Nuggets
- We get to make our choices – even if we choose not to follow Him – but we need to be convinced when we do.
- God wants us to decide that we want to make decisions pleasing to Him, which trigger actions that change our character to be more like His.
- Know what we believe without a shadow of a doubt and act on that – consistently.
- Worship is a life and death matter.
Being inclusive, not judgment, is a way we honor God in our worship. But we have worship sincerely and consistently. This devotion looks at how that is our choice to do so.
Let's Put It into Context
Worship, according to the Holman Bible Dictionary, is “Human response to the perceived presence of the divine, a presence which transcends normal human activity and is holy.”
Resource
According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, the Sabbath is “the day of rest, considered holy to God by His rest on the seventh day after creation and viewed as a sign of the covenant relation between God and His people and of the eternal rest He has promised them.”
Resource
All In
“One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14; 5 CSB)
I know I think differently than other people. I connect things differently. Because of that, I may put a different amount of importance on something than someone else does.
Paul said we are going to do that. We are all different. We have had different experiences. It is part of what makes us, us.
That is okay. Paul just cautioned that we have to be convinced.
But is Paul really talking about the Sabbath here? Remember, God created the Sabbath for man, not the other way around.
When Wardlaw muddled through these verses, he thought there had to be a qualification. If we didn’t qualify this, we might think Paul was telling us we wouldn’t need a day set apart for worship.
What Wardlaw ended up with was the belief that we are free to observe the Sabbath or not. Which is true.
God created us with free will. We get to make our choices – even if we choose not to follow Him.
Wardlaw said something that threw me – and I’m having trouble processing it. He wrote that “… the sabbath was not a peculiarly Jewish institution …” Paul was, he contended, dealing with the last day/first day of the week issue.
Robertson thought it was a more of an “opening up” of the Sabbath. If Sabbath was a Jewish institution, Gentiles would be excluded in Christianity. That is not what Jesus taught.
Remember, Romans 14: 1-4 were talking about inclusiveness. No one was excluded – unless they chose to be excluded.
This also touches on our having differences of opinions. Paul doesn’t bite on us for having those different opinions.
Instead, Paul said – in my words – “Know what you believe.” And not just knowledge. “… Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14; 5 CSB). Know without a shadow of a doubt.
(And isn’t that what we have been doing in the What I Believe Series!)
You see, God doesn’t want us ABCing just to have fire insurance. He wants the D. We have to demonstrate that commitment. That commitment has to include changing our character to imitate Him.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Go back to free will. Free will is the ability within us to make decisions that determine actions that produce character.
Actions produce character. Decisions produce actions. Free will allow us to make the decisions.
But God wants us to decide that we want to make decisions pleasing to Him. Those decisions trigger actions that change our character to be more like His.
That is what sanctification is all about. Sanctification is the transformation of mind, body, and soul beginning with regeneration and ending with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
In order to choose the sanctification road, we have to be all in. We have to be deeply committed.
Act on Convictions
“Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God” (Rom. 14: 6 CSB)
Know what we believe without a shadow of a doubt and act on that. Consistently.
Robertson addressed the consistency part. He wrote, “The spiritual intent of Christianity is to worship God every day in the spirit. But had this law been given to the unspiritual Jews, instead of turning every week-day into a Sabbath, they would have transformed every Sabbath into a week-day.”
God doesn’t want part-time believers. That is why I keep harping on we have to do all the steps in seeking God. (Yes, I am harping on myself, too, here.)
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
Remember what we said in What Is the Sabbath? If Day Seven is the Sabbath — the day we are to worship — and it hasn’t ended, we are to continuously worship the One true God.
We are to worship daily so that the consistency helps us change our character to imitate God. Being consistent is easier when we are more consistent.
Lyth reminded us the benefits of being consistent in our worship. It is easier for us to act on fixed principles. That way we don’t waffle. Boy, doesn’t that promote peace.
Life and Death
“For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself” (Rom. 14: 7 CSB)
Oh, doesn’t that contradict what worldview people think? Some don’t think their actions affect anyone but themselves. Some think that there should be no consequences.
They think wrong.
Why is worship important? Why is consistency in worship important?
It is a life and death matter.
We no doubt have heard the saying that no man is an island. Priestley wrote, “Man himself is but a link, though the highest link, of this great chain, all the parts of which are closely connected by the hand of our Divine Author.”
It is our job to proclaim the gospel to non-believers and make them disciples. We do this because we love God and love them.
We do not want to see them remain spiritually dead. If they remain spiritually dead in this life, they will remain spiritually dead throughout eternity.
“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Rom. 10: 14 NLT).
We are witnesses without uttering a single word. My ladies and I discussed before that not only are nonbelievers observing disciples’ actions but also their attitudes and motives to make sure we are real. Elliot said it this way: “Every life is a little Bible — a revelation of God.”
What I kept thinking about in all of this is that Jesus said some sheep are really going to be goats. “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (Mt. 7: 21 NLT).
The will of God is that we worship Him. It is that we submit to him.
Making the Connections
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines freedom as “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action.” Unfortunately, some see freedom as the ability to do anything we want.
Free will gives us freedom, but it is based on a foundation of God’s law and commandments. It isn’t that we can just do anything we want.
But then again, we must follow the laws of the land. So, while we are free here in America, there is some standards we must follow.
So, it isn’t that some are against following laws. They just don’t want to follow God’s laws and commandments. There are two things they don’t realize.
Freedom does not mean there is no consequences. They will still be judged in the end times.
“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (Jn. 8: 36 NLT). It isn’t just about the consequences of this life. It is about eternal life.
We have to make sure that we allow differing opinions. Talmage wrote, “While our conscience will not allow us to choose some of these beliefs, we must allow to others the liberty of conscience which we demand for ourselves.”
We are free to choose to not worship God in the Sabbath — or any other day. We cannot expect God to change His mind and say not worshiping Him is not a sin.
We cannot let the “we’re not going to worship God in this way” mask the unpardonable sin. If we do that, we will be a goat on the left.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
We’ve been asking these questions all along so we can prepare for when we are asked. Here is the worksheet again. What would you say about our interactions with others, especially those believe freedom means they do not have to follow God’ laws and commandments?
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
How Do We Apply This?
We have to
- Educate ourselves on God’s character, His laws and commandments, and what He is calling us to do.
- Stop being know-it-all’s and thinking our way is the only way.
- Be sincere in seeking Him.
- Grow in grace and knowledge.
- Be real in our evaluation of ourselves.
- Concentrate on our points of unity, not our points of division.
We don’t honor God in worship when we keep our worship to ourselves. We must use that worship to witness to others.
Loving Heavenly Father. We praise Your name. We give You all honor and glory. Help us to show others Your love through our interactions with them. Amen.
If you have not admitted that your relationship is not right with God,
have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior,
and have not confessed your sins,
please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
Related Links
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
Don’t know what your spiritual gifts are?
Take this Spiritual Gifts Inventory
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #1
Be a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12: 1-2)
Job Duty #2
Work Out Our Salvation (Philippians 2: 12)
Job Duty #3
Bring Him Glory (Matthew 5: 16)
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #5
Love People (John 15: 12)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Job Duty #7
Other Duties as Assigned
(Ecclesiastes 3: 1)
It Was Enough
Vocalist: Elaine Guthals
Keyboard: Chris Vieth
What do you think?
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