Man was made to worship. Since the Fall, he will either worship the Creator or the creature. There is no neutrality because there are no vacuums. In other words, there is not a nothing but a something. Can man make an exact representation of God? To do so, man would have to be God’s creator. This is an impossibility if there ever was one. The Lord Jesus Christ made this known about God in John 4:21-24, "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." God is looking for us to be like Him. This is only possible through the atonement in Christ Jesus. True worship is spiritual worship. In other words, we have to realize not only that God is Triune, but that He is also Spirit. What can we use to represent this Spirit since none of us have seen Him with our physical eyes? We can only recognize His effects. This is what the Lord Jesus said in John 3:8, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." We can only see the effect not the source of the wind. If we cannot see the source, how can we make an adequate representation of the source?
Application
To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.
Leviticus 26:1-2 reads, "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. 2Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD." Making representations of God was forbidden by the second commandment. This is a negative commandment. Therefore, the positive side has to be spiritual worship. To keep God’s Sabbaths and to have veneration for His established sanctuary is part and parcel of spiritual worship. To worship God in spirit and truth is to recognize Him as both Creator and Lord.
Man will either worship the Triune God or seek a god of the creation to worship. He will bow down himself to someone or something. It is inherent in his nature. Paul wrote this truth in Romans 1:18-25, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." Verse 25 is very telling. Those who break the second commandment worship the creature more than their Creator. In other words, they are in idolatry. They are offering false worship to a false god. Therefore, they are not worshiping in truth and spirit. They are living in a fantasy world.
The apostle John was shown seven visions in the book of Revelation by an angel as Revelation 1:1 expresses, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." This angel was a messenger sent by God to John. In other words, whether this was an actual angel or a man who had gone to heaven, he was a creature and not the Creator. Here is what happened at two different junctures during this vision process. Revelation 19:10 says, "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." This messenger obviously shone with the glory of the Lord. John was tempted to worship him. This messenger rebukes John and points him to whom he should worship, God. Again John finds himself wanting to worship the creature more than the Creator in Revelation 22:8-9, "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. 9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God." The messenger once again enjoins John to true worship. Only worship of the Creator is in keeping with the second commandment. All other worship is idolatry.
Conclusion
Paul wrote this about the Lord Jesus Christ in Hebrews 1:5-6, "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." Verse 6 conclusively proves that the Lord Jesus Christ is God (second person of the Trinity). He is worthy or our worship. When we worship Him, we are worshiping in truth and spirit.
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