Can Just anyone Worship God???

The Law of Love

When different religions all claim to be the one and only true religion, it is necessary that there be some test of Divine truth to which the claims of each must be submitted, that the one true religion may be distinguished from the false. It is self evident that only God himself can supply this test, for all true knowledge of God relies upon His self-revelation. Since God’s glory in man and man’s spiritual well-being alike depend on his possessing a true knowledge of God, it is certain that God has provided that Self-revelation, being in accordance with which is the test of true religion.

The test of true religion

The crucial test of true religion is the Law of God which says: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Deut.6:5; 10:12; 11:1,13,22; 13:3; 30:16,20; Lev.19:18; Deut.10:19).

God has made perfect obedience to this Law of Love the condition of receiving eternal life: “Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgements: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord” (Lev.18:5).

Moreover, God has pronounced His curse on all who transgress this Law. This is necessary in order to reveal His infinite righteousness and implacable hostility to the rebellion of disobedience. “Cursed is he who does not conform to the words of this Law by doing them” (Deut.27:26).

Since it is impossible for sinners to obtain or even help to obtain Eternal Life by their own merits, or to deliver themselves from condemnation, they are wholly dependent for salvation upon God meeting the twofold demands of His Law, both precept and penalty, on their behalf.

The Law of Love reveals that God is Love

Just as human laws are the irrefutable evidence of both the existence and character of human law-givers, so the Law of Love is the irrefutable evidence of both the existence and character of God. Only a God who is Love by Nature could require everyone to love Him and also all their fellow men. Because it is the nature of Love to meet the need of loved ones to the utmost of it's ability, regardless of cost, this law of Love infallibly assured God would meet man’s need as a sinner. It is impossible that God should command that everyone love Him unless He Himself loved everyone, and impossible that He should love everyone and not provide salvation for everyone. Thus the Law of Love was itself a prophesy of the Gospel, of God’s redemption for the human race. The one and only true religion will be that which reveals and proclaims that God has provided full redemption for sinners, all of grace, for all of them.

It is impossible that God should not love everyone when only love in Him could have created the capacity to love everyone, and equally impossible that having created everyone in His image and after His likeness, with the capacity to know and love Him, He should not desire to be the supreme object of their love. He has created all things for His glory (Rev.4:11), and man’s loving Him secures Him greater glory than man’s not loving Him. If God intended some not to love Him, their not loving Him could not be sin. But since “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23) and “sin is the transgression of the law” (1Jn.3:4), and because “sin is not imputed where there is no law” (Rom.5:13), there are none who are not included in the Law of Love.

Since no one can therefore deny that God has commanded every one without exception to love Him, to deny, as A.W. Pink does, that God loves everyone, is grossly to libel the character of God. The theory that Christ only died to save the elect presents to us a God who:

1. Commands everyone to love Him when He Himself does not love everyone.
2. Who will condemn the non-elect in the Judgement Day – not for the rejection of Christ since He did not die to save them, but for transgressing the Law which commands them to Love Him when He never intended that they should love Him – as His excluding them from all hope of salvation only too clearly proves, and when the Scriptures show condemnation will only be for the rejection of Christ (Jn.3:14-19,36; 8:24; 2Thes.2:11,12);
3. Who commands all to repent and believe the Gospel when for the non-elect there is no Gospel to believe (Mk.1:15; 1Jn.3:24; Acts.17:31; Mk.16:16);
4. Who says “blessed are the merciful” when He is unmerciful to the non-elect in excluding them from salvation (the vast majority of mankind);
5. Who invites everyone to receive His salvation (Dr. John Owen and Dr. J.I.Packer being witnesses) which He has intended not all should accept.
6. Who by-passes Calvary in writing the names of the non-elect into the Lamb’s Book of Life only to blot them out again (Rev.3:5; 22:19);
7. Who has two callings of sinners to repentance and faith, the one limited to the elect, for which reason it is termed “effectual”; the other being the “ineffectual calling” because it is not intended to be effective. Since this work is through the Holy Spirit He has been appointed to a work rendered ineffectual by Divine decree – a God who ordains His own ineffectiveness?! But the theory that all people, including the elect, are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins in the sense that a corps is dead means it is as vain to call them as the non-elect. The theory that God implants saving faith and repentance to life in the elect as the only means of their salvation makes “effectual” calling impossible before they receive these gifts, and unnecessary after receiving them.
8. Who calls people “fools” for only being concerned with the material interests of life, taking no interest in their spiritual and eternal welfare, when He Himself has taken no interest in their spiritual welfare as non-elect (Lk.12:16-21).

