How to Follow the Second Commandment as a Christian

The tower of babel shows man's reasoning about reaching heaven. ^[10] They could not get to heaven with a tower. It instead got them further away from God and each other because when God was with them, they decided to reach God all by themselves. The connection with God is spiritual. Read ahead to try building a true bond with God and moving past the urge to build replicas or anything materialistic to talk to God.

1. 1
   Look at the Source as a devotee. Doesn't a sculptor or an artist "beautify" God and His creation? "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). ^[11] God's creation is pure and good. Allow yourself to feel God in the spirit that you have received as baptized Christians. Give up graven images so you might have ample time and an open mind willing to see the Truth in the skies, the stars, the land with lush trees and rivers. God's messages travel in silence.

   • Turn away from chaos as it may clutter your mind. "It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look" (1 Peter 1:12). ^[12]
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   Understand pardonable and unpardonable sin. You sin when you make a copy of God or what He created. Sin is also when you represent His creation and put your stamp on it. But there is hope for those born of God. 1 John 5:14-21 sums it up by saying, "And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life - to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him." ^[13]

   • Having committed the sin of breaking the second commandment given to Moses on the stone tablet, you could ask God for forgiveness and avoid doing it again.
3. 3
   Love God . "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). ^[14] God teaches us to love. Can you love someone completely with just their picture in your hands? God opens Himself for His people, freely. Confining this experience is confining the probability of your own experiences in seeing God with your soul. God is love and love is free. Don't put a price on His image and buy it. Know that God's work is not to be sold and bought. Jesus threw the sellers out of His Father's temple when they turned it into a marketplace. Seek how much more would He want to correct His people for selling His image and crafts of His creation.

   • Seek God in nature by doing your part.
   • Love His creation.
   • Plant trees.
   • Feed birds and animals.
   • Keep the oceans clean.
   • Make penance for what you've been doing.
4. 4
   Seek God spiritually . God spoke with Adam and Eve directly. He sent His angel to speak with Elizabeth to give the news of her having a baby in her old age, who would be Jesus's forerunner and His elder cousin, John. God spoke from heaven to give Elijah his message and He sent three men to Abraham to tell him about his future child. God finds a way to talk when He has a message. Open your heart so you are ready and not scared. Close your eyes and join your hands to see Him in your heart. Allow your mind to see whatever it could conceive. Let it be between you and Jesus. Psalm 31:19 gives an image of Jesus by saying, "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen". ^[15]

   • Open your mind and seek answers to your questions. Would you prefer looking at a painting of food or having it?
   • Open yourself to know who God is.
   • Will I know God despite having disobeyed His word engraved in stone to not have graven images to worship Him?
   • When remembering your loved ones, you take pictures of happy moments. Imagine Jesus the way 'you' feel and know and as the Bible describes in verses such as is described regarding His second coming.
5. 5
   Know that we are sinners. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"(Romans 3:23). ^[16] Did God abandon you when you sinned? God does not depend on frugal thoughts. A lost sheep is dearer when it's found even in the presence of the entire flock. His mercy keeps you happy. Despite being sinners God gave His Son to be born on earth among humans who are not known for the best reasons. God did not abandon His believers despite them abandoning and killing His Son. You should know that He is the most merciful and will still give you a chance to follow the commandment.

   • Understand the gravity of your sin and the depth of His forgiveness. God knew living in the garden of Eden was best for Adam and Eve. Even when they disobeyed God and were drawn out of Eden, God still helped them by preparing clothing to cover them up from shame.
   • Believe that you are saved by His grace and not by your acts because all acts are in the middle of sin amidst a sinful lifestyle.
6. 6
   Experience the love of God . "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God" (1 Corinthians 2:12). ^[17] Although you cannot see love or paint love for your most loved person, you can feel it and have them know it with your careful affection. Love is best expressed with love. You have your loved ones around you physically which makes it more complete for you as physical beings. But God is present in your heart. Believe in Him without seeing and try to experience Him without wanting to carve an image. There are ways of connecting and finding His guidance, and protection.
7. 7
   Worship in true spirit. "These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10). ^[18] Try expressing your devotion without an idol because God is everywhere and He has no limits. His love and mercy exceeds human grasp. You can begin understanding it by breaking free from all that confines your view. Get out of a framed image and see God as spiritual beings. Pray to God that He help you to open your for Him. When you break free of worshipping graven images, you will allow experiencing God spiritually. ^[19] , and so on.

   Further Reading: Look at past instances to know how man has been blinding himself in greed like Adam and Eve did for the sake of gaining knowledge ^[20] , the priests did against Jesus thinking of Him as a threat to their power ^[21] , Sarah did by getting Hagar to fulfill God's promise of giving her a child in her old age.
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   Try to touch the depths of your soul and acceptance. "The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both." (Proverbs 20:12) ^[22] Do you feel lost when you close your eyes and say your prayers? God has made you fully capable of following Him all by yourself. Seek Him within your soul. An enriched soul is full of love and kindness. God is in an act of kindness. You have read that God is love. God makes you realise your devotion or the lack of it when you show willingness to give up what you value the most for God. And God doesn't even take it. Read the bible to know about those who obeyed God and found what they were willing to give away for Him. Abraham was willing to give up his son. It is practiced to keep eyes closed to see God because open eyes wander and lose focus. Seek Jesus with closed eyes. Interact with the Divine, having no idols, only your knowledge of God's existence in and around. Keep your feelings and have it lead to a wholesome relationship with Him. He has made you so and He will guide you too.
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The old testament directed God's chosen people to His commandments through the stone tablets given to Moses. The new testament brings a new law of loving your enemies as told by Jesus. Old or new, laws are meant to be followed because the path of law brings help in times of chaos

