Faith and Physical Symbols
By Handsel | Echoes of Truth
To Our Cherished Readers, Friends and Fellow Seekers of Truth
Grace and peace to you!
It has been quite some time since we last shared a publication with you, and we recognise that our prolonged silence may have left many of our faithful readers wondering when they would hear from us again. Please accept our sincere apologies for the extended absence.
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The Editorial Team
Echoes of Truth Magazine
Exploring Truth Beyond Tradition
* Understanding the difference between biblical symbols, genuine faith, and spiritual substitution *
Audio will be available here when the final recording is uploaded.
🎶 Lyrics — Faith Is Not an Object
An Afrobeat declaration of faith, reminding us that symbols may point towards God, but they must never take His place.
Show Lyrics
INTRO (Spoken / Melodic)
Yeah… yeah…
Oh-oh-oh…
Listen, make we reason am…
The God wey we dey serve no dey inside bottle…
No be cloth, no be water…
Na the living God we put our trust in!
Hmmm… let's go!
VERSE 1
Some people hold the oil like say na God Himself
Some dey carry small small objects, put their hope for shelf
Dem believe say without am, nothing fit happen
But the power no dey object, make we get the matter straight
God fit use anything to show His mighty hand
But no created thing fit take the Creator's stand
The staff for Moses hand no be the God of power
Na the Lord wey made the sea divide that very hour
No be the thing wey you hold, na the One wey you trust
No be the sign wey you see, na the God wey never lost
If the symbol point to Him, make the glory go to Him
No turn the road sign to the destination!
PRE-CHORUS
My faith no dey inside object
My hope no dey inside material
The God of heaven be my confidence
His power no be artificial
If He use am, I give Him glory
If He no use am, He still be God
My confidence no go change tomorrow
Na Him alone I put my trust!
CHORUS
Faith is not an object, no-no-no!
My faith dey in the living God!
No be oil, no be cloth, no be water
Na Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour!
E fit use am, He fit do am
But the power na God alone!
I no go worship wetin He created
Na the Creator be my cornerstone!
Oh-oh-oh! My faith dey in God!
Oh-oh-oh! My hope dey in God!
Faith is not an object!
My faith dey in the living God!
VERSE 2
One woman touch the garment, and her healing came
But na the power of Jesus, no be magic for the cloth
For Ephesus, handkerchiefs, aprons carry healing
But God na the One wey do the mighty working
The oil for the Bible get its place and meaning
But no turn every bottle to a spiritual prescription
No be every prayer cloth be a command from heaven
No be every tradition be the truth wey God has given
Memorial stones remind us of the things God did
The Lord's Supper point us to the sacrifice of Christ
Baptism tell the story of the old life buried
But none of these symbols fit replace the risen King!
PRE-CHORUS 2
No be everything wey shine be divine
No be everything wey church use be command
Make we search the Word, make we know the truth
Make our faith stand firm for the Lord!
I no dey condemn the sign wey points to God
But I no go give the sign the place of God
The instrument no be the source of power
Na the Lord wey reigns forever!
CHORUS (Repeat)
Faith is not an object, no-no-no!
My faith dey in the living God!
No be oil, no be cloth, no be water
Na Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour!
E fit use am, He fit do am
But the power na God alone!
I no go worship wetin He created
Na the Creator be my cornerstone!
Oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-oh!
My faith dey in God!
Oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-oh!
Faith is not an object!
My faith dey in the living God!
Oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-oh!
Faith is not an object!
My faith dey in the living God!
Original song written for Echoes of Truth Magazine.
But the symbol is not automatically the spiritual reality itself.
God may use physical instruments.But no instrument possesses independent divine authority.
Faith must remain God-centered.Our confidence belongs to the living God, not to created things.
1. When the Visible Meets the Invisible
Human beings naturally relate to what they can see, touch, hear, and experience. Physical objects can help us remember events, communicate ideas, and express devotion. Even Scripture contains instances where God used visible and tangible things to communicate or accomplish His purposes.
However, the presence of a physical object in a spiritual experience does not mean that the object itself possesses supernatural power. We must distinguish between the instrument God uses and the God who uses it.
A symbol may help us recognise a truth, but it must never become more important than the truth it represents.
2. Does God Use Physical Objects?
Yes. The Bible records occasions where God used physical instruments, objects, and visible signs. The important question is not whether God can use an object, but whether we understand the place of that object in His purpose.
📜 Moses' Staff — Exodus 14:16
God instructed Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea. The staff was part of the visible action, but the power and authority belonged to God. The rod was not an independent source of power.
📜 The Anointing Oil — Exodus 30:22–33
The Old Testament describes specially prepared anointing oil for a particular consecrated purpose. Its use belonged to the instructions God gave Israel. This passage should not be turned into a claim that every Christian must use a particular oil or that oil automatically guarantees healing, protection, or prosperity.
📜 Handkerchiefs and Aprons — Acts 19:11–12
Extraordinary miracles occurred through Paul's ministry, and handkerchiefs and aprons associated with him were taken to the sick. The passage attributes the extraordinary works to God. It does not teach that cloth possesses independent power or that every believer must obtain a prayer cloth.
