Exodus 20:4-6 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;” Surely “the Papists by their sacrilegious practices, have taken away this commandment out of their vulgar catechism” (Trapp) with their images and symbols. And surely many nominal Protestants trust in their riches’; “their idols are silver and gold, the works of men’s hands.” (Psa 115:4) But perhaps the most dangerous to the soul is when even the religious create in their minds an unbiblical image of Jesus. Paul preached the condemnation of the some “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” (Rom 1: 21-23b) At the heart of the idolotry problem is a wrong image in the mind’s eye of the Person of Jesus. He came to HisThe unregenerate believe that He was just a good man, perhaps a good moral example. Others may even elevate Him to the office of Savior, but will not give him the title of God of gods. He is in truth the unique, only begotten Son of God who became man to take care of the sin problem for those who accept Him.
Jesus was that True Light which lights every man or woman who comes into the world. "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His [c]own, and His [d]own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the [e]right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 1who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:9-13) "There is but one God, who is the only Creator, Upholder, Riler and Saviour. In contrast other gods are mere creations of men: ‘We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one’ (1 Corinthians 8:4).’” (Chariots of God by Alan Cairns) Paul give the results of false ideas of Jesus: “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.” (Romans 1:23-24) “For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments..” We must accept the Testimony of Scriptures and render worship where worship is due – to the only God and Creator, Jesus Christ. The Ten Commandments were written by His own finger. And these should be the center of our focus. These are our moral code for conduct, boiling down to love of God and neighbor. Do not carve for yourself any false images of Jesus from the commentaries of man. Failure to worship and obey Jesus will result in certain judgment. Bill Gothard of the day he met our jealous God. “I was aware of these Old Testament promises and warnings and of the jealous nature of God. However, I assumed they related only to His relationship with Israel, and that somehow in the New Testament He had become a benevolent God Who overlooks all of our straying affections.” He further testifies: “As I thought about this, the words of Scripture spoke with powerful authority, ‘I am the LORD, I change not’ (Malachi 3:6). God is just as loving in the Old Testament as He is in the New Testament. And He is just as jealous in the New Testament as He was in the Old Testament.”
While in Athens on a missionary trip, the apostle Paul was brought before the Areopagus. He noticed that they had an idol to every conceivable God. I recon they wanted to cover their bases… hedge themselves so to say. They even had one altar dedicated TO THE UNKNOWN GOD just in case they missed a god. Paul told them, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you…" (Acts 17:22) Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.