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Is it okay to have images of Jesus in a Christians’ home?

by | Jan 1, 2020 | Questions, Other

Christians have different opinions about having images of Jesus in their homes. Some say we can have images of Jesus as reminders of Him as long as we don’t bow down to them.  Others say no, because the Bible says not to make an image of the Lord God (Lev. 26:1).

Answering the question is not easy. The admonition in the Bible to make no images of things in heaven and earth is in the context of bowing down to them and serving them (Exodus 20:4-5; Lev. 26:1). This would be committing idolatry, something that was prevalent in the Old Testament times. But, having an image of Christ in a Christian’s home does not serve the same purpose as an idol did in the Old Testament. Christians don’t bow down to images of Christ, and they don’t serve them. I have seen many images of Jesus such as paintings, in Christian homes where a depiction of Jesus is walking on water, sitting with children, etc. I do not consider those images to be idolatrous. They are intended to be reverential.  So, it would seem permissible to have such images in one’s home if they are considered artful reminders, not images to which we bow down.

Nevertheless, the admonition against idols is found in several places in the Old Testament.

  • Exodus 20:4–5, “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,”
  • Leviticus 26:1, “You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God.”
  • Deuteronomy 5:8, “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.”

Why such warnings about idolatry?

God speaks against idolatry because he does not want us to serve false gods or misrepresent the true God.   Our temptation is to conceive of what God might look like, especially Jesus, and then picture that image in our minds when we are praying. I think that is wrong to do. I’ve seen many such images of him as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Caucasian, surfer guy, with a perfect complexion, standing at a door, politely asking to be let in. Of course, this is not what Jesus really looked like and is not an accurate representation of Him. I think this should be avoided.

Idolatry is a prevalent problem in the world today just as it was in the Old Testament times. People want images of God so they can feel more connected to him.  People tend to prefer tangible things over the invisible spiritual aspect of God’s existence.  Images can be put on car dashboards, worn around the neck on chains, or placed on walls in homes or churches. Personally, I do not want to represent God by any object. Nevertheless, the issue is whether or not a person is committing idolatry in his heart if he or she had a “picture” of Jesus on a wall.

Better to play it safe

In my home, I don’t have images of Christ. I do not want to accidentally misrepresent Him in any way. I don’t want an image I’ve seen hanging on a wall (either in my home or other people’s homes) to become an image in my mind that I visualize when I pray. I want to play it safe, so I avoid them. In addition, I don’t want to provide an image that any guest in my home might see and accidentally visualize and therefore misrepresent the true and living Christ.  I do not want to appear legalistic. And, I’m not saying this is what you ought to do. I’m only telling you how I feel about this issue.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I think that the issue of having images in one’s home is a personal conviction. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind (Romans 14:5). But given our sinful tendencies to fall into idolatry, I consider it a safer practice not to have images of Christ in my home. If you have images of Him in your home, I am not condemning you, Norm I urging you to abandon them. We are not under the law. We are free. and, I don’t believe true Christians bow down to these images even if they have them in their home. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, I don’t have them in my home.

Images of Jesus in one’s home is a matter of conscience as long as they’re not used in worship and prayer.

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