From Discipleship Weekly

(a publication of the Presbyterian Church of Islip)

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A Word from Our Sponsor If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. -- John 10:37-38 The Heidelberg Catechism: Part 3 - Thankfulness Week 35 96. Q. What does God require in the second commandment? A. That we should not represent him or worship him in any other manner than he has commanded in his Word. [Lev. 10:1-7; Deut. 4:15-19; 12:30; I Sam. 15:22-23; Is. 40:18-25; Matt. 15:9; John 4:23-24; Acts 17:29; Rom. 1:23] 97. Q. Should we, then, not make any images at all? A. God cannot and should not be pictured in any way. As for creatures, although they may indeed be portrayed, God forbids making or having any likeness of them in order to worship them, or to use them to serve him. [Ex. 34:13-14, 17; Num. 33:52; II Kings 18:4-5; Is. 40:25] 98. Q. But may not pictures be tolerated in churches in place of books for unlearned people? A. No, for we must not try to be wiser than God who does not want his people to be taught by means of lifeless idols, but through the living preaching of his Word. [Jer. 10:8; Hab. 2:18-20; Rom. 10:14-15, 17; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:19] Suggestions for discussion and review: We all have some image (or word picture) of God that we use to describe or define Him, both to ourselves and to others. List 2 or 3 you use and others have used when talking to you. Which ones make God less than He really is? Which are closer to how He has revealed Himself to us in His word? (see Col. 1:15 and John 14:8-11) According to Philippians 2:5-11, in what way does God want us to worship Him? Is it possible to do this on our own? * * * * * * * * * * We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito. -- C. S. Lewis