PURIFYING OUR AFFECTIONS AND RE-DIRECTING OUR WORSHIP

October 19, 2021

Everybody worships something. The question is: where is our worship directed, and is that WORTHY of our adoration?

Listen to Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 8:5-6.

For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us, there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

MANY SO-CALLED GODS

Pleasure, power, comfort, reputation, sex, money ... the list of gods is endless. Humans are capable of making a god of almost anything that captures their attention. The problem is, these gods do nothing for us except ruin our lives and present false hopes of life and satisfaction. They are powerless to give us what we need and utterly unworthy of our attention.

We can bend and scrape and serve them (and we do in more ways than we imagine), but in the end, what they provide is a worthless substitute for reality. They don't deliver, and they cannot. It's impossible for them to give what only God can give and be what only God is.

THE GOD

"There is but one God," Paul said, "the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him." What a revealing, logical proclamation.

• He's original—there is but one.
• He's paternal—He is our Father.
• He's the sole Creator—from whom are all things (including us), so naturally …
• We exist FOR Him! There is no one else who could possibly claim our allegiance because no one else has done what He has done. So, WORSHIP HIM!

THE AGENT

... that the Father used to create all things, including us, and to redeem all things was the His Son. He is the "One Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him." He, too, one with the Father, deserves our total surrender, our absolute allegiance, our continual adoration. Our life exists THROUGH Him, i.e., He is the agent that gives us life (both initially and continually) and sustains us in this life and the life to come. We exist through Him.

No one else has done what Father, Son, and Spirit have accomplished. No one occupies the great Throne of our existence. No one has given us life. No one is worthy of our undistracted devotion except God and His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

How could we give a second's look or a moment's attention to any silly, worldly god?

Father, help us look up today and see the ONE seated upon the throne and His Son at His right hand. Cleanse and purify our affections. Re-direct our worship. Focus our service on You, for even as we give a cup of cold water in Your name, we're doing it unto You.

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