Biblical Principles of Unacceptable Worship

[Scripture More Accurately]

Scripture reveals much to us about worship that is unacceptable to God. Here are some things that I would think that all Bible-believers should be agreed about what renders worship unacceptable to God:

1. Worshiping the wrong object--anyone or anything other than the one and only "living and true God" (1 Thess. 1:9)

2. Worshiping that attempts to come to the Father in any other name than Jesus' name and through the work of anyone else other than the Lord Jesus Christ

3. Worshiping without faith

4. Worshiping with a wrong heart

5. Worshiping with wrong motives or purposes

6. Worshiping with singing that has ungodly or unbiblical lyrics

What other principles of unacceptable worship do you believe Scripture reveals?

 

[Dave G]

1. Worshiping the wrong object--anyone or anything other than the one and only "living and true God" (1 Thess. 1:9)

I agree.

2. Worshiping without faith

I agree.
But this was easily remedied by the Lord when He authored and finished our faith ( Hebrews 12:2 ) for us, and gave it to us ( Ephesians 2:8 ).

3. Worshiping with a wrong heart

This is easily remedied by the new birth,
giving us a new heart ( Acts of the Apostles 16:14, Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26 ) that is "after" His own, like David's was.

4. Worshiping with wrong motives or purposes

See immediately above.
Our motives become aligned with His own by the effects of being born again.

5. Worshiping with singing that has ungodly or unbiblical lyrics

To me, this would never happen if the person is actually born again and concerned with what pleases Him.

What other principles of unacceptable worship do you believe Scripture reveals?

IMO, there are quite a number of places in the Old Testament that detail what displeases the Lord...
Unbelief of His words is what immediately comes to mind, as well as blatant disregard for His commands.

As for worship, I can think of no other thing that displeases Him more, than for someone who tries to worship Him, doing so in their own way...
instead of what He has prescribed:

They must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

I agree.

This is easily remedied by the new birth,
giving us a new heart ( Acts of the Apostles 16:14, Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26 ) that is "after" His own, like David's was.

See immediately above.
Our motives become aligned with His own by the effects of being born again.

To me, this would never happen if the person is actually born again and concerned with what pleases Him.

It simply is not true that someone who has experienced the new birth always has a right heart before God and always has pure motives and godly purposes for what He does in worship.

We sin continually even after we have been genuinely saved and born again.

So another biblical principle of unacceptable worship is that worshiping without confessing known sin in one's life renders one's worship unacceptable to God.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

From my home church's Sunday bulletin's order of service"

Worship is the “Entertainment of God”
Let’s delight His heart in worship!​

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

From my home church's Sunday bulletin's order of service"

Worship is the “Entertainment of God”
Let’s delight His heart in worship!​

The second line is a very good way of thinking about worship and approaching it. After more thought, I have reservations about the first statement.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

IMO, there are quite a number of places in the Old Testament that detail what displeases the Lord...
Unbelief of His words is what immediately comes to mind, as well as blatant disregard for His commands.

As for worship, I can think of no other thing that displeases Him more, than for someone who tries to worship Him, doing so in their own way...
instead of what He has prescribed:

They must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

I agree that there are many passages in Scripture that detail what displeases God in worship. I am interested in discussing such revelation to learn more about how it is supposed to profit us today concerning our worship.

 

[Dave G]

It simply is not true that someone who has experienced the new birth always has a right heart before God and always has pure motives and godly purposes for what He does in worship.

Their heart is right, it's just their flesh that's still in rebellion to Him.
See Romans 7:14-25.

We sin continually even after we have been genuinely saved and born again.

I agree, my friend...that we do.

So another biblical principle of unacceptable worship is that worshiping without confessing known sin in one's life renders one's worship unacceptable to God.

Sin that's already been forgiven by the Lord, and cast behind Him as far as east is from west...
will come between us?

No my friend.
Even outside of confessing our sins ( which are already forgiven ), the fact that believers are sanctified by the blood of His Son, causes Him to look at them as being perfect in His sight ( Hebrews 10:14 ).

It's not the outward appearance that the Lord looks upon, but on the heart....it is His making them new creations in Christ that pleases Him.
They cannot and will not worship Him in any other way than what He finds pleasing to Him.

