Our liberty in respect to worship

 

Our liberty in respect to worship

The liberty that we have with regards to the worship of God is that, instead of “you shall” as of compulsion or command it is now; “If you love Me keep My commandments.” It is, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his /her own mind. He/she who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he/she who does not observe the day, to the Lord he/she does not observe it.” It is simply a matter of faith and love expressing one’s gratitude , thanksgiving and appreciation for what the Lord has done and commemorating it as a memorial (John 14:15; Romans 14:5-60).

But the million dollar question is, does it matter to God if, when and how He is worshiped? The answer is an absolute yes for thus says the Lord; “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).

I therefore beg to ask the question are we worshiping God in spirit and truth. Considering the fact that the Lord unequivocally said; “Surely My Sabbaths (plural) you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.

Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'" (Exodus 31:13-17).

Since by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word shall be established let us establish this fact by what the Lord spoke to the prophet Ezekiel saying; “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel 20:12, 19-20).

We can also collaborate this trend of thought by examining the Apostle Paul’s statement which reads; “For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, ' They shall not enter My rest,' "although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"; and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest."

Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:3-11).

 I therefore beg to ask the question, even though we have the liberty to observe or not to observe are we diligent in entering that rest and ceased from our works even as God did from His when He created the heavens and the earth? Or are we at liberty to choose whichever day that is pleasing to us? And please note carefully that the main objective for observing the Sabbath is to show gratitude and appreciation for the Lord’s creation and to thank Him for what He has done for us.

Therefore, let us not be misled into believing that the Sabbath/s were intended only for the Jews because, we have been duly admonished saying; “Therefore receive one another (Jews and Gentiles), just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name."

And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope" (Romans 15:7-12).

Gentiles are to glorify God in association with His people and not in isolation; His grace did not give anyone the license to reject His holy days and substitute them with days which His has not ordained and thus following the customs and traditions of men which are considered as vain and worthless.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph