SPIRITUAL WORSHIP AND ALLOTED FAITH
Romans 12.1
1. "I urge you therefore brethren, by the mercies of GOD to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to GOD, which is your spiritual service of worship."
"Spiritual service of worship." These words define the core essence and the meaning of the Spiritual Gospel of Christ and all His teachings.
Every Physical Ritual and every Ceremony prescribed in the Law of Moses has its Spiritual side and have been overlooked by people for centuries, until Christ. Now GOD REQUIRES Spiritual obedience, Spiritual Faith, Spiritual Hope, and also Spiritual Love, even do death.
Not in words only, but from the heart, from the spirit of every true Christian who is born again in spirit and not in flesh only.
Physical rituals and its traditions only go so far in the worship of GOD, and so are the prayers, but if they performed without feelings and emotions of the heart (spirit) they are useless and not beneficial and do nothing neither for GOD nor for a human.
Because of absence of essential feelings toward GOD, such as: fear, appreciation, gratitude, faith, hope, and love of GOD, GOD issued following statement to His people, in order to invoke in them Spiritual Qualities, such as mercy and compassion, honesty, truth, love and self-sacrifice not only for GOD but also and for the neighbor, according to the Spiritual Commandments of the Law of Moses.
~ I desire Mercy and not Sacrifice: (1Samuel 15.22) (Psalm 51.16-17) (Proverbs 21.3.27) (Ecclesiastes 5.1) (Hosea 6.6) (Isaiah 1.11-20) (Jeremiah 6.20) (Amos 5.21-24) (Micah 6.6-8) (Zechariah 7.2-4.9-10) (Matthew 9.13, 12.7, 23.23) (Mark 12.32-33)
John 4.23-24
23. "But an hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
24. GOD is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
There is no other way to worship and serve the Lord GOD in order to be acceptable by Him, ritual alone would not do any good.
ALLOTTED MEASURE OF FAITH
Romans 12.3
3. "Through the grace given to me I say to every man among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as GOD allotted to each a measure of faith."
It seems that "a measure of faith" does not depend on a human being but on GOD. GOD always treat people according to their character, personality, words, and deeds of every individual, and according to the merit of each and everyone of His followers. GOD gives not only faith, but also all kinds of goodness, blessings, and abilities, all of which very well outlined and recorded in the Bible.
In other words, the better the personality and character of a person that fit for service and worship GOD, the more faith GOD gives to such person and subsequently also gives authority, responsibility, rank, and position among His faithful and among His holy men.
GOD also allotting for His faithful other things, like certain Spiritual Gifts that allowing His people to speak different languages, gift of persuasion and influence, talent of speech and teach, capacity to convince and the leadership that leading in the direction of Christ, and much more.
GOD knows appropriate measure for everyone. He would not waste His treasured Spiritual Qualities on those who would not use them fully and on those who have lack of Spirituality, knowledge and understanding of His teachings.
So, according to each person's level and amount of Spiritual qualities the order of hierarchy of Christians on Earth and in Heaven will be also different, the first will be the last and the last will be the first (Matthew 19.30, 20.16) (Mark 10.31), according to the level of Faith in each and every one of them.
As conclusion to this theme, everyone who worship and service GOD will receive his/her own reward in Heaven, according to the level of Faith and Gifts that GOD gave to each of His followers and believers.
It will be done not according to wishes of a person or according to his or her own assessment of themselves, but only according to GOD'S Own assessment and the level of Faith that GOD gave to each and every one of His people according to their own Spiritual Qualities.
Romans 12.1
1. "I urge you therefore brethren, by the mercies of GOD to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to GOD, which is your spiritual service of worship."
"Spiritual service of worship." These words define the core essence and the meaning of the Spiritual Gospel of Christ and all His teachings.
Every Physical Ritual and every Ceremony prescribed in the Law of Moses has its Spiritual side and have been overlooked by people for centuries, until Christ. Now GOD REQUIRES Spiritual obedience, Spiritual Faith, Spiritual Hope, and also Spiritual Love, even do death.
Not in words only, but from the heart, from the spirit of every true Christian who is born again in spirit and not in flesh only.
Physical rituals and its traditions only go so far in the worship of GOD, and so are the prayers, but if they performed without feelings and emotions of the heart (spirit) they are useless and not beneficial and do nothing neither for GOD nor for a human.
Because of absence of essential feelings toward GOD, such as: fear, appreciation, gratitude, faith, hope, and love of GOD, GOD issued following statement to His people, in order to invoke in them Spiritual Qualities, such as mercy and compassion, honesty, truth, love and self-sacrifice not only for GOD but also and for the neighbor, according to the Spiritual Commandments of the Law of Moses.
~ I desire Mercy and not Sacrifice: (1Samuel 15.22) (Psalm 51.16-17) (Proverbs 21.3.27) (Ecclesiastes 5.1) (Hosea 6.6) (Isaiah 1.11-20) (Jeremiah 6.20) (Amos 5.21-24) (Micah 6.6-8) (Zechariah 7.2-4.9-10) (Matthew 9.13, 12.7, 23.23) (Mark 12.32-33)
John 4.23-24
23. "But an hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
24. GOD is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
There is no other way to worship and serve the Lord GOD in order to be acceptable by Him, ritual alone would not do any good.
ALLOTTED MEASURE OF FAITH
Romans 12.3
3. "Through the grace given to me I say to every man among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as GOD allotted to each a measure of faith."
It seems that "a measure of faith" does not depend on a human being but on GOD. GOD always treat people according to their character, personality, words, and deeds of every individual, and according to the merit of each and everyone of His followers. GOD gives not only faith, but also all kinds of goodness, blessings, and abilities, all of which very well outlined and recorded in the Bible.
In other words, the better the personality and character of a person that fit for service and worship GOD, the more faith GOD gives to such person and subsequently also gives authority, responsibility, rank, and position among His faithful and among His holy men.
GOD also allotting for His faithful other things, like certain Spiritual Gifts that allowing His people to speak different languages, gift of persuasion and influence, talent of speech and teach, capacity to convince and the leadership that leading in the direction of Christ, and much more.
GOD knows appropriate measure for everyone. He would not waste His treasured Spiritual Qualities on those who would not use them fully and on those who have lack of Spirituality, knowledge and understanding of His teachings.
So, according to each person's level and amount of Spiritual qualities the order of hierarchy of Christians on Earth and in Heaven will be also different, the first will be the last and the last will be the first (Matthew 19.30, 20.16) (Mark 10.31), according to the level of Faith in each and every one of them.
As conclusion to this theme, everyone who worship and service GOD will receive his/her own reward in Heaven, according to the level of Faith and Gifts that GOD gave to each of His followers and believers.
It will be done not according to wishes of a person or according to his or her own assessment of themselves, but only according to GOD'S Own assessment and the level of Faith that GOD gave to each and every one of His people according to their own Spiritual Qualities.