Saved by Grace: idols

Showing posts with label idols. Show all posts

Saturday, January 24, 2026

Triplets of Spirit: Know, Seek, Find

Art by The Catholic Guy 2012

In God we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17: 28). We depend on Him completely for our very existence, whether we are unsaved (natural man), saved and yielded to the Holy Spirit (spiritual man), or saved but serving our own fleshly desires (carnal man; Romans 8:5-14; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 3:1).

These planes of being determine our eternal destiny: hell for the unsaved or natural man; Heaven with rewards for the spiritual man; and Heaven but with loss of rewards for the carnal man. But praise God, He does not want any to perish (2 Peter 3:9). He designed us in His image (Genesis 1:26) to want to know Him, to look for Him, and to find Him (Acts 17: 27).

That is why life before we were in Christ felt so empty, and why we continually looked for comfort in false religions (Jeremiah 7:9), humanistic philosophies (Colossians 2:8), and modern-day idols (Leviticus 26:1; 2 Kings 17:12; 1 Chronicles 16:26; etc.) such as money (1 Timothy 6:10), power, and substance abuse (Proverbs 20:1). But God made us, and we cannot ourselves make gods of gold, silver, or stone and expect them to have any power (Acts 17: 29; Habakkuk 2:19).

The day is coming when God will judge all those who misplaced their faith in false idols, rejecting His Son Whom God ordained and of Whom He gave proof to all men by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17: 31).

Before we were saved by placing our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), we were children of the devil. Our spirit reflected the nature of Satan, who then was our spiritual father (John 8:44). But once we were saved, we were born again (John 3:3-8) as children of God (1 John 3:1), our spirit progressively shaped into His image during our earthly journey (Romans 12:2).

While we were still lost, we were dead in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:22), but when we are born again, He “quickens” us, or makes us alive (John 5:21; 6:63; Romans 4:17; 8:11), to walk in the Spirit (Romans 8:1,4; Galatians 5:16,25), as a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15), in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

When we are born again, He elevates us to a new plane of being. We are then born not of blood (for it is a spiritual and not a physical rebirth), nor of the will of the flesh or of man (for we are no longer motivated solely by our own desires), but of God (John 1:13). He gave us physical life; He gave us Spirit-filled life as we were born again; and He will make us perfectly into His image in our glorified bodies that we receive at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:38-54).

Jesus said that we are to live or abide in Him, like the branches live on the vine, so that we can bear fruit and receive His blessings through prayer. If we abide in His love, we will love one another, and our joy in Him will be full (John 15:5-17).

God created each of us as a unique life (1 Peter 4:19), which we should offer back to Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). He sustains us with what we need to survive, grow and thrive through our earthly life (Psalm 55:22; 3:5), and He redeemed us from our sins to reconcile us to His Holy Self (Job 19:25; Psalm 19:14; Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

We should now move for His glory, not our own, as we go, baptize, and teach all nations (Matthew 28:19). We should now use our mouths not for idle words (Matthew 12:36), but to praise (Psalm 150:6; etc.), thank (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20), and pray to Him (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Our thoughts, words and deeds should encourage (Romans 12:15), exhort (Hebrews 3:13), and edify fellow believers (Romans 14:19; 15:2), for we have become His witnesses (Acts 1:8), colaborers (1 Corinthians 3:9), and ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20).

As we move in Him, He empowers us as soldiers (2 Timothy 2:3-4) to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12); as athletes (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) to run with patience the race that He set before us (Hebrews 12:1); and as victors through Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57) to finish the course (2 Timothy 4:7). Whatever we do should be in the name of our Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him (Colossians 3:17).

When we have our being in Him, our personhood is in His image. Our identity is now as God’s child (1 John 3:1), friend to Jesus (John 15:14), and Christ’s bride as a member of His church (Ephesians 5:23-32). In this status we have forgiveness of sins (justification; Romans 5:18), abundant life (sanctification; John 10:10; 1 Corinthians 1:30), and eternal life (glorification; John 3:16; Romans 8:17, 30).

As joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), we share in His inheritance, we receive a new name (Revelation 2:17), and He is preparing a mansion (John 14:2) for each of us! We even have a new address: in heavenly places with Christ during this life (Ephesians 1:3), present with the Lord in Heaven after physical death (2 Corinthians 5:8), and in the New Jerusalem throughout eternity (Revelation 21:2).

Praise God that in Him we live, move, and have our being! May we embrace new life as we are born again, be Spirit-moved as He guides our actions, and rest in our new identity in Him!

Reposted from the archives

Saturday, September 6, 2025

Triplets of Spirit: Know, Seek, Find

Art by The Catholic Guy 2012

Reposted from the archives

Saturday, August 9, 2025

What Are You Looking At?

