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现今我们不常谈到偶像这个概念，若谈到偶像，也可能是指流行音乐超级巨星或美国达人秀的获奖者。圣经谈到偶像时，通常是指用来代表假神的雕塑像。对于这一类的偶像，圣经发出严厉的警告。

偶像本身是没有能力的。正如诗篇第一百一十五篇所说，尽管有眼、耳、手和脚，他们却看不见、听不到、没有感觉、不能行走！然而，当人敬拜偶像时，他们便让偶像操控掌权，甚至被这些偶像所毁灭。例如，圣经警告我们不要贪婪，因贪婪让财富成为偶像，我们若崇尚财富，它便有能力把人变为守财奴或匪徒或投资骗子。假神和他们的偶像是很危险的！

然而我们有耶稣。耶稣是神的真像，所以祂可以如此说：“人看见了我，就是看见了父”。（参约 14:9）这里不是说祂的眼、耳、手或脚，这里所指的乃是祂具有的能力。因为，当我们看见耶稣时，我们便看见父神的爱，而这爱是有能力蕴含在其中的。这是拯救世人的能力，这能力使我们成为合神心意的样式：这不是偶像，乃是我们天上的父的形像。请记住，爱的特质比外貌特征有更深长的意义！

We don't talk about idols much these days. And when we do, it's probably about a pop superstar or an American Idol winner. But when the Bible talks about idols, it usually means carved images that stood in for false gods. The Bible issues strong warnings about that sort of idol.

On their own, idols are powerless. As Psalm 115 says, they may have eyes and ears and hands and feet, but they cannot see, hear, feel, or walk! Yet when people worship idols, they give power to them, destructive power. That's why, for example, the Bible warns against greed. Greed makes an idol out of wealth. And when wealth is worshiped, it has the power to turn people into misers or mobsters or market frauds. False gods, and their images, are dangerous!

But then there is Jesus. Jesus is the image of God. That's why he can say, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). And that's not about his eyes, ears, hands, or feet. It's about power. Because when we see Jesus, we see the Father's love. And there is power in that love. It's the power that saves the world. It's the power that makes us what we were always meant to be: not idols, but images of our heavenly Father. And, remember, that's more about love than looks!