Our Lord says in
Mark 7:7, "And in vaindo they worship
Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." When
we follow the commandments of men instead of God’s instructions, our
worship becomes vain. If our worship is vain, it is empty, hollow,
and useless. It will do us no good. If it is vain, it would be
as though we had not worshipped God at all and we will be lost. When
we worship in the way "we want" then God is dishonored and insulted.
When we worship the way God has told us in His word, God is honored and
glorified.
As we read in John
4:24, "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him
mustworship Him in spirit and in
truth." To worship in truth is to worship as the word
of God directs. Jesus said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is
truth." Since the word of God is truth, when we worship God
in truth, we worship Him according to His word. The only way God
will accept our worship is to follow His directions in the Bible.
Any worship, that is not authorized by God's word in the Bible, is not in
truth and is vain.
God says in Hosea
4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge." If we don’t know what God says, we are going to
be destroyed or lost for our lack of knowledge. It is sad to say but
the vast majority of people are illiterate of God’s word. They don’t
really know what the Bible says. When we don't know God's will then
false doctrines will arise which will cause us to be eternally
lost.
When people are
ignorant of God’s directions on how He is to be worshipped, they wander in
spiritual darkness. Our Lord says in Matthew 15:14, "And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the
ditch." We must first have a desire to know the truth of
God's will and then be willing to change when we find we are wrong and are
not worshipping according to His truth. Jesus says in John 8:32,
"And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make
you free." Only the truth can make us free, otherwise we are
still under the bondage of sin. We may be sincere in our worship,
and we must be, but if we do not worship God "in truth", that is as God
directs, then our worship will be vain and unacceptable to God.
Also if we try to
worship God "in truth" but not "in spirit", that is not with the proper
motive of honoring God and with reverence, then we are just practicing
ritualism and our heart is far from it. This type of worship is also
vain and unacceptable to God, for Jesus says in Matthew 15:8, "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me
with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." We must
worship God both in spirit and in truth.
Questions Lesson 6
Vain Worship
(click on the button of the answer of your
choice)
1) (Mark 7:7) If we follow the doctrines of men in
our worship.
It is vain.
God will accept it.
It makes no difference.
2)
When we worship the way God has told us in His word, only
then is He
glorified.
3) (John 4:24) Our worship to God
Doesn’t really matter as long as we are sincere.
Does not have to be in spirit and in truth.
Must be in spirit and in truth.
4)
We can worship God any way we want to.
5) (John 17:17) What is truth?
What we believe.
The word of God.
What our church has published in its creed.
6)
God sanctifies us by His word when we obey it.
7) (Hosea 4:6, Matthew 7:13-14) Why will the
majority of people be lost
in eternity?
A lack of knowledge of God’s word.
The majority will not be lost.
The majority of people will be saved.
8)
If we don’t know what God says, we will be destroyed or lost
for our lack
of knowledge.
9) (Matthew 15:14) What happens religiously if the
blind leads the blind?
They will both be saved since they are not responsible.
Their travel will be slow but sure.
They will both fall into the ditch (in other words be lost
eternally).
10)
When people are ignorant of God’s instruction they
wonder in spiritual
darkness.
11) (John 8:32) What will make us free?
The truth of God’s word.
What a church has published in its creed.
What we personally think.
12)
We can be made free even though we don’t know the
truth.
13) (Matthew 15:18) People who honor Christ with
their lips, but their
heart is far from Him
Are pleasing to Christ.
Are condemned by Christ.
Are doing their best.
14)
As long as we honor Christ with our lips it doesn’t matter if
our heart is
far from Him.