I Know It in My Heart, Therefore It Must Be True?

How Do We Accurately Measure Our Worship?
By brother Michel Lankford
 
In the last few blog entries, we've been discussing the ideas of biblical worship. Our series began by dispelling the comfortable and popular notion that God accepts everything and anything done in His name as long as you do it with what you believe to be a sincere heart. Scripture tells us to love God with all our heart (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 22:36-40), but hear me on this. There is absolutely not a single place in Scripture where we are told to use our hearts as the ultimate measure of our worship, or is the ultimate measure of our relationship with Almighty God. In reality, Scripture tells us exactly the opposite. In truth we cannot depend on our heart to give us accurate information about either our worship or our relationship with God. That may sound completely contrary to what you are accustomed, but Holy Scripture is abundantly clear that I'm telling the truth:

a. The human heart is wicked and can easily be deceived (Genesis 6:5-6; Jeremiah 17:5,9; Proverbs 14:12; 16:25; James 1:26; 1 John 1:5-10).

b. Except for Messiah, no human being ever sought after God, or persistently did what was right with God (Romans 3:10-18; Hebrews 4:15).

c. There are even some occasions when we can be right with God, and our hearts will tell us that we're wrong (1 John 3:20).

d. We are expressly told to guard our heart (Proverbs 4:23). It is precisely because it can be attacked. It can be deceived. It can be led astray from the things of God.

e. Yes, indeed the time will come in the future, when our transformation will be complete, and the renewed covenant is completely manifest. At some point in the future God will write His commands on our heart, and no man will have to teach his neighbor about God (Jeremiah 31:31-34), but we are obviously not in the full manifestation of that promise yet. If we are, then why are any Bible study groups still necessary? In this world There are plenty of people who do not know God or His ways, even among those who consider themselves born-again believers. One need look no further than George Barna and his research Institute to understand that this portion of Scripture still has yet to be fulfilled and manifested, because obviously it hasn't fully happened yet.

You may say to yourself, well, our hearts remain perfectly clean after we come to Christ. Oh really? Then why did James write a letter to Jewish believers who had faith in Christ and were dispersed throughout the world (James 1:1-3), that they should cleanse their hearts, (James 4:8)? Why then did Paul later restate the same idea to believers in Corinth (2 Corinthians 7:1)?
We are told to draw near to God with a sincere heart (Hebrews 10:22), but nowhere are we told to measure our relationship with God or our worship according to the sincerity of our own hearts.
Considering everything His Word says about the true condition of the human heart and its unreliability, I ask you, would God ever ask us to use it to measure something so important as our relationship with God and our worship of Him? No Way!! Even after we are saved, cleansing our heart is a continuing process of sanctification and therefore the human heart cannot and must not be relied upon to measure our right standing with God or our worship, simply because even though our hearts are in the process of being renewed, the human heart is not reliable enough to give us an accurate account of so critical a thing as our relationship to God and our worship of the Almighty. As well-intentioned as we might think we are, both God and Jesus Christ are abundantly clear that no matter how sincere a person is, not everything done in His Name will be accepted. We gave no less than eight scriptural examples to that fact (i.e. 2 Samuel 6:1-11; Matthew 7:21-23), among others.
Since according to the Scriptures, the human heart is not the appropriate measure of our relationship and of our worship of the Almighty, then what is? God wants us to believe and to know that we are in right standing with Him, (whenever indeed we are; 1 John 5:13-14), but if such knowledge is not to be based on the subjective and sometimes misleading intuition of the human heart, then upon what does that knowledge correctly rest? If our hearts are not the standard we should use to judge our worship and relationship with Almighty God, then what is the standard? What is the correct measure that God has provided for that absolutely critical task?
The Almighty has provided two accurate measures which we are to use to accurately judge whether we are right in our relationship and in our worship of Almighty God. One is the Holy Spirit, and the other is The Word. Both witnesses must agreed together that our relationship and our worship are correct before we assume that it is. Both the Holy Spirit together with the written and Incarnate Word must agree together that we are right in our relationship and our worship of the Almighty, before we can safely believe that we are.
For as it is written:

"You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits. ” (Matthew 7:16–20, NASB95 with bold emphasis added)

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” ” (John 13:35, NASB95 with bold and emphasis added)

Again, that's fruit. Scripture gives us a further explanation of what fruit we should be seeing if our relationship and our worship is truly correct. For as it is further written:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. ” (Galatians 5:22–25, NASB95 with bold and emphasis added).

