Decision
Size 4’ x 5’ Painted on canvas Meadum acrylic painted 1995
In this illustration i am trying to protray how active the spiritual world is in every day of our lives. How heaven and hell, these two kingdoms are battling it out to win our devotion. Even when A person chooses to become part of God’s family, the believer will still have to strugle with the forces of darkness as long as we live in these mortal bodies.
The room is suppose to look like it’s on fire. This is to represent the destiny of man, spending eternity in the lake of fire, if he refuses to be saved through God plan of salvation. the two people in this paint are the two leader of the two kingdoms. The Devil on the left, Jesus on the right. They are both standing at the door way that will lead to their kingdoms. They are both beckoning the veiwer to go through their door. In this painting i want the viewer to understand that spiritual battle take place with every decision we face.
When we come to a spit in the road our we going to choose the right road or the wrong road? What ever road you Choose will sooner or later reep the reward. The reward will either be destrution or blessing, the blessed think is we choose
I illustrated the devil in a beautiful purple robe with gold sequence , To show He is the king of the fallen angels. Purple in the Bible was worn by king and goveners and ruling authorities. The purple hood is to show that satan is a deceiver. He will take trueth and twisted into a lie , kind of the way a person will put pision mix in peanut butter to get rid of an unwanted mouse.
Most people don’t recongonize when the Devil is temping them, because the only veiw of Him they have is the movie the exersist. But He is more effective when He appears in the form of a used car saleman.
The gold belt He wears and the golded door way represent His tactict to side tract us with the love of tempral thimg such as the love of mony , fame, power.
If a person gain the whole world yet loose his soul what has he truely gained.
Illustrated jesus dressed in a golden Robe with a golden sash. This represent He is the High priest who offered the sacrifice that appeased the requirement to diliver man from the power of sin, and restore man back to fellowship with God The Father. The door way to heaven is made up of the cross that Jesus gave His life on. If you look at the painting closely you will see holes in Jesus hands and feet. You also can seen on the cross from the blood and the spike marks where jesus was nailed to the cross.
The devils door has endless darkness of Hell , where Jesus’s door has endless light of heaven.
The rocking chair was designer to represnt contemplation. Their are hearts with question marks in side them on the head rest as well the seat. I think of people sitting in their rocking chair when they have a big decision to make. So i think before we make decision, we should thing what will be the fruit down the road. If I plant thisile when it grows up it will hurt me . If i plant wheat, when it grows up it will feed me.
Tony Ryan, 4 months ago
Another great piece Stephen. I like what you say but perhaps think a little differently. I actually see the Devil as just as pure as Jesus. Just that Jesus is more self aware. Both teach us the Devil from unconscious thought and pain and Jesus from conscious thought and belief in an eternity of peace. However I believe Jesus too is tested by pain.
I believe that for humanity to ever have eternal peace Jesus and Devil must both be embraced. In fact Jesus and Devil meeting and embracing eachother and understanding each other will in my opinion bring humanity back to the concept or truth of the Garden of Eden. Further why would God or Jesus fear the Devil or Evil when God created all. I believe God has always had control and a reason. It is just humans and the Devil who are confused. Perhaps even Jesus a little too but perhaps not for much longer.
Col Finnie, 3 months ago
Sorry guys but you got the wrong 3D virtual world. This group is for images from the real online virtual world.
Alleycatsgarden, 2 months ago
It is human nature for us to crave greed lust hate be cruel be selfish…. that is in all of us at a base level of our personalities – that is where satan operates – the good in us, where Jesus can (if we let him) influences us is a higher and much more conscious level in our personalities – he works where we can make decisions, choices – to override the temptation born in us, the basic need to serve ourselves. Satan controls our weakness, jesus is where our strength lies – Satan has the edge…. We in ourselves need to be strong – for Jesus
Matthew Scotland, about 1 month ago
preach ! love the use of symbology and biblical knowledge, this image cuts out all the vanities of intellect and gets straight to the crux of the matter – its decision time, i choose the door on the right thankyou steve
Stephen J. Va... in reply to Matthew Scotland’s comment, about 1 month ago
Calqacus,
I often run into people who dance around the question why are we here, what is the purpose in living. They mention that they feel like something is missing in their lives, but they can’t grasp at what it is.
Then i like to interject that there is only one question that need to be answered before this short mortal life is over, and that is , What will you do with Jesus The Christ ?
I think the Decision painting illustrates this fact to the veiwer.
Stephen
hatefueled, 28 days ago
im SO gonna take a left here :P
Stephen J. Va... in reply to hatefueled’s comment, 28 days ago
Hatefueled,
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my Decision painting.
I would like to hear why you would choose the left door, instead of the right door.
respectfully, Stephen
retepk, 28 days ago
As a Humanist I don’t think the embodiment of all that is good is solely to be found in Christianity.
One can still lead an honest, compassionate and righteous lifestyle without being Christian.
Respectfully.
Stephen J. Va... in reply to retepk’s comment, 28 days ago
Retepk,
Thank you for taking time to share your veiws about my painting Decision. You had mention the virtues of honesty , compassion , righteousness , these virtues are character traits Of God, and since we are created in His image we the human race have these traits, but we are a damage creation, by sin. So we have a character trait that God does not posses, an evil nature.
So i believe good deeds can be done by humans , out side the christian faith, because even though we differ in personal ideology, we still share the same human nature. The difference between a christian and a nobeliever is, the gift of The Holy Spirit, who gives the
believer the power and ability to turn from giving into their sin nature, and live out the character traits of God.
The Holy Spirit is a person of God that indwells a person after they decide to except Jesus as their personal savior. He gives understanding of The Holy Bible when it is read, He is the communicater of payer between God and man, His gives Guidence when a believer is seeking direction of God’s will, He inpower a believer to do the will of God, He reveal to the world The need to repent from sin , and the need to be forgiven of sin by God, that God sent jesus to be punsh for man’s sin, so that who ever want to be restored to fellowship with God, can be by putting their faith in jesus God’s provided Savior.
I enjoyed this correspondence on ideology.
Respectfully yours Stephen
hatefueled, 28 days ago
i’d go left because i have free will :P
Stephen J. Va... in reply to hatefueled’s comment, 28 days ago
Hatefueled,
Thank you for sharing you thoughts. On a different note, i like your art work , very illustrative, very talented.
Stephen
hatefueled, 27 days ago
thanks :)