1. 1
   See why God made this law. He cleansed lepers, opened the eyes of the blind and helped all find the Father through Him, the beloved Son. Have faith that He will allow you to have a similar experience. Anticipate God's expression while you interact with Him. A painting says a thousand words. Having the same expression of God in a painting in your home is like not opening yourself to see more. Aim to be closer to Jesus because your truest companion could be Jesus. His divine presence is always around you. "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20). ^[23]

   • You cannot connect with your best friend through someone else's painting. Would you prefer to look at a painting of food or having it?
   • Why do you have copyright laws of your work while you take it all from around you? It encourages taking what isn't yours. Understand what you have with you is given for you to look after not to have authority over.
2. 2
   Keep away the idols and images you have . God can be seen from the eyes of the heart. "Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints," (Ephesians 1:18). ^[24] Keep it somewhere boxed or in your closet. Or you can bury them and put a marker on top to keep the place from being troubled by others. Do not throw them away in a disrespectful manner. Avoid drawing images of God and nature as much as you can. Avoid encouraging art among children that illustrates God and His creation. However, be gentle in doing so because they are used to it and know that everyone does it.
3. 3
   Ask for forgiveness . Let bygones be bygones. The merciful Lord will forgive you for your sins despite knowing that you were sinning. You might be the first one in your church or relatives to give up on this widespread practice. Be brave and patiently follow this law. It is difficult as the entire world has gotten used to drawing and sculpting images. "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12). ^[25] The most famous of churches have their walls, windows and ceilings filled with a depiction of the Lord. Do not judge them. Ask God with a contrite heart for forgiveness. He is going to forgive you and know His flock is coming back. Ask for patience and strength to face friends and family. Know that some elders may oppose going against the current tide since old habits die hard. Keep worshipping without an image and slowly open your heart to God.
4. 4
   Buy or gift no more such items. When you must buy paintings or items with depictions, avoid buying those of God or nature. Opt for man made items like gadgets, electronics, cards with messages, edible gifts like chocolates and so on. Try not to judge whoever gift you God's images because they don't think so much about it as you might. "None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8). ^[26]

   • How angry would you feel if someone copied your work and sold it for money or appreciation? Knowing that God is the creator of all things, give up authority over it. Seek His forgiveness and start afresh.
   • Just as the sky is not the same at all times, it is impossible to encapsulate the glory of God on a small screen. It is man's folly to do it.
5. 5
   Forgive and don't judge others . Know that it has become a way of life for everyone. Students in schools across the globe are asked to draw. They are assessed for their drawing skills as they draw scenic beauty, religious festivals, images of all kinds that make them used to break the commandment. Those who know let go of it believing that God will forgive them, after all, they are believers of God. Forgive others for following the act of crafting images. You can gently nudge them or share with them your changed perspective so they hear it from you as a follower of the law. Speak with children the same but not in a way that they make others feel guilty of disobeying the commandment. Have them know that it has become a common practice but they can avoid doing so as a personal choice.
6. 6
   Open yourself to experience God in His fullness. God is shown in some idols with brown eyes and in others, blue. Every image with a moustache, beard, long hair and a long robe is likened to Jesus. If you go to a certain church, you might take in the specific image your church has put up. Break free from that image. Not everything will be the same. "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind" (Isaiah 65:17). ^[27] Set your mind free by asking Jesus to bless you so you are right with Him. Ask Him to help you see what you should and not be confined. Pray that you allow yourself to see Jesus the way He would in His second coming, in the clouds. As it is said in the bible, in Mark 13:26, "At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory". ^[28] . Build hope in your heart because He has promised to come with glory.

   • Most churches use the statue of the crucified Jesus. Some say it is to remind us that we are sinners, Jesus died for our sins and so we should not commit sin. Has man curbed sinning owing to the gory and remorseful crucified images of God? It is a question hard to answer.
7. 7
   Get over the restriction of a confined room, a group, a group of singers, strict laws when you can learn every lesson in nature. "Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel?" (Isaiah 40:13). ^[29] Allow yourself time to get used to praying having the knowledge that God is in you. Take it slow and prepare to let yourself see Jesus in spirit. What the spirit sees, it takes in. What eyes see might get erased.

   • Pray from your heart and piety. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). ^[30] Read Revelations to know God's plan of salvation and a new life for His faithful servants.
   • "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law" (Psalm 119:18). ^[31] When Mary Magdalene was getting stoned by people for being a sinner, they stopped it when Jesus commanded the one who has not sinned to throw stones at her. Jesus spoke many truths to open the eyes of men. Know His judgment of fairness and honesty instead if acting righteous and committing sins in the garb of following the law.
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   Raise your hands when you pray. "As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). ^[32] Understand that God is everywhere. Don't fret when you won't see graven images. When you get His image out of the confined frame, you can experience Him yourself. It will set you free. God seeks an open and pure heart to dwell in it. Open your heart, and seek His presence as your Savior. He has plans for you. Experience it when you try and make amends for your sins. Confess for your sins and be ready for Jesus.

   • Pray indoors or outdoors.
   • Look at the sky or look within with closed eyes.
   • Bow your head to the divine Jesus and continue in this way you have chosen. "Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind" (Psalm 31:19). ^[33]
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   Please God with your adherence to His law. He is in an act of kindness. When you forgive your brother you are angry at, and when you help a charity for those in need, you please God. God is in these actions, not in long, unfelt prayers and elaborate idols. Mary had nothing but her pure self to give birth to Yehoshua or Jesus, God the Father's own Son. Peter had his obedience that he was called the rock. David the shepherd had His faith and bravery to be the king that he became for generations to come. "Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He has promised to those who love him?" (James 2:5). ^{[34] [35]}
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