A False Image
Scripture Reading - Romans 1:22-23 KJV
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Today’s word comes from the revelation that everyone has their own imagination and their imagination will be influenced by their own beliefs. We notice in the scriptures above that people took the glory of God and made it into a “false image” they wanted. If man can do this with a piece of God’s handiwork how much more will men do this with other men. In today’s verse we know people looked upon some of God’s creations (the glory of God visibly seen in this earth by what He made) and worship them as God even though they are only a small item made by the Hands of God. This meant that people wanted a God they could look at and feel because they were carnal minded. All those who are carnal minded usually screw up the true spiritual side of God’s intentions because The Lord created these various creatures for His pleasure and to be subjected unto men. The Lord never intended for His highest creation (man) to bow down to a lower creation (animal) by treating these “false images” as God. In this lesson we will explore a different angle of a “false image” and that angle is to briefly point out that people can imagine whatever they want to imagine. Yes, the sad news about that is some people will imagine that you ought to conform to their “false image” of you. What we (ihlcc) mean by that is there are some individuals who imagine that you are something different than you are or that you will be something in the future that they want you to be. Looking at a person as a “false image” according to your our carnal imagination instead of who they truly are as God’s creation is just flat wrong and wicked (perverted) in God’s sight. In God there is no perversion or wickedness so in contrast when we imagine people in Light of God’s Love and accept them for who they are that is right in the sight of God. We know people by closely listening to them and carefully watching their actions (and decisions) to specifically know them in deed and in truth. We should not look to change people into our image but rather hope they themselves would want be changed into more of God’s image in Christ this is right in the sight of God, our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. For example concerning “false images” we have witnessed fathers putting pressure upon certain children to be an exceptional athlete because the father images them doing well in sports. Sometimes that father loves the sport more than the child does but the father’s “false image” of the child compels him to push the child harder and harder to fit his “false image”. We have witnessed parents wanting their children to follow in their exact footsteps in a certain career because they always thought (imagined) their children would be their “false image” when they were older regardless of whether the child likes that career or not. We have watched coaches trying to frame a key player into the perfect athlete (false image) they imagine rather than letting the certain athlete’s natural ability shine forth. No person is made (created) to fit into a “false image” because the real image is presence before all people and they are special in the sight of God. All people deserve the right to be treated as who they are over who others image them to be. Typically, some people who are very knowledgeable in a certain area love to share that knowledge with others but with all knowledge there is an image created that accompanies that knowledge. The more knowledge carnal people get in their head the sharper their “false image” of their self and sometimes those around them becomes. This is why the Holy Bible warns us that knowledge can puff-up (exalt and/or inflates the imagination) in 1 Corinthians 8:1. However, this knowledge is limited at best when compared to God’s Love and it is never a good thing to imagine any person in your light when they should be imagined in the Light of God. This means we must know God’s image of us first to properly imagine ourselves in His Light. We will never accurately understand our own personal image until we know (are knowledgeable) and understand God’s image of us. Therefore we recommend identifying God’s Perfect image of you in the Light of Jesus Christ to quickly dismiss all the “false images” that people have for you on this earth because by the grace of God we are exactly who we are in Christ Jesus. Amen!