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Commentary on "Conformity, Compromise, and Crisis in Worship"
Day 4: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - Counterfeit Worship
Overview
“Jeroboam’s fear of abandonment, coupled with a lust for power and prestige, short-circuited his obedience to God.” [Teacher’s Quarterly, Page 97]
“The list of God’s conditional promises is long.” [Teacher’s Quarterly, Page 95]
Problems
Alright, let’s get explicit. Either these Old Testament characters were under Law, or they were not under Law. Either Jesus was under Law, or He was not under Law. Either we are under Law, or we are not under Law.
The first statement is easy to prove:
“Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.” (1 Kings 11:38)
There are many, many similar passages in the Old Testament.
Clearly, all the Old Testament characters following Moses were under Law.
Was this a bad thing? Of course not. The Law pointed forward to Jesus. Every aspect of it had something to do with what He would accomplish.
The problem was not with the Law, but with the people:
“For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, ‘Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…’ ” (Hebrews 8:7-8, emphasis added)
Was Jesus under the Law? Yes.
“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law…” (Galatians 4:4)
Jesus Himself confirmed this.
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18)
Are we under Law? The answer to that question is found in the answer to this one: Is there any part of the Law that Jesus did not fulfill?
“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross…” (Ephesians 2:14-16)
The cross is proof that Jesus fulfilled every aspect of the Law. If He did not, then He is neither God nor Savior!
Therefore, we are not under Law. If we were, it would mean that Jesus failed, but Jesus did not fail! “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14) There are many, many similar passages in the New Testament.
So what does this have to do with counterfeit worship? Everything. Everything Jeroboam did was an attempt to substitute one form for another. He tried to create his own law as a substitute for God’s Law. Obviously, he failed miserably.
Fast forward to today. Anything we do that puts people under Law is a repudiation of Jesus. Anything we substitute for grace (the indwelling Holy Spirit) is a repudiation of Jesus.
Anything that is a repudiation of Jesus cannot result in true worship. It must be counterfeit, regardless of how “good” it is. The “goodness” of our forms of worship is just another example of how deceived we really are.
Law cannot, will not, save us from self-deception. It can only point out that we fail (see Romans 3:19-20) Only the indwelling Holy Spirit can replace deception with truth (see Galatians 5:16-18).
Summary
- Jeroboam’s failure was rooted in his unbelief. He refused to accept the Law as stated and sought to define it for himself and the ten Northern tribes.
- However, on this side of the Christ Event, we cannot apply the Law to our situation, because Jesus fulfilled the Law.
- The Law, which pointed forward to Jesus, has been replaced by grace, the indwelling Holy Spirit. External shadows have been replaced by internal realities.
- For us, counterfeit worship is just as serious an issue as it was for Jeroboam. However, our counterfeits are based on trying to accomplish by human effort what can only be accomplished by the Spirit.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised August 8, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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Official Adventist Resources
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