FALSE WORSHIP FORBIDDEN

Introduction

Since man is made in the image of God, he cannot but seek to worship something greater than himself. We are created beings and we desire to exalt something bigger than we are. It is inherent in the heart of man. The image of God has been marred by sin, therefore, unredeemed man will always seek to worship a false god. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, "For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." To turn to the living true God means that these new believers had given up false and dead gods. Idolatry is normal for the sinner. He has a master whether he acknowledges such or not. There is no neutrality. The Lord Jesus Christ put it this way in Matthew 6:24, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." There is not a third option. You will either serve God or seek a false god to worship.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary renders the verb "worship" as, "To adore; to pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration..." The fourth definition of the noun for of "worship" is defined by the same Dictionary as, "Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like." In short, worship is an act given to the Creator by the created. Leviticus 19:4 reads, "Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God." The people of the land of Canaan were idol worshipers. They believed in chance as ultimate.

They did not reverence the Creator but instead worshiped the created as Paul said in Romans 1:21-25, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." There must always be a distinction made between the Creator and the created. God created nature but He is not nature. To worship any other is be an idolater.

Paul went to Athens, Greece and this what he saw in Acts 17:16, "Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry." This made him angry to see these supposedly intelligent men worshiping false gods. This city was characterized by spiritual darkness. It is a proverbial blind leading the blind. Paul spoke to these pagans in Acts 17:22-25, "Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." Paul sets forth God as the Creator of the universe and that man can make nothing to adequately represent the true and living God.

Paul wrote the following in an epistle to a Grecian church who would have been influenced by the idolatry of that land in 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, "As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. 5For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 6But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." There is only one God, therefore, these idols cannot represent any other than false gods. As Exodus 20:3, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." This means that there is only one God. He is one God in three persons.

Paul wrote to this same church in 1 Corinthians 10:19-21, "What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils." As with all worship, there is no neutrality. We will either partake of the Lord’s table or the table of demons. We will either worship in truth and spirit or in falsity and the flesh.

Conclusion

The Lord Jesus Christ made it abundantly clear about proper worship in 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. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Any other worship is false and dead.

EXCLUSIVE NOT INCLUSIVE

Introduction

We live in a modern world, where the politically correct want everything to be inclusive. They talk about the unconditional love of God. Of course, they espouse a false gospel. It allows them to keep doing what they are doing and seek to legitimize it. Legitimacy is an inescapable concept. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines "legitimate" as, "...Genuine; real; proceeding from a pure source; not false or spurious..." The politically correct do not know the first thing about the Bible. They are biblical bastards. They are not genuine. Their source is the devil and he certainly is not pure. There is no neutrality. It is either black or white. It is either heaven or the lake of fire. There is no in between. The politically correct are hypocrites know this, but as with all unrighteous Romans 1:18 applies, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." They suppress the truth because it contradicts their beliefs and actions and they do not want to repent.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Exodus 22:20 reads, "He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed." This is plain. The devil and his crowd always try to find a loophole. They will try to use one hundred and one qualifications. Their motto is, "If it is clear, qualify it do death." They try to divert one’s attention from the issue at hand. It is wise for the people of God to stick to the main point. Always go back to what the word states and hold your ground. Satan’s tactic will always be Genesis 3:1, "...Yea, hath God said..." It will never change because he can never change. He will always use wiles and schemes of doubt and skepticism. All of this is just a smokescreen, to hide his real intention.

This law concerns sacrifice. Sacrifice was to be used to make atonement for one’s sins. Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." To offer a sacrifice to any other god than the Lord would be trying to establish another system of salvation rather than the established method that God has ordained. In effect, it is saying that one does not need God’s grace and forgiveness to be saved. It is trying to establish a law apart from God’s law.

Atonement is an inescapable concept. Men seek to make amends for their sins by their own efforts. This, however, will not work. We are to seek forgiveness for our sins through God. To do otherwise is a clear violation of Exodus 20:3, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Sacrifice is to be the Lord Jehovah only, or exclusively. Jesus said of those who would try to come into salvation other than the prescribed way in John 10:1, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." In our day, this speak about the politically correct, who want everyone to included in heaven, regardless of their manner of living. They do not want any differences made between the righteous and the wicked. They are inclusive and not exclusive.