 

[Dave G]

I agree that there are many passages in Scripture that detail what displeases God in worship. I am interested in discussing such revelation to learn more about how it is supposed to profit us today concerning our worship.

I'm sorry, but I don't know of anything that applies to the believer in Christ that the Lord will find displeasing,
as He looks upon His Son's perfect righteousness that is imputed to us...and not our own failings.

We worship Him in spirit / Spirit and truth...
He cannot find anything that displeases Him, because He is looking on our faith in His Son's work ( and His work in us and through us ) when He looks at us.
Faith in Him and His word is what pleases the Lord ( Romans 4:4-8, Hebrews 11:6 ).


May God bless you, and good evening.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

Their heart is right, it's just their flesh that's still in rebellion to Him.
See Romans 7:14-25.

Sin that's already been forgiven by the Lord, and cast behind Him as far as east is from west...
will come between us?

No my friend.
Even outside of confessing our sins ( which are already forgiven ), the fact that believers are sanctified by the blood of His Son, causes Him to look that them as being perfect in His sight ( Hebrews 10:14 ).

It's not the outward appearance that the Lord looks upon, but His making them new creations in Christ that pleases Him.
They cannot and will not worship Him in any other way than what He finds pleasing to Him.

Wow, these are major denials of biblical teaching. I disagree very strongly with what you say here.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

That is a very good way of looking at worship and approaching it!

It answers a lot of questions.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

It answers a lot of questions.

See my edited original comment. I agree with the second line but I have strong reservations about viewing and speaking of worship as the "entertainment" of God.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

See my edited original comment. I agree with the second line but I have strong reservations about viewing and speaking of worship as the "entertainment" of God.

It is supposed to as in contrast with the entertainment of man. Which seems to be the point of most contemporary worship styles.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

It is supposed to as in contrast with the entertainment of man. Which seems to be the point of most contemporary worship styles.

I agree that the entertainment aspect of contemporary worship styles is a major consideration for holding that they are unacceptable, but IMO, using the word "entertainment" to speak about what worship means to God is problematic because the word according to its very widely understood meaning carries with it senses that are not biblical when speaking about God and worship.

What is biblical is to say that in worship we are to seek to please God with what we do.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

These passages from apostles make clear that true believers do not always have a right spirit/heart before God. We are told that we must cleanse ourselves not just from all filthiness of the flesh but also of the spirit. We must cleanse our hands when we have engaged in sinful actions and we must purify our hearts when we are double minded.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered unholy fire before the LORD, such as he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came forth from the presence of the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said, ‘I will show myself holy among those who are near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ” And Aaron held his peace.

RSV Lev 10:1–3.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered unholy fire before the LORD, such as he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came forth from the presence of the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said, ‘I will show myself holy among those who are near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ” And Aaron held his peace.

RSV Lev 10:1–3.

This is certainly a passage that instructs us about unacceptable worship. Among other things that it teaches us, it shows that worship by unbelievers that involved (or involves) the use of any other incense in worship by unbelievers was unacceptable worship not just because it was offered by unbelievers whose hearts, motives, and purposes were wrong and because they offered it to wrong objects--their worship was (and is) unacceptable also because we do not have any evidence that God has ever accepted the use by anyone in any kind of worship of any other formulation of incense other than what He revealed to the Israelites.

 

[37818]

This thread's theme is backwards. This thread should be The Biblical Principles of Acceptable Worship. John 4:24.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

This thread's theme is backwards. This thread should be The Biblical Principles of Acceptable Worship. John 4:24.

I disagree. There are lots of discussions about that subject.

I chose the theme of this thread purposefully because I want to direct attention to biblical revelation that brings out truths for us about what makes worship unacceptable that I believe many believers may have overlooked or have never understood correctly or fully.

 

[37818]

I disagree. There are lots of discussions about that subject.

I chose the theme of this thread purposefully because I want to direct attention to biblical revelation that brings out truths for us about what makes worship unacceptable that I believe many believers may have overlooked or have never understood correctly or fully.

What is acceptable, what is true and right defines what one should choose.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

What is acceptable, what is true and right defines what one should choose.

Divine wisdom has chosen to reveal truth to us both through "positive" instruction and examples and "negative" examples and instruction. The latter helps us understand what we should choose every bit as much as the former.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.