Word proclaimed, the Gospel preached, the message of the cross. And that's how they heard it. It was sufficient. Why? Because faith comes from hearing. And hearing by the Word of Christ. It is the Word, the message of the cross that is proclaimed. So the gospel must be proclaimed and explained. The visual cannot explain events. Words must explain the events. The gospel cannot be seen. It must be proclaimed, explained, taught. How do you explain God made him, or how do you visualize God made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf? Can a passion play a movie explain God caused the iniquity of us all to fall upon him. I have to confess, when I was in college, I went on a mission trip with YWAM, Youth With A Mission, and I was in a play that depicted the gospel out of ignorance. I was Adam in the play, it was called The Maze. You have to envision this, because I know you might think this is a little humorous. Pastor Greg did this, he was an actor, and it was like mime, and I was in this maze, and it was like I'm trapped in this because of sin, and Jesus enters into the maze, and he ends up dying. I've done things like that, and people do that. I remember going to what used to be Heritage USA here locally and seeing a passion play. I still have images of scenes in my mind from that play, most of which were very unbiblical. So I think of this, how can anyone play Jesus? You say, why don't we have images here? Why don't we have passion plays? Which man among us wants to play Jesus? No, the worship of this, of God, would mean I don't wanna play God, play Jesus in any way. The word of God is a sufficient means of discipleship in evangelism. And so, everything I've said about the second commandment, I believe applies to Jesus too. Making images of the one true living God is not worthy of him. Jesus is God. Man-made images of Jesus diminish, degrade, dishonor, degraces, and defames his glory. And it all comes back to the sufficiency of scripture in what we understand, taught from scripture that we call the regulative principle of worship. God not only prohibits certain forms of worship, he prescribes how we are to worship. He instructs us how we are to worship him. And images of Jesus are not a part of the instruction of God in his word. And in fact, we must beware of and reject images of any of the three persons of the Trinity. For God has said, you shall not make for yourself an idol. We must give ourselves to the God-ordained means of worship and evangelism and discipleship. Our worship is hearing, reading, studying, meditating. Our spiritual growth is through hearing, reading, studying, meditating on the word of God and obeying the word. We grow and we worship through prayer. We sing to God, we speak to one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. These are the God-ordained means by which we worship Him and by which we grow in holiness. And they're all void of images of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So let us worship Him. But not in our prescribed ways, but in the ways He has commanded. For He is worthy of that kind of worship. Let's bow our heads together in prayer. Fathers, we consider these things, Lord, we know there are some things in our lives that sometimes for the first time, or maybe it's come back up to our attention of things that we need to consider about you and about the true worship of your name. So Father, I pray in these things, even as we think about our children and raising our children and what we portray of them. of Christ as we think of Bibles and how we are to bring them up in the discipline instruction view. Lord, I pray in all these things that we would be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger, that we would be those who humbly receive your word and consider these things. I pray for the body of Christ. I pray for believers, not only here, but in other churches and believers in every place where that we would consider how we are to glorify you, the God of all glory and worship your name. And I pray that our worship, our devotion, our love would be in the manner you have prescribed in your word. We may not make up how we want to worship you, The only worship that is worthy of you is the worship you have prescribed and commanded in your word. Father, I pray that we would not think that we know better in how to evangelize or make disciples, but that we would do so only as we see prescribed in your word, which is our sole authority and sufficient. for all things as we seek to honor and glorify you as your people and love you and worship you. For you indeed are worthy of our worship and it's in Christ's name we pray, amen.