True service

Published in Pasugo, Oct 2003

WHENEVER WE MENTION something like true service or true worship, some of our friends become annoyed. They feel upset not because they hate the idea of true worship, but because they do not agree that there is such thing as false service or false religion.

Many people consider it rather strange to believe that there is false religion or false service to God because they have been raised into believing that God accepts all services rendered to Him. “As long as you are serving the God,” they say, “God will accept you.” What is important, for them, is “to whom” one is rendering service and not “how” he does the act of worship.

Sadly, many of those who believe that all services are acceptable to God have become complacent. They have lost the motivation to examine their religious practices. They find no reason to search for the true religion as though such search were frivolous or unnecessary.

The Bible says that there are many who will be in for a rude awakening on Judgment Day – including those who believe all along that they will be saved and will receive the promises of God.

Cain and Abel

It may come as a surprise to some, but there are many examples in the Bible that prove that God does not accept every kind of service rendered to Him. One of such examples is contained in the first book of the Bible, Genesis:

“After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the LORD. Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering, but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain become furious, and he scowled in anger.” (Gen. 4:3-5, Today’s English Version)

Cain and Abel, sons of Adam and Eve, served God. Both of them offered to the Lord. But, while the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, He rejected Cain and his offering.

Nadab and Abihu

There are other incidents in the Bible showing that God rejected people who were trying to serve Him, such as what happened to Nadab and Abihu:

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” (Lev. 10:1-2, New King James Version)

Nadab and Abihu were two servants of God who offered sacrifices to Him. But, since they offered a “profane fire which He had not commanded,” the Lord God rejected their offering. Instead of accepting their offering, the Lord God sent a fire that devoured and killed them. Therefore, it really matters “what” we are doing in our service to God. If it didn’t, then God would have accepted Nadab and Abihu.

One lesson we learn from this is that we should not break God’s commandments if we are to serve Him. Those who say something like, “God can read my mind,” and that “He knows my intention,” while going against His commandments, are mistaken. For instance, many kneel before graven images and worship those images, saying that in their mind, they believe that what they do is for God. However, nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to bow and worship images. Such practice is strictly prohibited by God (Exo. 20:3-5). Thus, the millions of people who believe that kneeling before images is acceptable, since they believe it is for God, are gravely mistaken. They are just like Nadab and Abihu who offered something that was not commanded by God.

Christ’s declaration

Often, when we talk to our friends about this topic, they would say, “we now live in the dispensation of grace.” This to them means that since we live in the Christian era, we are no longer under any obligation to follow God’s law. Also, for many so-called “Evangelical Christians,” it is enough to believe or have faith in Christ to be saved.

Even in the Christian era, there is such a thing as false religion and false service to God. There are people who profess belief in the name of Christ but in the end will be rejected by Him and, thus, will not be saved. Christ declares:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Mt. 7:21, NKJV)

Since, according to Christ, not everyone who calls Him Lord will go to heaven, then not all Christian-professing religions or churches will be saved on Judgment Day.

Who then will be saved? Who will go to heaven? Christ our Lord declared, “but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Thus, if we do the will of the Father, we will enter the kingdom of heaven. But even if we believe in God and in Christ yet do not obey the will of the Father, we will not be saved.

God’s will

The Bible teaches one of God’s will, that everyone must do:

“Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth – in Him.” (Eph. 1:9-10, Ibid.)

It is God’s will that all be gathered together in Christ. Thus, no one could truly say that he has completely followed the will of the Father if he has not been united with Christ. To be in Christ is to be inside the body headed by Him:

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Rom. 12:4-5, Ibid.)

It is God’s will for us to be members of the body of Christ, which is the Church:

“And He is the head of the body, the church.” (Col. 1:18, Ibid.)

The apostles called this Church, the Church of Christ:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation)

Those who were redeemed by the blood of Christ obtained the right to serve the living God (Heb. 9:14), therefore, they could now render true service.

God wants all people to be gathered together “in Christ.” To be in Christ is to be inside or to become part of His body or Church, which is the Church of Christ. Therefore, it is God’s will for us to be members of the Church of Christ.

Let us always remember that we are not free to do just about anything we have in mind in serving God. Even our Savior Jesus Christ tells us that we should follow God’s will.

Certain of salvation

While some people do not believe in the necessity of joining the Church of Christ to be saved, the Bible teaches otherwise:

“Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts. 2:47, NKJV)

If we want to be counted among those who will be saved, we must join the Church, for the Scriptures teaches that “the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved.”

We are not teaching here that the Church is the Savior. Christ is the Savior, as the Bible teaches. But the Bible also teaches that it is the Church which Christ will save:

“For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.” (Eph. 5:23, TEV)

Those who follow God’s will are assured of receiving salvation on Judgment Day, inasmuch as the worship they render to Him is acceptable.