Quoted from “Christ or Mohammed – The Bible or the Koran?” by F.S.Copleston. Published by Islam’s Challenge 1989.

In view of the above...can anyone not worship God?!

Simonline

yes,

definately yes God doesn't care who you are or what youv'e done anyone can worship God.

Yes, I think that anyone and everyone is welcome to worship God. He wants all of us to come to Him, and if He sent Jesus to die on behalf of us ALL, why would He ever turn away someone who wished to give him glory and recognize what He has done for us?


Lovingly,
Jenna

Hi Gerry! I've been on a bit of hiatus. Yeah, like I couldn't get any more obvious. lol Every once in a while I just need to unplug and go away for a bit. Besides, it gives everyone a chance to come up with new questions that way so I have something new to read. lol Of course, my toddler has more to do with it than anything else. She keeps me busy!

JENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNAA!

Yes, i'd say anyone can

Well I worship God, and if I can then anyone can. Praise Him again and again.

I believe that the question should be a bit more specific such as, “Is everyone eligible to worship God?” or “Does everyone have the opportunity to worship God?” because your question leaves a huge hole of interpretive possibilities. Are you asking whether or not there is a difference between the saved and lost and how/if they can worship? Well worship would imply faith, and faith implies belief, and belief would imply salvation, therefore there is no possibility of any true worshipping of God from an “unbeliever” or “lost” person. It’s just shy a paradox. Perhaps you are trying to specifically address “prayer”? Please let us know.

As is, your question would imply that you are alluding to the idea of “an elect”, the idea that there are a “chosen” few, predestined to be saved due to the infinite foreknowledge of an omnipotent God. This would mean there is an intentional condemnation of the remaining few who would have no control or means of salvation, thus conflicting with God's nature, as well as negating all notions of “free-will” and Christ’s atonement. There are several problems with this according to fundamental Christianity (much of it has been presented in a previous reply). If anyone disagrees please inform me and I will show all Biblical references I can conjure up to help sway your opinion.

If there is any question as to the extent of God’s Grace, concerning whom may or may not be saved, I offer:

John 3:16, 17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

And if that is not enough:

Romans 3:22, 23, 29 – “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God… Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.”

2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.“

Philippians 2:10 - “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;”

...etc...

-KJV

So as you can see, there is plenty of Biblical evidence to show that it was intended that every person should have the chance to receive God’s grace and that not one is with excuse. We can conclude that, given equal opportunity, every person is allowed or eligible to worship God assuming they meet the requirements – and that is without taking away their significance in God’s eye because we know the criteria God has laid out and why.

Hi all!

What a question!

Isaiah 56:7 says that

for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples

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while Isaiah 66:23 tells us that

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, says the Lord."

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Be well!

ssv

Yes, anyone can worship God, but the only acceptable worship to God though, are those who "worship in Spirit and in Truth".

That is the only worship that God accepts.

Bessings,

Robin

Originally posted by Gerry
I do not agree with your apparent extreme Armeanian philosophy

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Can you please clarify this?  I hope you did not think I was defending the elect doctrine, as I can see how it would be possible to determined it as such. Thanks!

If you are not worshipping God , you are worshipping the devil.
So, needless to say WORSHIP GOD
GOD deserves it!

We worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Only saved people have the Holy Spirit of God, so only saved people can worship God. If a person is not saved, they can be grateful or thankful.

It is just like serving God. Only people who are baptized in the Holy Spirit represent God. God only uses Holy, Sanctifed, Dedicated, Consecrated vessels. There are people who think they are serving God, but they are only kidding themselves. They are just out there doing there own thing, and God is not pleased with it at all. Just like Paul thought he was doing a service to God, when he persecuted the church.