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Purpose : The main aim of this study is to get an idea of God in the Bible - He is a living God and not an Idol.
Let us see from the Bible who is God.
1. Acts 17:24-30
24 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
29 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill.
30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance,
but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
v.24 [Who is God according to this scripture? God is the Creator] [Where does God not live according to the Bible? God does not live in buildings, built by men.
v.25 [Does God need anything from us? No. Why? Because he himself gives us everything.
v.26 [God made us and he set us in our places we live – Chennai, Mumbai etc. Why are you here now? It is God’s plan! Why is that? Because God’s WANTS for us to seek him, reach out to him and FIND him! God wants to have a Relationship with us.
Is he far from us, as some think he is on a mountaintop or across the ocean or even travel long distance on pilgrimage to find him? No. The Bible says he is near us. If we seek we will find him!]
v.28 [We are his offspring means what? That we are God’s Children. Do we have life? Yes. If we have life then what about God, whose children we are – is he living or dead? He is LIVING. Our God is a living God.]
v.29 [What does this mean? It means God is not a dead idol made by man’s design and skill. Who made us? God. Can we make God? No. That is what is happening, we can buy God in the market for a price. If the idol is of clay we can buy it for Rs.10, if it is painted Rs.100, if it is of Gold Rs.100,000 and if it has diamonds and jewelry on it, even Crores. But does the metal or the beauty of the idol make it God? No way. People are worshipping created things: statues, paintings, photos, sun, moon, snakes, etc. rather than the Creator himself!
v.30 [What does God expect from us once we know the truth about the Living God? He wants us to repent. To repent means to turn away. It means He wants us to stop worshipping Idols and have nothing to do with it anymore! What do you think about this for yourself?]
2. Psalms 135:15-17
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;
17 they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.
This scripture talks about the fact that idols are lifeless.
a) Idols are made by men. So the question-can man make God? No! People are worshipping created things rather than the Creator himself.
b) Idols have different parts of the body, but cannot use them. They can’t respond to people’s prayer. We humans are better off than idols, atleast we can actually hear, see, understand and feel. But that does not make us God!
c) Idols have no breath (life) in them.
3. Jeremiah 10:5
Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.
a) Idols are like scarecrows in the field. The scarecrows can’t do anything yet the crows are scared of them. Idols cannot do anything to you, yet people are scared to give it up because of the superstitions and stories associated with them. Idols are powerless! DO not FEAR IDOLS.
b) Idols have to be carried, because they cannot walk! If we have to help our God to walk what will happen to us weak humans!
c) Do not fear idols. They cannot harm you! Throw away all superstitious beliefs regarding idols.
What are some superstitious beliefs you have? Do you know what one of the Ten Commandments says specifically? Let us see.
4. Deuteronomy 5:8-9
8 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me
God commands us not to make an idol in any form. Then very specifically God commands we should not bow down to any idols. Can we disobey God? No. We must stop worshipping any idols or paintings or person and only worship the Creator.
Even in the New Testament there are specific scriptures condemning Idolatry or Idol worship.
5. 1 Corinthians 10:14
Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
Flee (run far away) from idol worship! Are you ready for that?
What do you do when you see a wild animal? You run, you flee, you never go there again!
6. Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
Here the idolaters are clubbed together with murderers and sexually immoral. Their fate is hell.
7. John 4:24
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Here Jesus himself says that God is Spirit. It means God has no form. So we must not worship him in any form, because he has none.
CONCLUSION:
What did you learn today? How do you feel about the study? Does this study help you to see the truth about God? Do you want to learn more?
To please God you must completely give up idol worship. Are you willing to do that?
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