📜 The Woman Who Touched Jesus' Garment — Mark 5:25–34
The woman reached out in faith and touched Jesus' garment. Her healing came through Jesus. The garment was not a magical object, and the account directs our attention to Christ, His power, and the woman's faith.
God can use an instrument without surrendering His glory to the instrument.
3. When the Symbol Begins to Replace the Source
The problem begins when a symbol is no longer treated as a reminder, instrument, or expression of faith, but becomes the object of confidence itself.
From Reminder to Dependency
A believer may begin to feel spiritually unsafe without a particular object. Instead of trusting God's presence, the person becomes dependent on carrying, touching, or possessing a physical item.
From Symbolism to Superstition
Superstition develops when an object is believed to produce a spiritual result through its mere possession or use, regardless of the person's relationship with God, the truth of Scripture, or the purpose for which the object was introduced.
From Reverence to Misplaced Worship
Romans 1:25 warns against exchanging the truth of God for a lie and worshipping and serving the created rather than the Creator. The warning is not that every physical symbol is idolatry; it is that created things must never receive the place that belongs to God.
From Ministry to Manipulation
Spiritual objects become especially troubling when people are pressured, frightened, or financially exploited through claims that a particular item is indispensable for receiving God's favour. Ministers must never use fear or manufactured spiritual dependency to control believers.
The danger is not simply that a believer uses a symbol. The danger is that the believer begins to trust the symbol more than the God it was supposed to point towards.
4. Symbols That Scripture Actually Gives Us
It would be equally mistaken to conclude that all physical symbols are wrong or meaningless. Scripture gives us examples of visible reminders and practices with clear spiritual significance.
📜 Memorial Stones — Joshua 4:4–7
Israel set up stones as a memorial of God's intervention at the Jordan. Their purpose was to help future generations remember what God had done. The stones were reminders, not objects to be worshipped.
📜 The Lord's Supper — 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper as a remembrance of His sacrifice and a proclamation of His death until He comes. The bread and cup are not meaningless props; their significance is rooted in Christ's institution and the truth they communicate.
📜 Baptism — Romans 6:3–4
Baptism visibly expresses identification with Christ in His death and resurrection. It points to the believer's new life in Him. Its meaning is not found in treating water as an independent source of spiritual power.
Biblical symbols are not rejected because they are physical. They are understood according to the purpose and meaning Scripture gives them.
5. The Form of Godliness Without Its Power
📖 2 Timothy 3:5
Paul describes people who have a form of godliness but deny its power. The passage calls believers to examine the difference between outward religious appearance and genuine spiritual life.
A person can become deeply occupied with religious objects, outward ceremonies, and visible expressions while neglecting the heart of faith: knowing God, trusting His Word, walking in obedience, and reflecting the character of Christ.
Religious activity is not automatically spiritual maturity. The presence of visible practices does not, by itself, prove that a life is rooted in God.
6. Where Should the Believer's Confidence Rest?
📖 Colossians 1:27
Scripture directs our attention to Christ as the hope of glory. The Christian's confidence is not built upon the possession of a particular physical item, but upon the person and work of Jesus Christ.
📖 Hebrews 12:2
Believers are called to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. This is the proper direction of our spiritual attention: away from misplaced dependence and towards Christ.
We may use reminders. We may participate in biblical ordinances. We may appreciate the instruments through which God works. But our trust must remain in God, whose power is not confined to any object, location, ceremony, or human minister.
7. Questions Every Believer Should Consider
- Do I trust God, or have I become dependent on a particular object?
- Can I maintain my confidence in God even when that object is absent?
- Does the practice I follow have a clear biblical foundation?
- Am I using a symbol as a reminder, or treating it as a source of supernatural power?
- Does this practice direct my heart towards Christ, or create fear and dependency?
- Am I allowing Scripture to shape my faith, or allowing fear and religious pressure to define it?
Genuine faith does not need to deny the visible. It simply refuses to make the visible greater than the invisible God.
🛡️ Final Thought: Let the Symbol Point, but Let God Remain the Centre
There is nothing inherently wrong with a physical object serving as a reminder, a memorial, or an instrument within a biblical purpose. The danger begins when the instrument is given the confidence, authority, or devotion that belongs to God alone.
Moses had a staff, but Moses' staff was not God. The woman touched Jesus' garment, but the garment was not her Saviour. The handkerchiefs and aprons in Ephesus were associated with extraordinary miracles, but God remained the source of the power.
The symbol may be held in the hand, but faith must remain in the heart — and its object must always be God.
🧭 Conclusion: Our Faith Belongs to the Living God
The Christian faith is not sustained by the possession of sacred-looking objects, nor is God's power limited to the instruments through which He may choose to work. Faith rests upon the character, promises, and power of the living God.
Let us therefore respect what Scripture teaches, understand the purpose of biblical symbols, and refuse to turn created things into objects of spiritual dependence.
Do not mistake the sign for the Source. Do not worship the instrument. Do not place your confidence in what your hands can hold when your heart has been called to trust the God who holds all things.
Keywords: Faith and physical symbols, biblical symbols, anointing oil in the Bible, prayer cloths, Christian faith, biblical teaching, superstition and Christianity, faith in God, Jesus Christ.
1 Comments
God is a Spirit and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth
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