Chapter 5 - WHOSE WORSHIP DOES GOD ACCEPT?

COMMANDS OF MEN AS DOCTRINES

When Jesus was on earth, many Jews did not act in accord with the accurate knowledge of God.  They therefore lost the opportunity to have a clean standing before Jehovah.  Concerning them, Paul wrote:  "I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God; but not according to accurate knowledge."  (Romans 10:2)  They decided for themselves how to worship God instead of listening to what he said.

The Israelites originally practiced God-given pure religion, but it became contaminated with teachings and philosophies of men.  (Jeremiah 8:8, 9; Malachi 2:8, 9; Luke 11:52)  Although the Jewish religious leaders known as Pharisees thought  their worship was acceptable to God, Jesus told them:  "Isaiah aptly prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written,  'This  people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far removed from me.  It is vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach as doctrines commands of men.' " -Mark 7:6, 7.

Is it possible that we might do as the Pharisees did?  This could happen if we followed religious traditions handed down to us instead of examining what God has said about worship.  Warning of this very real danger, Paul wrote:  'The inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons."  (1 Timothy 4:1) So it is not enough merely to assume that our worship pleases God.  Like the Samaritan woman who met Jesus, we may have inherited our way of worship from our parents.  But we need to be certain that we are doing things that meet  with God's approval.

Next time: GUARD AGAINST OFFENDING GOD

The Book - KNOWLEDGE That Leads To Everlasting Life, 1995