The Old Law Does Bring a Curse Pt-2

“¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” ¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

In the last article we asked what pattern are you following and what law are you under? As we continue the thought—there is an old law (Covenant) and a new law (Covenant) in Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; Heb. 8:7), and that old law was fulfilled, abolished, and nailed to the cross (Matt. 5:17; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14). That is, the church is no longer under the old law the old priesthood, we have a new law under a new High Priest, Jesus (Heb. 8:1-2).

Now we’ll consider another question that causes many today to worship God and Christ in vain. The question is can we use instruments in the New Testament Church, like David did while under the old law? And yes, we can worship God in vain. So many today are of the impression that any and every form of worship must be acceptable to God. So many today believe that whatever “we decide” is acceptable—God must accept. Fact is that God has always required man to worship Him according to His instruction, His commandments. What we need to come away with, is the clear understanding of what it means to worship God in “spirit and truth”, (John 4:24).

First, let’s hear from the Master, Lord and High Priest. Jesus said, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt. 15:8-9). Did you see that, “in vain they worship Me”. Therefore, the Lord Himself says we can, with all sincerity, worship Him in vain. Vain defined by Webster is “2: marked by futility or ineffectualness: UNSUCCESSFUL, USELESS, 3: having no real value: IDLE, WORTHLESS and 4: archaic: FOOLISH, SILLY. Further, in religion Webster says, in vain means: 2: in an irreverent or blasphemous manner. One example of this is the profane fire of Nadab and Abihu recorded in Leviticus chapter 10. The record states that these two 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. 2 So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord” (vs.1-2). Notice that they offered “profane fire”. The NIV uses the word  “unauthorized”, and no matter how you say it, it is clear, God was not impressed with the vain worship. Cain’s offering to God (Gen. 4) was not accepted by God and the Hebrew writer tells us why, saying the difference between them, Able’s was by faith (Heb. 11:4). Remember faith comes by hearing the words of God (Rom. 10:17). In this, is your worship according to faith of according to feelings, emotion, and the teaching of others?

In John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Question, is spirit physical? By this I’m asking is it flesh and blood? No, it is not. The word “spirit” stands in direct contrast to physical and therefore, stands in contrast to the external and physical worship of the Old Testament. The New Testament church no longer has a tabernacle (Heb. 9:6 contrasted to Heb. 9:11), a temple (1 Kings 6-7), a physical sanctuary (Exo. 25:8), or special clothing for the priests (Exo. 28), lamp stands (Exo. 7:49), burning of incense (Exo. 30:1), instruments of music (Psa. 150), and animal sacrifices (Exo. 29:36). All of this had to do with the physical. But, the New Testament worship is to be in spirit and truth and has to do with the inward man, his spiritual makeup. All Christians are priests who offer up spiritual sacrifices not physical (1 Pet. 2:5). So then, Paul commands, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). According to Him, what pleases Him, is for all His saints, to sing and make melody in their hearts—to the Lord. Our music is “making melody” [in our hearts], not on physical instruments. Worshiping God “in spirit” involves worshiping with a heart (mind) that discerns spiritually from God’s word the things that are pleasing to God. Vain worship occurs when we ignore scripture, and decide our way is God’s way, big mistake (Isa. 55:6-9). We need to make sure that our worship does not come from a desire to be noticed (solos, praise teams, etc) who receive the praise that belongs to God. You’re not honest if you claim as a soloist, praise team, or player of instruments, that you never are told “how good you are”.

To worship God “in truth” means to worship God in accord with His truth, as the truth directs through His Word which is truth (John 17:17). Many people stumble in their “worshiping God” because they are disobedient to the Word itself. When one worships with the traditions and doctrines of men, it is unauthorized, and therefore, vain worship. If we truly loved God, we would not tell God, what must please Him, but we’d seek to obey Him in “spirit and truth”. We are to glorify “singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). As for the use of mechanical instruments in worship, the early church worshiped God by lifting their voices to God in worship as He commanded. However, men were not content with the simplicity of New Testament worship. It wasn’t until the sixth century that the mechanical instrument was introduced by men into the worship service (cf. Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. XVI, p. 892; World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. XIV, p. 644; etc.). Adding anything to our worship which we cannot find divine authority is condemned by the Scriptures (cf. Mt. 15:9; 1 Cor. 4:6; 1 Pet. 4:11; 2 Jn. 9-11; Rev. 22:18-19). Therefore, anything not authorized is sin, and anyone who introduces a practice for worship which has no divine authority is guilty of sin before God.

Listen, all the sincerity in the world, will not justify one act of worship, unless truth is present. The many varying ideas and forms of worship today exist only because people have taken liberty with God’s word or they ignore it altogether adding their own feelings, wishes and desires as worship, rather than seeking out what God Himself wants. It happens because so many today ignore historical truth that for 500 years no church incorporated the instrument in worship. It happens because false teachers in these days still teach we can do what David did when the word of God clearly states if we do we must keep every ordinance, statue, practice for if you leave out one, “daily animal sacrifices”, you’re guilty of the whole law (Gal. 5:3; James 2:10).

One of the saddest stories in the Bible is found in 1 Kings 13:15-24. God sent a young prophet to King Jeroboam with a message and God told the prophet not to eat bread or drink water in that land and not to return the same way he came. The prophet followed these commands until an older prophet told him a lie that God had told him it was all right for the young prophet to eat with him. The young prophet died, not because of wickedness or lack of sincerity, but because he believed a lie. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, then ask yourself, do I love the truth, or do I love “my church”? Am I obeying the true and living God, or the old prophet?

As always, in Love

Dave Scarpino

“24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)