Chapter 1 Why We Must Think Rightly About God:
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.
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 decline along with it. The first step down for any church is taken when it surrenders its high opinion of God.
Before the Church goes into eclipse anywhere there must first be a corrupting of her simple basic theology. She simply gets a wrong answer to the question, ‘What is God like?’ and goes on from there. Though she may continue to cling to a sound nominal creed, her practical working creed has become false. The masses of her adherents come to believe that God is different from what He actually is, and that is heresy of the most insidious and deadly kind.
A.W. Tozer’s THE MENACE OF THE RELIGIOUS MOVIE here
Commentary and verses compiled by Christian artist, Matthew Lankford: Thankfully, the apostles wrote down and declared and testified to us what they saw, heard, and touched concerning the Word of Life (see: 1 John 1). Indeed, they were moved by the Holy Spirit and spoke from God. (see: 2 Peter 1:16-21). So, let us turn to His word for the testimony of those who have seen Him — "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." (1 Peter 1:23). This is certainly not a matter of indifferance (link to "Images of Christ: Indifferent Imaginations?" by Christopher Coldwell.)
"13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." (1 Corinthians 10:13-14)
Christ can’t be pictured (He is unpictureable). However, if the image is meant to represent Christ that is idolatry – just as the golden calf was meant to represent God (see Exodus 32; Psalm 106 (esp. v.16-22); Jude 1:3-5). And, even if we could see Him, which we can’t now (see: 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 16:16; John 20:29; 2 Corinthians 5:6-16), that wouldn’t give us licence/freedom to make an image of Him (in video or photograph either), because He has forbidden it (e.g. Exodus 20; Deut. 4; Isaiah 42:8-17; 48:11; Acts 17:16-34; Romans 1:18-23).
Also note that idolatrous images are opposite/opposed/contrary/against faith and hope in the unseen Christ (see: Hebrews 11:1-6; Romans 8:23-25; 10:17; Galatians 5:5 1 Corinthians 13:12; 2 Corinthians 4-5). And idolatrous images are opposite/opposed/contrary/against love for the unseen Christ (see: Exodus 20; Matthew 5:17; John 14; 1 John 2; 1 John 4:12).