Photo by Colin Smith 2011

Everywhere we look in today’s world we see monuments to man’s ingenuity, creativity, and lusts: skyscrapers; cars and planes; billboards and screens flashing seductive images; logos symbolizing corporate power and wealth. In some cities these all but crowd out the evidence of God’s wondrous creation – majestic landscapes, beautiful flowers and trees, and amazing animals (John 1:3). Many deny or tend to forget that we too are God’s creation, fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

Whatever idols we have fashioned to indulge our eyes, these are only possible through the gifts of intelligence, artistry, and resources God has entrusted to us (James 1:17). How sad that many pervert these gifts to mock Him rather than to glorify Him, and that many feast their eyes on images of the world’s darkness rather than His light. Yet what we look at affects who and what we are.

Luke 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

God’s Word gives us clear warnings about what not to look at -- we should “set no wicked thing before [our] eyes” (Psalm 101:3). We should not look back at the attractions and preoccupations of our lives before we were saved (Luke 9:62; Genesis 19:26).

The Bible is full of examples where the “lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16) has led to sin, including Eve beholding the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6) and David spying on Bathsheba washing herself (2 Samuel 11:2).

Jesus warned so sternly of this danger that He said:

Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. (see also Matthew 5:29; 18:9).

As always, God exchanges His good gifts for our sinful desires, so He indicates what we should be looking at instead, and the blessings that will result.

In Exodus, the laver (washbasin) of brass, an important piece of furniture of the tabernacle, was made of looking glasses (mirrors) donated by the women coming to worship (Exodus 38:8). Although their custom had been to bring their personal mirror with them to the temple to check on their appearance, they surrendered them so that God’s house would be glorified. What a great reminder to spend less time primping in the mirror and more time worshipping God!

As we turn away from sinful and evil images, here is what God says we should look at instead:

--The cross, where Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died to pay our sin debt in full, that all who trust Him would have eternal life (John 3:16).

--The beauty of God’s creation, which reflects His glory (Psalm 19:1).

--The Godly example set by our spiritual mentors, teachers and pastors (Psalm 101:6).

--The fields of unsaved souls ripe for harvest (John 4:35), considering how we can “open their eyes, and… turn them from darkness to light” (Acts 26:18).

--Jesus Christ, Lamb of God (John 1:36), the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), Who gives us life and light (2 Corinthians 4: 3-6; Numbers 21:8).

--His Word, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).

--The heavens, which remind us that He is waiting to receive us (Acts 7:55) and that He is coming back to meet us in the air (Luke 21:28; Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:13).

As we shift our focus from the world to heavenly things, we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), which will be kept in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Look up and live!

Edited and reposted from the archives

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Take Out the Trash!

Photo by Miran Hladnik2012

I dreamed that my family and I were vacationing in Tuscany and were staying in an old farmhouse. Our daughter-in-law had collected a basketful of flowers from a neighboring field, which smelled like lavender but resembled miniature roses with delicate, triangular petals in spiral array, rather than tiny buds on a spike as is usual for lavender.

Our son called her to see something he had spotted outside, so she went outdoors and my husband joined them. I assumed they would only be a few minutes, so I began dinner preparations. We were planning to make cioppino, or a stew from local mussels, clams, and other shellfish.

I thought it would be handy to have a place to discard the shells, and I spotted a small, stainless steel trash can in the corner and placed it in the center of the long, wooden trestle table. It looked out of place, so I thought using some of the flowers as a centerpiece would help it look more festive. I found a small silver bowl, tucked a few of the blossoms inside, and nestled some lavender-colored tissue paper around them.

My husband returned, took one look at the table, and exclaimed, “The trash can is in the middle of the table!” He removed it and set it back in its usual corner, but I explained that we needed a container for the shells and put it back in the center of the table.

Still trying to be helpful, my husband began to fiddle with the centerpiece. Much to my dismay, he was plucking out all the bits of tissue paper I had so carefully arranged.

Then my daughter-in-law entered just in time to question, “Why is the garbage can on the table?” and “What happened to the lavender?” She removed the trash can and the centerpiece from the table, replacing them with the straw basket filled with the blooms she had gathered from the field that morning.

I had to admit it looked and smelled lovely, and it was a relief to no longer have the trash can as an eyesore and point of contention in the place of honor. Suddenly I remembered that dinner was in the oven, but when I opened the oven door I was shocked that there was no cioppino, only a reheated leftover piece of fish from last night’s dinner that was unlikely to feed even one of us.

