ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP 3
WORSHIP LESSON 6
While we are on the subject of prayer there are two issues that have come to light. I thought that these were simple truths, which every Christian understood. I am beginning to realize that there are many things about prayer of which brethren are ignorant. But for this lesson we will stay with two very basic subjects which children of God must understand before they can ever learn to pray prayers that are acceptable to God.
The
first is the doctrine that we pray through Jesus Christ in order to reach the
Father. This is a hold over from Catholics who believe that man is unworthy to
approach God so he must go "thru" the apostles, the saints, the Virgin Mary and
yes even the Son of God. The misapplication of 1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is
one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" is the beginning of the problem. The mediation in
this passage has nothing to do with prayer. The context says that God "wants
all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one
God..." (v. 4) So the passage is
discussing the salvation of sinners and must be read in its entirety,
"God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and
come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men..."
The veil in the tabernacle and the temple that
separated the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place also seems to be a problem.
The standard teaching goes something like this: The veil only allowed the High
Priest to enter the Most Holy Place because man's sin made him unworthy to
approach God. Jesus is now our High Priest and he goes to the Father in the
Most Holy Place (heaven) on our behalf and mediates for us. When we pray we
must pray though God's Son, our High Priest. Such teaching proves that there is
a lack of study of the book of Hebrews if nothing else. It is interesting to me
that Hebrews chapter 9 alone explains not only Christ's role as our mediator
but also his role as High Priest. The Hebrew writer here as in the rest of the
book shows that the things in the Old Testament were figures, types or shadows
of the reality that is Christ. The High Priest entered the Most Holy Place with
the blood of bulls and goats for the sins of the people. Jesus, as our High
Priest, also entered the Most Holy Place but with his own blood for the sins of
the people. The High Priest entered once a year but Jesus only needed to enter
one time. Listen:
"When Christ came as high priest of the good things
that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle
that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not
enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy
Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal
redemption."
Hebrews 9:11-12
Would someone explain some things to me? If Jesus only
entered the Most Holy Place one time for the sins of the world then how
does this teach that we are to pray through him as our High Priest? If the veil
in the temple separated man from God because of man's sin then what separates
Christians today if the blood of Christ has forgiven us? Have we forgotten the
great symbolism at the death of Jesus: "And when Jesus had cried out again
in a loud voice, he gave up the spirit. At that moment the curtain of the
temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom" (Matt. 27: 50-51) That veil or curtain which
symbolized man's separation from God was removed when Jesus entered the Most
Holy Place with his own blood, the moment he died. His role as our High Priest
is not to stand between God and us but that his blood would allow us to
directly approach our God. Brethren, there is no veil, there is no Most Holy
Place, there is no High Priest that stands between a Christian and God their
Father, even the Son of God. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with
confidence (boldly approach
the throne of grace, KJV), so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help
us in our time of need." (Heb. 4:16) "In
him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." (Eph. 3: 12)
There is an important parallel between the passages
that teach that Christ intercedes and those passages that teach the same about
the Holy Spirit. For example in Romans 8: 26-27 Paul wrote: "In the same
way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray
for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words
cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's
will." Does this mean we pray through
the Holy Spirit? Of course not! Prayer is from the heart of the Christian and
to the Father with the comfort that our Savior and the Holy Spirit know our
hearts and assist in our weakness.
The second basic principle of prayer that is
misunderstood is connected to the first. It is the erroneous belief that
prayers must be ended with "in Jesus name." I fear that we will never lead
Christians to the meat of the word because they will not study enough to
understand the milk! Jesus said in John 14:14 "you may ask me for anything in
my name, and I will do it." I
will ignore the fact that Jesus is making a promise to the apostles that does
not apply to us today and just stay with the question of whether or not we must
say the words "in Jesus name, Amen" in order to pray correctly. It should go
without saying that the phrase means "by the authority of." An ambassador would
say: "I come in the name of the king" meaning he was authorized in what he was
going to do. The same is true of praying in the name of Jesus. We are able to
approach God in prayer because Jesus shed his blood and made us God's children.
We are able to talk to our Father in prayer "by the authority" of Jesus. Is
this then something we must say or is it by his authority?
In Colossians 3:17 the apostle Paul wrote "whatever
you do, whether in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus."
When you brushed your teeth this morning did you say: "I brush my teeth
in the name of Jesus?" Why Not? When you started your car did
you say: "I start this car in the name of Jesus?" Why Not? Oh, you say,
this
applies to spiritual things. OK, when your song leader announces a song
does he
say: "I lead this song in the name of Jesus?" Why Not? Does the
preacher say: "I will now preach the word of God, in the name of
Jesus?" Why Not? Remember,
whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Is it something
we say
or is it by his authority?
Jesus said in Mark 9:41 "Anyone who gives you a cup
of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose
his reward." Your neighbor has a flat
tire. You go over to help. Do you have to say: "I change this tire in the name
of Jesus?" Why Not? Brethren, get out your concordance and count the number of
times the phrases, "in my name" or "by the name" etc. are used. Never, I repeat,
never does it mean saying words! But just try and not say "in Jesus name" in
your public prayer and see what happens. On second thought, you should do it.
It is time that our weak, sickly and ignorant brethren were shaken out of their
spiritual sleep. Wake them up by not ending your prayer with "in Jesus name"
and then when they condemn you teach them the truth. Hopefully all their talk
about not knowing everything will
become more than just talk. It is not that they don't know everything; the truth is they don't understand the simple milk of
the word!
By the way, thru the years I have ask hundreds of preachers,
elders, deacons and teachers, "What is the meat of the Word?" To this
day only one brother could give me the correct answer. Isn't that a shame?
To be continued.