God is a jealous God and He will not share His glory with any else. The Lord said in Isaiah 42:8, "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." He would not allow His glory to be given to another. This speaks of God’s exclusivity. He will not allow man to sacrifice to false gods which are in reality, not gods at all. To sacrifice to another god is the equivalent of saying that all gods are the same. Not one is above the other. This of course, leads to many gods and many laws. This is moral relativism. This enables man to be his own god. In other words, it enables man to determine what is acceptable to him and what is not. It is also saying that there are many ways to God, not just one. This of course would negate 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." Jesus claims to be the exclusive way to God the Father. Not many ways, but one way. Not many truths, but one truth. The inclusive forgot to read this verse because it contradicts their lies.

Judges 21:25 speaks about the inclusive, "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." There was no law, so man was lawless. He claimed that no one told him what to do. He said that there were no moral absolutes. He said that we are living in a different day. He said that society had changed etc. He forgot that the Lord said in Malachi 3:6, "For I am the LORD, I change not..." God is immutable and He will not change, His law to accommodate those who profess to be inclusive.

Conclusion

God’s punishment for someone who sacrificed to another god was the death penalty. This individual was seeking to establish another way to atone for his sin. He was seeking to be autonomous from God. God will not allow it. God is a God of exclusion for the wicked and inclusion for the righteous. Not everyone gets included.

EXACT MEASUREMENTS AND STANDARDS

Introduction

The key to business is honesty and integrity. These are essential if commerce is to be carried out in an orderly fashion. Without having standards of weights and measurements, the market place would be literal chaos. There has to be agreed upon standards. This presupposes that the universe is orderly. This is because 1 Corinthians 14:33 is true, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." If God is not disorderly, then by definition, He is orderly. God prohibits all cheating and shorting anyone. We are to be truthful in our dealings with others. Stealing and lying are closely tied together. Stealing has an element of deception in it, and all lying is deceptive. James gives the following advice in James 5:12, But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." Our words are to be reliable and not exaggerated. Someone should be able to rely upon our actions and our speech.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Leviticus 19:35-37 reads, "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. 36Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD." This establishes the law of honesty. If we say that we are selling a pound of something, it should be a pound. If not, it is theft and deception. To not give a pound is untrustworthy. It is cheating. It is corruption. We are not to take advantage of others.

Isaiah 1:22 says, "Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water." Gary North, in his book, Honest Money, points out that to make silver have dross was to add cheaper metals to silver. In other words, it is no longer pure silver. Wine mixed with water is not pure wine. The business owner charges more for his goods, but the buyer ends up getting less. Gary North says in the above referenced book, "Corrupt money testifies to corrupt people." Debasing a currency is a direct violation of just balances and just weights. Increasing the money supply which leads to inflation is dishonest. The people’s money now has less purchasing power. It is thievery, even if the government does it.

Selling using many words will somewhere contain some deception as Proverbs 10:19 says, "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." John Wesley had in his discipline for the Methodist people the following was prohibited, "The using many words in buying and selling." When we are selling something, we must represent the true condition of what we are selling. We are not to try and fluff and hedge trying to hide defects and potential problems, saying too bad once the goods have been purchased. This is what warranties are all about. It is testifying that the purchased goods are what they profess to be and they will operate within a given time frame, as specified. If not, the seller is to make them good. These business practices are actually biblical and go back to this case law of Leviticus.

Deuteronomy 25:13-16 reads, "Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. 14Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. 15But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 16For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God." The Amplified Bible says about divers weights, "..true and false weights..." Here it is right out in the open. To use true and false weights is to deceive the buyer. It is theft and lying. We are to be trustworthy when using scales and balances. A yard is to be measured a full yard. Cheaters prosper short term, but as these verses make apparent, never in the long run. They will cheat enough people that they will be out of business very quickly. A business only prospers long term by being aboveboard.

It is not good when the Lord considers something to be an abomination in His sight. An example is found in Proverbs 20:10, "Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD." God hates dishonesty and the dishonest. The two cannot be separated from each other. You cannot have one without the other. God is truthful in all of His dealings with man. He expects us to follow suit. The devil is a cheat and fraud. He wants to defraud us, even in our business dealings. The old saying is true, "Cheaters never prosper."

Proverbs 11:1 says, "A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight." God detests the corrupt, but He delights in those who have integrity in their business dealings. Ethics are extremely important in the marketplace. The Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke 16:11, "If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" If someone cannot be upright in his business dealings, when it comes to the real value in life, they will fail and swindle. Trust is a fragile thing. It is hard to get back once it has been broken.

Conclusion

Proverbs 16:11 reads, "A just weight and balance are the LORD’S: all the weights of the bag are his work." God is always forthright in all of His dealings. We are to do likewise in all of our business affairs.