Jesus says in John
4:24, "God is a spirit and they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and in truth." We must worship God in
truth. Since His word is truth, we must worship Him according to His
word. Here the Lord is telling us that everything we do in worship,
we must have God's divine approval. Truth is not arbitrary.
Truth for one person is the same as truth for the next. God has not
spoken in unclear ways.
God has
specified in the Bible the acceptable way He is to be worshipped. He
is not to be worshipped according to the evil and vain imaginations and
devices of men. Whatever that is not commanded in scripture in our
worship to God is forbidden if we are to worship God in truth. God
is not obligated to accept our worship just because we offer it to
Him. We dare not substitute what we want for what God has commanded
if we want to please Him and go to Heaven.
There are many who
think it really doesn’t matter what we believe or do in religion, just as
long as we are sincere and follow our conscience. But if it doesn’t
really matter what you believe, then it doesn’t matter if you even believe
at all. This is absurd. This philosophy exalts our conscience
above the word of God. This makes our conscience our only guide and
ignores what God says in the Bible. This philosophy originated with
man and not with God. This is telling God we are going to worship
Him the way we choose and we don’t really care what He has to say.
Every man then becomes his own authority thereby eliminating the authority
of God, the Bible. This attitude must greatly hurt the one who gave
His life for us.
Many people want to
do what they think best and what seems right to them. We are warned
not to do this in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that
seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."
According to what God says we can loose our soul by doing what
seems right in our own eyes. God’s word is no longer our guide, but
it has been replaced with creed books, disciplines, manuals, confessions,
etc. Men want to do things their way and as it seems right in their
own eyes. Please consider the consequences of being deceived by
error. What a pity it will be to stand before the Lord on Judgment
Day having been fooled into accepting the unlawful religions of the
denominational world. What a terrible fate to believe error to be
truth only to be lost for all of eternity.
The philosophy of
doing what seems right in our eyes has vastly altered the way people
attempt to worship God. They rationalize that God will accept
it. People can rationalize away just about anything they want if
they work at it hard and long enough, and because of this people worship
God in ignorance. Just as the apostle Paul told the Athenians in
Acts 17:23 (KJV), "Whom therefore ye ignorantly
worship."
The average person
in religious matters takes many things for granted. He finds
religious groups practicing something and he decides what the majority
does must be right and acceptable to God. The Bible says the
majority of people are going to be eternally lost. Jesus says in
Matthew 7:l3-14, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide
is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are
many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and
difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who
find it." So we don’t want to depend on the majority to
determine what is right for us and follow them. If we do we will
also end up being lost in the eternal fires of Hell.
Many people never
stop to ask, is it scriptural and is this what God wants? They
believe that just any kind of worship they give will be acceptable to
God. There are a lot of false teachings today that are being passed
off as the truth. The main reason for all the religious division
that we see in the world today is man will not accept God’s word as final
authority. Man is going to do it his own way. The Bible
contains our only instructions on how to please God so we can go to
heaven.
God has always told
man how He is to be worshipped. God is the only one who has the
right to determine how He is to be worshipped. He will only accept
that which is in harmony with His prescribed will. God instructs us
how to worship Him acceptably through His word in the Bible. In
Ephesians 5:17 we read, "Therefore do not be unwise,
but understand what the will of the Lord is." If we are the
least bit concerned about where we will spend eternity, it is wise to know
what the will of the Lord is so we can do it and be pleasing to Him.
We are accountable for what we believe and practice. Our eternal
destiny hangs in the balance of how we treat His truth.
In every age God
has specified how He is to be worshipped. He says to us in 2 Peter
1:3, "As His divine power has given to us all
things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him
who called us." God in the New Testament has given to us all
things we need to know that pertain to life and godliness so we can
worship Him acceptably, in spirit and in truth. God has always made
it plain and emphatic that the only worship that is acceptable to Him is
only that which is in accordance with His will.
Questions Lesson 4
Worshipping God In Truth
(click on the button of the answer of your
choice)
1) (John 4:24) In our worship to
God.
We can worship God as we choose if we are sincere.
God has not specified in the Bible how He is to be worshipped.
We must worship God in spirit and in truth.
2)
We must have God's divine approval for the things we do in
worship.
3) (Proverbs 14:12) The way that seems right to a
man.
Is the way people should live.
Will lead to spiritual death.
Is how God wants us to live.
4)
We should always do what seems right in our own eyes.
5) (Acts 17:23) Even though people may be sincere,
if they worship God
as they choose.
They ignorantly worship God.
They are pleasing to God.
God will accept their worship.
6)
When people worship God their own way, they ignorantly
worship
God.
7) (Matthew 7:13-14) How many people will go to
heaven?
All
Many
Few
8)
In religious matters we should follow the majority.
9) (Ephesians 5:17) If we do not understand what the
will of the Lord is
It is unwise.
It is wise.
It
is all right if we are sincere.
10)
It is very important to understand what the will of the Lord
is.
11) (2 Peter 1:3) God in His revealed will
Has
not told us all we need to know to please Him.
Has
given us all we need to know to please Him.
Allows us to worship Him as we please Him.
12)
God has specified in the Bible how He is to be
worshipped.