Man became God's enemy because of sin. Thus,
even if man will call on God, He will not
answer. If man will seek God, He will not find
Him. Man has lost the right to deify God, thus,
He will not accept man's worship and services.
22D.1
Why God will not accept
the worship and services of a sinful man?
Do you still remember
God's purpose in creating man?
In Ephesians 1:4, God's purpose in creating
man is written:
In Christ, God chose us before the world
began. He wanted us to be holy and
spotless before Him in love.
(IEB)
The same
verse in another version of the Bible:
just as He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we
would be holy and blameless before Him.
In love (NAS)
God will
never accept the worship and services of a
sinner because it is contrary to His purpose
and plan in creating man. God wanted man to
be "holy and blameless before Him in love".
So, unless man becomes holy or
sanctified—freed from sin, God will never
accept his worship and services.
22D.2
How then, can man be holy
or sanctified—freed from sin, so he can worship
and serve God?
In Malachi
3:7, it is written:
Yet from the days of your fathers you
have gone away from My ordinances and
have not kept them. Return to Me, and
I will return to you,'' says the Lord of
hosts. "But you said, `In what way shall
we return? (Malachi 3:7, NKJV)
Man have
committed sin for too long, that he cannot
just go back to God.
So God said: "Return to Me, and I will
return to you,''
Thus, man can only return to God on His
term, so God will also return to
him.
- Man
must find "the way to return to God", so
he can worship and serve his Creator
again.
22D.3
In what way shall man return to God?
In Jeremiah
6:16, the Lord God explained:
Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the
ways and see, and ask for the old paths,
where the good way is, and walk in
it; then you will find rest for your
souls. But they said, `We will not walk
in it.' (NKJV)
God wants
man to actively search--- stand in the ways
and see and ask for the old paths---where
the "Good Way" is.
- Man
must search for the "Good Way" from the
many ways.
What should a man do upon finding the "Good
Way"?
The
Lord says: "Walk in it, then you will
find the rest for your soul"
22D.4
How did the Lord Jesus Christ classified "the
way to return to God"
or
"Religion"?
Christ
classified religion into two by
distinguishing between the religion that is
of God and that which is not.
He said:
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the
gate is wide and the way is easy, that
leads to destruction, and those who
enter by it are many.
For the gate is narrow and the way is
hard, that leads to life, and those
who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14,
RSV)
Christ
mentions about the "Wide Gate and Easy Way"
and the "Narrow Gate and Hard Way" in
reference to False and True Religions
respectively.
The False Religion
-- "The Wide Gate and Easy Way"
This is the way or religion that will
lead man to destruction on the day of
Judgment. Please note what the Lord
says: "many enter through it"
The
True Religion - The "The Narrow
Gate and Hard Way" This is the way or
religion that will lead man to eternal
life. This is the "Good Way" that
God wants man to walk in it so he can
find the rest for his soul. (Jer
6:16)
Unfortunately, "only a few find it",
according to the Lord Himself.
22D.5
How can man search
for the "Good Way to return to God" or the "True
Religion" from the thousands of religions that
exist today?
In Jeremiah
29:13, God says to those who want to return
to Him:
When you search for me, you will find
me; when you search wholeheartedly for
me, (NJB)
Search for
the "Good Way" or the "True Religion" with
all your heart.
______________
God will never
accept the worship and services of a sinful man,
because it is contrary to His purpose in
creating man—that man should be holy and
blameless before Him in love. Man must first
find "the way to return to God", that is to
actively search for the "Good Way"—the True
Religion that will lead him back to God and find
rest for his soul.
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