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God of the Pigeonhole

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Images of God and Christ, as crafted by artists through paintings, stained glass, and sculptures, often capture Them in a single moment or act, intending to convey an aspect of the gospel. However, such depictions are inherently false, as they attempt to confine the infinite nature of God to a finite representation. This act breaches God's command against making images for worship and presents a diminished, disrespectful portrayal of Him, reducing the transcendent reality to a mere lie. God Himself questions in Isaiah 40:18, to whom He can be likened or equaled, emphasizing that no image can capture His essence. Beyond physical representations, creating mental images of God also leads to falsehood. Human minds, limited in capacity, struggle to comprehend the infinite and holy character of God. In an effort to understand Him, we categorize and define Him based on our limited knowledge, pigeonholing Him into narrow, humanly knowable roles such as a Benevolent Gift-Giver, a Stern Judge, or a Gentle Shepherd. While He may fulfill these roles, they are mere cardboard cutouts compared to the fullness of His nature. He transcends all such categorizations, possessing qualities that often balance or oppose each other, revealing that He cannot be confined to any single depiction or understanding. To approach a truer vision of God, we must resist oversimplifying His nature and continually expand our conception of Him as He reveals Himself day by day.

Seeking God (Part One): Our Biggest Problem

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

After making the covenant with God, how does a person avoid backsliding? The answer lies in seeking God, which involves much more than commonly thought.

The Second Commandment

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

Human nature tries to limit God to the confines of physical objects. Men fabricate images, called idols, to aid them in worshiping a god they have concocted.

The Second Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Most people consider the second commandment to deal with making or falling down before a pagan idol, but it covers all aspects of the way we worship.

The Commandments (Part Three)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Idolatry derives from worshiping the work of our hands or thoughts rather than the true God. Whatever consumes our thoughts and behavior has become our idol.

The Father-Son Relationship (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Father is the source of everything and the Son is the channel through which He carries out His purpose. Jesus declared that the Father is superior to Him.

Conviction, Moses, and Us

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Like Moses, we have to develop conviction, a product of a relationship of God, established by being faithful day by day in the little things of life.