No true picture of Jesus exists, so the ones artists do make merely reflect the artist’s own image of our Savior rather than what God has sovereignly revealed by his word. An image also cannot truly reflect the deity of Christ , only his humanity, which again serves only to limit our knowledge of Christ Jesus. Believe God and trust him when he forbids images and reveals to us that faith comes by hearing, not by sight.

The second of the Ten Commandments directs us against images. It expressly forbids the use of images in the worship of God. But does this means images such as pictures to help us learn about God are also forbidden?

We must be careful to avoid placing our own wisdom and desires above God’s.

The plain teaching of Scripture forbids the use of visual images in regard to the worship of God:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or 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.” (Exod. 20:4)

In fact, the Bible also is clear that faith comes by hearing, not by sight:

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Rom. 10:17)

…for we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Cor. 5:7)

God has chosen to reveal himself by means of the spoken word.

It is not by the sight of pictures or other visual forms that a person comes to faith, but by God’s appointed means of hearing his word, the gospel message.

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