Worshiping God His way

“Why can’t there be many ways to heaven? Why does there only have to be one way?”

This is a common question that Christians are asked. And there are many reasons that we can give.

But one important one was given in this chapter.

God told the people, “You must not worship the Lord your God in their way” (verse 4)—that is, in the way of the other countries who didn’t know God.

In fact, he told them to tear down the altars, idols, and other religious items that other countries used in their worship of their gods.

God added later, “You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing (that is, worshiping) as they see fit.” (verse 8)

He then gave the Israelites specific instructions on how they were to worship him.

The point is, God will not accept just any kind of worship. And a lot of things that seem all right to us are not all right with God. He said in verse 31,

You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.

They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. (Deuteronomy 12:31)

Obviously, we all abhor the idea of sacrificing children to a god, but back in those days, it was a quite common practice in the nations around Israel.

People back then thought it was all right. It was a way to win the gods’ favor in battle, or for the harvest, or for whatever it was they were seeking after.

There are many things today that God considers detestable practices as well. Giving offerings to idols is one. This is still very common in Japan.

The apostle Paul says when we do that, we’re actually associating with demons.

In 1 Corinthians 10:20–21, he wrote,

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.

Yet I’ve known Christians who have made offerings at these kinds of altars anyway. That’s not acceptable to God.

I’ve also known Christians who got into astrology or tarot cards and thought it was all right.

But God said that these things too are not acceptable to him. (Deuteronomy 18:9–14; Isaiah 47:13–15)

Worshiping God in a way contrary to his word is not worship at all.

Even if you claim to worship him, if you are doing things that God has forbidden, he will not accept it.

Jesus said, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

Jesus teaches here that we are to worship God from our spirit.

God’s not interested just in the form of worship. He wants our heart. He wants our soul.

But we are also to worship God in truth.

In other words, we are to worship God as he reveals himself. We are to worship God according to the truth that he has given us about himself.

And that truth is found in his word. If we try to worship him in a way contrary to his word, we are not worshiping in truth, and our worship will not be accepted.

How about you? Are you worshiping God your way? Or his?