November 4, 2008

Worship without Truth Is Not Worship

“God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24 NKJV)

The woman at the well was confused about the true nature of the coming Messiah. Christ takes her through a series of questions to reveal His true identity to her, and to clear up her misconceptions about worship. Take the time to read the passage if you have it (John 4:4-42). However, for now focus on this one point: worship must be in truth.

Arminian theology has plagued the modern church. It is a gangrenes sore that eventually consumes its host’s life, and it has a stranglehold on the church. The thing is in the name of tolerance and charity the church sips this poison as if it can be consume without harm.

There is not enough opposition to this heresy. One of the benefits of reading history is to avoid making the mistakes of those who have gone before. Clearly the early preachers and writers fought vigorously against this evil. What follows is a comment by Augustus Toplady one of the puritan writers. Notice he does not say, they [the Arminians] will be OK. He does not say their message will save. Instead, he calls it what it is idolatry.

I dare say that, in such an auditory as this, a number of Arminians are present. I fear that all our public assemblies have too many of them. Perhaps, however, even these people, idolaters as they are, may be apt to blame, and, indeed, with justice, the absurdity of those who worship idols of silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. But let me ask: If it be so very absurd, to worship the work of other men’s hands what must it be, to worship the works of our own hands? Perhaps, you may say, "God forbid that I should do so.". Nevertheless, let me tell you, that trust, confidence, reliance, and dependence, for salvation, are all acts and very solemn ones too, of divine worship: and upon whatsoever you depend, whether in whole or in part, for your acceptance with God, and for your justification in his sight, whatsoever, you rely upon, and trust in, for the attainment of grace or glory; if it be any thing short of God in Christ, you are an idolater for all intents and purposes.

Very different is the idea which Scripture gives us, of the ever-blessed God, from that of those false gods worshipped by the heathens; and from that degrading representation of the true God, which Arminianism would palm upon mankind. Our God (says this Psalm, verse the third) is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he pleased. This is not the Arminian idea of God: for our free-willers and our chance-mongers tell us, that God does not do whatsoever he pleases; that there are a great number of things, which God wishes to do, and rags and strives to do, and yet cannot bring to pass . . . Is their god the Bible God? It certainly is not. Their god "submits" to difficulties which he "cannot help" himself out of, and endeavors to make himself "easy" under millions and millions of inextricable embarrassments, uncomfortable disappointments, and mortifying defeats. . . .This sad scheme ascends, on the ladder of blasphemy, to the mountaintop of atheism; and then hurls itself from that precipice, into the gulf of blind, adamantine necessity, in order to prove mankind free agents!

. . .One great contest, between the religion of Arminianism, and the religion of Christ, is, who shall stand entitled to the praise and glory of a sinner’s salvation? Conversion decides this point at once; for I think that, without any imputation of uncharitableness, I may venture to say, that every truly awakened person, at least when he is under the shine of God’s countenance upon his soul, will fall down upon his knees, with this hymn of praise ascending from his heart, ‘Not unto me, O Lord, not unto me, but to thy name, give the glory’: I am saved not for my righteousness, but for thy mercy and thy truth’s sake—Augustus Toplady, 1740-1778,  PBM

Has the church moved so far from the truth that she be not stirred by such error? If the church comes to worship with such arrogance, no worship will be given God for He must be worshiped in truth.