Throughout the annals of time, man {albeit, through theology, ideology, religion, denominations, churches, cults, personal preferences, affluence, “spiritual” guidance} has devised ways to “worship” God. Man has built temples, shrines, images, pyramids, even “church” buildings, including offering sacrifices of animals and children, giving large sums of money, lived a good moral life, performed many works either in the name of God and/or Jesus – all with an emphasis on becoming acceptable before God; in an effort to be able to reside with God for all of eternity.
The inherent problem with each of the aforementioned means and methods is that none of them will get us any closer to becoming acceptable before God. Note the following Scriptures.
Romans 3:10,
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”
Romans 3:23,
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Isaiah 64:6,
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
Acts 17:24-25,
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;”
Matthew 7:21-23,
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Ephesians 2:8-9,
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
In the book of Acts we read of a man (Cornelius) and a woman (Lydia) who both “worshipped” God. It is said of Cornelius in Acts 10:1-2,
“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.”
It is said of Lydia in Acts 16:13-14,
“And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”
Both of these people “worshipped” God; but, they did so of their own accord. It could be observed that they both revered God, both were religious, both were living moral lives, and both were giving unto God. However, as you study the Scriptures pertaining to Cornelius and Lydia, both had one thing in common; that being, neither had received salvation of God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The accounts of these two people in the book of Acts manifest that “they heard the Word of God, the Lord opened their hearts of understanding, and they responded in faith and trust in Jesus Christ”. Therefore, they were then accepted by God, and they could now properly worship God. This is why the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
And in Romans 10:9-10, 13,
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Jesus stated the following to the Samaritan woman.
John 4:23-24,
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
It is also stated in John 14:6,
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
If you truly desire to “worship” God and to one day reside with Him for all of eternity, you must do so through His divine plan – repent of your sin and through faith trust in Jesus to save you. Then, you will be accepted by God and be able to truly “worship” God in Spirit and in Truth.
