AntiChrist RZ 12/02 - Tomorrow's World

The Second Commandment
terms at least, of the way He looks today. He has described this for
us in Revelation 1:14–16: “His head and hair were white like
wool, as white as snow; and His eyes like a flame of fire… and His
countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” As very
God, Jesus’ face now shines with radiance and with power. As a
human being, you would not dare to look directly into it! Many
will claim they do not worship these pictures or images. Perhaps
so. But this false picture and false concept of Christ undoubtedly
comes into their minds quite often when they think of Christ or
pray. These false pictures and statues actually come between them
and Christ. They separate the worshiper from Christ! If you use
such images or pictures of Christ, you are breaking the second
commandment! And you are greatly limiting your concept of the
living Christ—who now sits glorified at the right hand of God in
heaven with His face shining like the sun in full strength!
Worshiping Systems and Institutions
One of the most common forms of modern idolatry is making
an idol out of one’s church or society. For many people, this
world’s society—its dictates, customs and traditions—becomes a
literal god. Many people are desperately afraid of doing anything
that might be regarded as different or “odd.” They feel they must
conform to this world and its ways. But God commands: “And do
not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind” (Romans 12:2). This command must seem very
hard to obey for people who get to thinking that other people
must be right in what they think and say and practice. The Bible
shows that many people in Jesus’ day failed in their worship, for
“they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John
12:43).
If you blindly obey the customs and traditions of your family,
your church or society instead of the commands of the word of
God, you are guilty of idolatry. That group or institution becomes
an idol to you in place of the true God! Even ritual in a church
service may become dangerous, for however refined the ritual of
some institutions may be, it begins and ends in the physical senses
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