The Proper Worship of God Part 6 - Worshiping in Vain

We learned in the previous parts of this study on worship that proper worship is to be done in spirit and in truth (John 4:23), and that worship must also be by faith.  Worship that is not from faith is vain worship, displeasing to the Father, and sinful (Romans 14:23).  We will learn in this section what constitutes vain and sinful worship.

When we follow the rituals of men instead of the commandments of God, our worship becomes vain.  Jesus tells us: "But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men" (Mark 7:7).  If our worship is vain, it is empty, hollow, and useless; worshiping in vain is as if we had not worshiped at all.  When we worship according to the precepts of men God is dishonored and insulted; when we worship God the way He outlined in his word, then He is honored and glorified.

Remember that "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).  Worshiping in truth means that we worship as God directs.  Jesus makes this plain when He says "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth" (John 17:17).  Since the word of God is truth, we worship God in truth when we worship Him according to His word.  The only way the Lord will accept our worship is to follow His directions in the Bible; any worship that is not authorized in the Scriptures is not in truth - it is vain.

What happens if we choose to disregard the Lord's commands regarding proper worship? "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you..." (Hosea 4:6).  God warns us that we will be destroyed for our lack of knowledge, and most churchgoers today seem to be illiterate when it comes to what God speaks regarding worship.  They don't know their Scriptures.  When the church does not know God's will, false doctrines arise; "And they have turned their back to Me, and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction.  But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it" (Jeremiah 32:33-34).

When people are ignorant of God's directions on how He is to be worshiped, they fall into idolatry.  They become blind, lead by the blind, and fall into sin (Matthew 15:14).  To avoid the sin of false doctrine and vain worship, we must first desire to know God's truth and then be willing to change our wrong ways to conform ourselves to the Lord's will.  Jesus tells us: "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:31-32).  Only the truth can set us free, otherwise we are still under the bondage of sin.

We must be sincere in our worship, but if we do not worship "in truth", the way God directs, then our worship is vain, sinful, and unacceptable to God.  Also, if we worship "in truth" but not "in spirit", lacking the proper motive of giving reverential honor to God, then we are just practicing worldly rituals and again, our worship is vain, sinful, and displeasing to God.  Scripture says of people that worship this way: "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me" (Matthew 15:8).  The only way that we can offer worship that is pleasing to God is to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Any other worship is vain, sinful, and will cause us to draw away from God.