ARE WE GUILTY OF VAIN WORSHIP?
I pose this question with no malice
intent to cause offense or condemnation. I recently came to this realization
and conviction through the study of the inspired word of God, and therefore my
intent is to provoke the desire for a deeper study of the matter, peradventure
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give us the Spirit
of wisdom and revelation so that we may know how to truly worship Him in spirit
and truth.
Let me state from the outset that,
the question of vain worship is by no means related to false worship, neither
does it pertains to one’s free gift of eternal life and salvation. For as every
believer should know, it is by grace we have been saved, through faith – and
this not from ourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one
can boast.
However, we are God’s workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us
to do. We need to stress on these things, so that those who have trusted in God
may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are
excellent and profitable for everyone.
One of the good works God prepared
in advance for us to do is, to worship Him; that means, expressing our
relationship to God in reverence, gratitude, awe and adoration.
For example, it is stated in the
Psalms, “Oh come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our
Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep
of His hand."
“Ascribe to the Lord O families of
nations, ascribe to the Lord Glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the Glory
due to His name; bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship the Lord
in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him all the earth” (Psalms” (Psalms
95:6-7; 96:7-9, Ps, 29:1-2).
It is imperative that the matter of
vain worship be thoroughly examined by all true and sincere believers, because
the worse indictment which is labeled on those who worship the One and only
true God is that of worshiping the true God in vain.
Jesus, quoting from the prophet
Isaiah said to the Pharisees, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as
it is written; ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far
from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of
men; for laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men.”
And He said to them, “You have let go the commandments of God and are holding
on to the traditions of men” (Mark.7: 6-9).
True worship in our new
dispensation is defined as, “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).
As believers we have been given the
prerogative to judge ourselves; for if we judge ourselves, we would not come
under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so
that we will not be condemned with the world.
Let us therefore judge ourselves as to whether or not we are worshiping the true God in vain.
To be continued
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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