As I awoke and considered the symbolism of the dream, I realized that the family dining table should be not only the center of family fellowship, but also a key gathering place for our fellowship with Christian family and with Christ Himself. As He broke bread and drank wine with His apostles, He asked them to remember Him every time they did this (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24).

Specifically, Jesus asked them, and by extension all of us who are born-again (John 3:3-8), to remember His body, broken for us, and His blood, shed for us, to be the perfect sacrifice to reconcile sinful man with Holy God (Hebrews 7:27; 9:26; 10:12). Later, by rising from the dead on the third day, He proved that He is God, so that all who trust Him can have eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; John 3:16).

Each time we gather to break bread, whether as a family, in Christian fellowship, or at the Lord’s Table in the sacrament of communion, we should honor Christ as the center (Colossians 1:18). But how often do we let the garbage in our lives, whether sins, weights (Hebrews 12:1), or works of our own hands that become idols (Psalm 135:15; Isaiah 2:8), take His rightful place?

Family meals are best when they begin with prayer and are accompanied by conversation showing interest in and support for our loved ones, and even by discussion of spiritual matters. Yet the growth of technology has been an effective tool of Satan to disrupt such fellowship and communion, first by radio and television and now by “smart” phones.

I believe the flowers in the dream symbolized Jesus Christ, for the fragrance of lavender is as close as we may get on earth to experiencing His royal perfume (Isaiah 61:3; Exodus 30:37; Song of Solomon 1:3; 3:6), and the shape of the blossoms were like the Rose of Sharon (Song of Solomon 2:1). The triangular petals were a reference to the Trinity (Matthew 28:19), for in Christ we have the fullness of the Godhead bodily, including the Holy Spirit and God the Father (Colossians 2:9).

He gave Himself freely so that all who seek Him will find Him and be saved (Jeremiah 29:13; Deuteronomy 4:29; Proverbs 8:17; Matthew 7:7-8), just as in the dream my daughter-in-law freely gathered the blossoms from the field and brought them home to share with us and adorn our table. Upon being saved, it should be our delight to share Christ with everyone, just as it was for the Samaritan woman at the well, and to make Him the focus of our fellowship and lives (John 4:28-29).

But I had instead allowed trash to occupy that place of honor. Refuse can look attractive in worldly terms, as the apostle Paul explained when he said that all his former achievements, education, and religious zeal were no better than dung in comparison with what he had gained through His relationship with Christ (Philippians 3:4-14).

My attempts to “improve” the natural beauty of the lavender by putting the blossoms in a silver bowl and arranging scraps of tissue around them may represent mankind’s vain attempts to be saved by the works of his hands, whether exclusively, as in the case of Cain who offered God his best crops rather than the blood sacrifice that God commanded (Genesis 4:2-7), or added to Christ’s finished work on the cross (John 19:30).

An example of the latter is the Mormon doctrine of “We do our best, and Jesus does the rest.” Any attempt to add to Jesus’ perfect, completed sacrifice is an insult to God and His Son. It would be like receiving a freely given gift of a Rolls-Royce and then insisting that we pay one penny toward the purchase price.

We are saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 3:8-9). Jesus Christ is beautiful and perfect in His righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30), and we should not attempt to gild the Lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1).

The trash can in the dream would not have been needed at all had I not planned to serve shellfish. When the apostle Peter had a vision commanding Him to eat unclean animals (Acts 10:9-17), was God really recommending that he abandon the dietary laws given by God to Moses? Many believe that to be true, and certainly we do not keep such laws in order to be saved, but rather it is a matter of individual conscience within our Christian liberty (1 Corinthians 10:25-33).

Peter interpreted the vision as God telling him to no longer consider the Gentiles unclean, but to freely share the Gospel with them (Acts 10:28; 34-35). Therefore he may have continued to keep Mosaic dietary law, and certainly he would not have been wrong to do so. God in His infinite wisdom gave His chosen people these dietary and hygiene laws to preserve their health, and we can today confirm from modern science the benefits of His prescribed practices.

I personally avoid shellfish and pork because of the health benefits of God’s dietary laws, so my serving shellfish in the dream may have symbolized rebellion against God’s will for my life. When we stray from God’s perfect plan, there will be consequences. In the dream, my attempt to serve others with a dish that was not God’s best was thwarted, and I was embarrassed as I pulled a skimpy leftover piece of fish from the oven.

But a small morsel of food served with love and enjoyed in fellowship is better than a banquet eaten in the midst of strife and discontent (Proverbs 15:17; 17:1). Jesus Himself enjoyed a piece of fish in His resurrected body (Luke 24:42), and the miracles of the loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:14-21; 15:32-38) during His earthly ministry reminds me that when we honor Him, He will take our meager offerings and multiply them to nourish all who gather in His Name!

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