Showing posts with label in mans image. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in mans image. Show all posts

Sunday 26 May 2019

God in our Image???

God in our Image???
The Book of Genesis states,
“So God created man in His own image; 
in the image of God He created him; 
male and female He created them.” 
                                              Genesis 1:27.
That being said I think many people today claiming to be Christians consciously or subconsciously make God in their own image.
Some make God out to be a “sugar daddy”, or a “supernatural banker” offering huge returns on money they give to Him or some ministry.
Others say God want’s you healthy and wealthy. Going as far as saying if you are not, you are not in right standing with God. You are sinning.
In the United States in particularly many think God has a special relationship with their country. Something not substantiated by the Bible.
Some more traditional false views of God are people who see God as a grumpy old man with a big stick ready to hit you with it if you do anything wrong. A God of do’s and do not’s.
A God ready to judge your every move. Ready to sentence you to hell.
The list as to how man makes God in his image goes on and on.
Some even go as far as praying to long dead saints leaving God out of the picture altogether.
While some mix their faith and politics. Claiming that God prefers one political party over another, or one politician over another.
Sadly many pastors, evangelist, and church leaders do not speak up against such errors in belief. While quick to point out the sins of the secular world, the sins non-Christians, they refuse to speak up, particularly publicly against errors in church doctrine. At the same time they are not willing to speak against the sins of men and women in leadership within the church.
The apostle Paul makes it clear what followers of Christ should be doing with respect to the world outside, and inside the church. Paul writes,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside.
“Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
I believe failure to speak out against false teaching within the church leads to it’s message being ineffectual. Effectively “the salt losing is savour”.
If you claim to be a follower of Christ Jesus you must always remember that it is through the lense of your words and deed that people will see Christ.
Evangelist Charles H. Spurgeon said,
“The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.””  Charles H. Spurgeon.
 As Francis of Assisi rightly said,
“The deeds you do 
may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 
                                                                    Francis of Assisi.
Please think about it.