The Image of the Invisible God
God is Spirit (Jn 4:24). God created us, not we ourselves (Ps 100:3). The human eye, given light, was designed by God for the purpose of seeing what God has made in the physical universe. The human eye cannot see the realm of the spirits, however.
Our God is known to us, in part, by the things that He has made (Rom 1:20). All people see and know something of our Creator (General Revelation). God is further known by what He has chosen to reveal to humanity through the means by which He made us to communicate with one another. This is the Word of God: revealed; meditated on; read; preached; and taught. We communicate with God Himself using the same means (prayer).
Throughout history, unable to see the invisible God, man has created graven images and called them “god.” These gods, conceived in the minds of their creators and constructed by the hands of men, remain with us, today. The reason people bow down to the icons they have made with their minds and their hands is that humanity was made by the one true God to worship Him. Thus, by nature and design, man worships something, even if it is a misplaced object of affection and devotion.
The demons, those rebellious angels of the spirit realm, entice humans to worship the idols inspired by the doctrine of demons. Foremost is the demonic temptation “You, too, shall be as God” (Gen 3:5). Thus, man is tempted to make an image of himself and to bow down to it, saying to his own image, “You are my god!”
Idolatry is a sin, of course, because there is one God (Is 31:7; 1 Kgs 8:60; 1 Tim 2:5). There is none beside Him (Dt 32:39); and there is no one like Him (1 Sam 2:2). We know this to be true from the revelation of His Word to us. God is there; and He has spoken. He has revealed Himself to man through His Word of truth.
It is God’s Word that is the true Light by which we see God (Jn 1:9; 1 Jn 2:8). Jesus is both the Light of the world and the Word of God made flesh (Jn 1:14; 8:12). When God’s Light shines in the heart of a man, he sees the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:6). Thus, the top human imperative is to see Jesus.
To see Jesus with the spiritual eyes of a heart of faith is to see the express image of God. Jesus’ disciples saw the glory of God in the flesh of the perfect God-man (Jn 1:14). He dwelt among them as fully God and fully man — like us, yet without sin (Heb 4:15). Jesus Himself confessed, “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father” (Jn 14:7, 9).
This is what it means for Jesus Christ to be the image/icon of the invisible God. God, with all His divine attributes was enfleshed. The eternal Son of God took on flesh to become the Son of Man. People in that day saw God, but they did not die (Dt 18:6; Jdg 13:22). The reason people did not die was that God veiled Himself with human flesh.
During His earthly ministry, some people and angels came to Jesus, bowed down to Him, and worshiped Him (Mt 2:11; 14:33; 28:9, 17; Lk 24:52; Jn 9:38; Heb 1:6). There is no account in the Bible where Jesus Christ dissuaded the humble soul, who prostrated himself before Him. Jesus received the worship of men, who saw what others could not see. What these people could see was the image of the invisible God.
Today, we look to our Lord Jesus Christ through the eyes of faith (Heb 12:2), given to us by the Spirit of Christ, who illumines the Word of Christ (Rom 10:17), who is God (Jn 1:1). The written Word of God gives us a view to the incarnate Word of history, who remains in the flesh now glorified (Ps 110:1; Jn 6:62; 20:17; Acts 2:34; 3:13; Eph 4:10; Rom 8:17; Heb 1:3; 8:1).
The natural man does not accept the things of the Holy Spirit because he lives in a world that cannot receive the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17; 1 Cor 2:14). This man is blinded in the domain of darkness by the prince of darkness (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2). He cannot see the beauty and glory of the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
It is the Spirit of Christ who visits those living in darkness (Eccl 11:8; Is 9:2; Lk 1:79). He grants some people the faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, which comes to them by hearing the Word of God preached by a Spirit-filled man of God (Acts 26:18; Rom 10:17; 1 Cor 2:2), called and sent by God to set free the captives to sin and Satan — telling them the truth (Is 61:1; Jn 8:32; Eph 4:15).
More exposure to the Word of God grants the one given spiritual sight, more light to see more truth. The Spirit of Christ opens our ears to hear, resulting in an increase in faith (Lk 17:5). He opens our eyes to take in more knowledge of God in Christ (2 Cor 4:6; 2 Pet 3:18). He re-directs our steps to walk in the narrow way of peace that leads to life (Mt 7:14), by granting us the grace of repentance (Acts 5:31; 11:18).
The Christian is a new creature with a new life (2 Cor 5:17). It is an abundant life of service and worship directed toward Christ Jesus our Lord, who is one with the Father (Jn 10:30). In Him, we see the glory of God (2 Cor 4:6). We are not ashamed to bear witness of Christ to the world because He is our Creator (Col 1:16), our Redeemer, and whose kingdom has received us by transfer and redemption (Col 1:13–14).
In conclusion, we live and walk by the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:16, 25), who teaches us Christ (Jn 14:26; 16:11), the wisdom of God and the power of God (1 Cor 1:24). As we learn Christ, the Spirit of Christ sanctifies us with a view to conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2), who is the image of the invisible God. We worship Him in spirit and in truth. We do so because He made us to do so; and He saved us from worshiping anyone or anything else. Can you see that?
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
December 6, 2023
Colossians 1:15
