Which God Do You Worship? Part 3 No. 393
WHICH GOD DO YOU WORSHIP?
Part 3
"Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?
who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
(Exodus 15:11).
A. W. Tozer writes: "Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character. The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is--in itself a monstrous sin--and substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness. . . . The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him."
Erwin W. Lutzer writes: "Idolatry is more than dancing around a statue of silver or gold; it is constructing a mental idea of a deity that bears little resemblance to the God who actually exists. Idolatry is giving respectability to our own opinions of God, formed after our likeness. Idolatry is fashioning an idea of God according to our inclinations and preferences. It is to pare God down to "more manageable proportions."
Another false conception we have of God is that we think that:
3. GOD IS TOLERANT OF THE WAY I LIVE
The religion of Tolerance is prevalent today. Whenever you take a stand for righteousness, Christians respond with "Judge not, that ye be not judged." They forget that God says that judgment will be "given to the saints of the most High" (Daniel 7:22).
There are many who commit fornication and adultery and yet continue to go to church each Sunday thinking that God overlooks their sin. No He doesn't. Jesus' sacrificial death upon the cross paid the price for their salvation and deliverance, but repentance comes first.
God's unchanging Word says that those who live this lifestyle:
a) Deny our Lord Jesus Christ
Jude 1:4 (NIV): "For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about[a] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."
b) Will not inherit the kingdom of God
1 Corinthians 6:9: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21; 5:5).
c) Sin against their own body
1 Corinthians 6:18: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication shineth against his own body."
There are many who no longer think that God is a holy God. They love the entertainments of this world and are not interested in seeking after the things of God. To go to a prayer meeting does not sound like fun.
And what about clothing? It is hard to know where to look in the church today. In every direction women brazenly and unashamedly show cleavage. Where is their shame? Do they no longer know how to blush? Where are their husbands who should protect them from exposing themselves to every other man?
God does not intend us to dress in dowdy manner. He loves beautiful and colorful clothes (Exodus 28:2). But He wants us to dress in a holy manner. He intends clothes to cover the private parts of the body (1 Timothy 2:9, 10). Hebrews 12:14 tell us that without holiness "no man shall see the Lord."
If we worship the true God, the God of the Bible, we will know that He is a Holy God. We will be in awe of His holiness and it will keep us walking in the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 6:3, 5: "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. . . . Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
1 Peter 1:15, 16: "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct); because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
PRAYER:
"O glorious and holy God, I don't want my eyes to be clouded by deception and the things of this world which hide the glory of your holiness. Help me to understand even a little of Your awesome light and holiness for I want to walk in the fear of the Lord. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
I am opening my heart daily for God to shine His holy light into my soul and expose all that grieves Him.
QUOTES REFERENCED:
"The Knowledge of the Holy" by A. W. Tozer
"Ten Lies About God (And How You Might Already Be Deceived" by Erwin W. Lutzer
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