I would like you to think about something for a moment. If we do not make it a regular habit of actively crucifying our flesh and our sinful nature, then in reality we are demonstrating by our lives that we do not, in reality, belong to Jesus Christ. Scripture cannot be more clear on that point. Please do not be deceived.
For as it is written:

"They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance." Titus 1:16–2:2 (NASB95 with bold and emphasis added).
Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. (Rev 14:12 NASB).

So we will know that our relationship with, and worship of Almighty God is correct because it will be evident by the fruit of the Holy Spirit being produced in our lives and we will be overcoming our flesh and sinful nature. Our renewed nature will be evident by its fruit.
The second accurate witness that God provides by which we can measure our right standing with, and our worship of the Almighty is both the written and Incarnate Word of God.
For as it is written:

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. "John 8:31-36 (NKJV cf. 1 John 1:5-10; James 1:16-27; 1 John 2:6).

Just as it is further written:

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. Psalm 119:9 (NKJV with bold and emphasis added).

Just as it is further written:

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:7-14 (NKJV with bold and underlines added for clarity and emphasis)

So then, abiding in; (that's living a lifestyle that is in agreement and in compliance to) The Word is what makes us disciples, and this will in turn produce the recognizable fruit of the Holy Spirit which is the second witness we discussed earlier. In reality, the very same measure that we use to judge our worship, is the same measure that we use to rightly judge our relationship with Almighty God. The Almighty has already described what he will do in a person that is truly be renewed by Him.

Just as it is written:

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NKJV)

Did you happen to notice what the prophet said would be the real evidence that we are transformed by the LORD? When the Holy Spirit is living in you, and authentically doing His work within us, then according to the Word, what is the incontrovertible evidence that such a change has truly taken place?:

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

He said it again through the apostle:

“for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 (NKJV)

Beloved do not be deceived. When God is really and truly working inside of a person, there will be increasing and growing desire and ability to do what pleases God. Yahweh said as much. He said it through the prophets. He said it through the Psalmist. He said it through Messiah, and the same principle is testified to again by three apostles; mainly John, James, and Paul. So in review than, how do we evaluate our worship? How do we know whether it's acceptable to God?

• No place does God tell us to use the subjective measure of what we feel is right in our own heart to measure either our relationship with God or our worship of Almighty God. Instead of asking how we feel about something in our own heart God tells us to use two very specific standards.

•   Does it match the Holy Spirit and His fruit? (Galatians 5:22-25) Does it put us in a position of putting aside the sinful nature with its desires? Is what we are thinking, desiring and doing and worship, is it agreeable and consistent with the fruit and character of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25; Matthew 7:16-20). In other words, is it pushing me to overcome my own sinful nature and to purposely bend my heart, my mindset, my attitudes, my desires, my motives, my plans, and my behaviors, toward what Almighty God desires and what He says matches the character and fruit of the Holy Spirit? If it does, then it's acceptable worship.

• Does it match the Word? Does it accurately match both the word and commands of Almighty God and the Incarnate Word; His Son Jesus Christ?

Please understand, it is only when our love, faith, and our deeds of obedience intersect together with the Holy Spirit, the written Word of God, and the Incarnate Word, only then is our worship truly acceptable and the sweet aroma to the living God of heaven. May the Lord transform us by His Grace, so that we will truly become such worshipers as these. Amen.

Brother Michel Lankford