Thursday, July 6, 2017

“A World Full of Worshippers”


"A World Full of Worshippers"      
    
    The first century Romans viewed Christians as atheists because the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ did not believe in the pagan gods of Roman culture.  This speaks to the religious nature of all human beings whereby everybody worships a god of one form or another.

    "Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (I Thessalonians 1:9).
    "They... worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever" (Roman 1:22; 24).

   Find the most ardent atheist on the planet, and you'll discover a worshipper of a god, that is, the deity of his or her particular devotion.  God made humanity to affix our hearts to something above and beyond ourselves.  We all do this, whether we acknowledge or deny our religious inclination.  An altar exists within our hearts that will be occupied by the living and true God, or by the devil's imposter.  The former leads to salvation, life, and the love of God that eternally redeems and benefits.  "Lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:24).  The latter leads to death, destruction, and eternal alienation from God.  "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly" (Proverbs 3:18-19).

   The world is full of worshippers, including every living human being.  Who do we worship?  This is the question.  This is also the believer's awareness regarding our personal life and walk with the Lord.  To Christians, the Apostle John warned, "Keep yourselves from idols" (I John 5;21).  Are we relating to God as He is, or rather to the figment of our or the devil's imagination?  "He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38; emphasis added).  Our Savior spoke of "the true worshippers" (John 4:23).  We must seek to walk accordingly, as led and enabled by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  This makes ongoing discourse with our Heavenly Father absolutely vital regarding the confirmation or correction of our response to Him.  We will worship, and born again believers possess the capacity through Christ to worship spiritually and rightly.  It is not inevitable that we will do so, however.  Hence, John's warning that we seek the  path of genuine worship that ever lies before us.  To consistently and increasingly know God as He is, and respond accordingly - this is the goal and determined purpose of all Christians who would "worship the Father in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).

    As we seek to share Christ with others, we also do well to remember that everybody worships.  Thus, we have no need to introduce the concept of worship to even the most passionate non-believer.  They already practice this elemental human trait, as woven into their being by God.  We rather seek to lead unbelievers from false and destructive worship to life-giving devotion to the true and living God.  This fact of human nature explains why some people are so passionate and vociferous in their dedication to unbelief.  They defend not a void, but rather a perceived deity (even if they don't acknowledge their god in religious terms).  Our calling involves shining the spotlight on the Lord Jesus who provides forgiveness for idolatry, and deliverance from the power of idols who lead to destruction and condemnation.  Through our testimony of Christ and His Word, those who will see His reality and "turn from vanities unto the living God" will be redeemed not to begin worshipping, but rather to worship in the matter of truth and reality for which God made us (Acts 14:15).

"For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens."
(I Chronicles 16:26)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee: be Thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
(Isaiah 33:2)
   L

No comments: