Pure Religion

PURE RELIGION

James 1:26-27

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The Word “Religion” in the Bible

The word “Religion” only appears in the Bible five times.  The word “Religious” appears twice.  The idea of Religion appears throughout the Bible.

The word “Religion” as used by James in our text comes from the Greek word, “threskeia” and means, “the worship, ceremony, devotion, discipline, and reverence” of God.  Religion is a ceremonial observance that can be directed toward God or any other object of affection.

The Apostle Paul used the word “Religion” once in the book of Acts when he gave his testimony to Agrippa.  He said, “after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee” (Acts 26:5).  As used in this manner the word also referred to the discipline that Paul had adhered to as a Pharisee.

Twice in the book of Galatians Paul also used the word in reference to the “Jew’s religion”.  In this case the qualifier of the word is “Jew’s” and the “religion” here refers specifically to the Jew’s practices and ceremonies.

The Apostle Luke also referred to “Jews and religious proselytes” that had converted to Christianity in Acts 13:43.  The “religious proselytes” were those that were not born of Jewish blood but had converted to Jewish observances. 

In all of the instances the word “Religion” and “Religious” refer to a code that people live by in order to please and worship.  In many cases the word “Religion” itself was neither negative nor positive – it was just used to explain a systematic devotion and observance to a particular creed.  The movement may have been negative but the word itself was not.  Today the word religion has taken on a mixed review of sorts, and in many cases the word is used in a negative sense to refer to people that blindly follow a creed or dogma without any true relationship with God.

Religion: God or Satan?

Is God against religion?  Does God support religion?  How about Satan?  Does Satan hate religion?  Or does Satan promote religion?

It all depends on what you are referring to when you talk about religion.  God is not against spiritual service, devotion, worship, discipline, and even a limited use of ceremony.  After all, God spoke the Law to Moses and created the Jewish Religion.  We in the Church still partake of The Lord’s Supper and Water Baptism, both of which are rich in ceremony. 

When Jesus came to earth and condemned the Jewish Religion, it was not the original teachings of the Law that he was condemning, but rather it was all of the things that man had added.  The Pharisees and Sadducees had turned God’s teachings into a yoke that no one could carry.  When Paul referred to his former religion under the Pharisee’s as “the most straitest sect” he was referring to man-made religion.  God is against all man-made religion.  Most of what see today of Religion has nothing to do with God or the Bible, it is purely a product of man’s invention.

Religion can even be Non-Christian.  We see this in the case of Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Confucius, and Moonies.  All of these groups engage in ceremonial observances and participate in some type of code of behavior. 

Even most so-called “Christian Religions” of today are totally devoid of spiritual teachings conducive to true spirituality yet they are filled with ceremonial observances that claim Biblical support.  This is the case with Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses, and on and on.

Even Religious Movements founded on sound doctrine and Biblical principles can spiral downward into religious death and destruction.  Some Pentecostal denominations have good churches and bad churches.  The bad churches are the ones that have resorted to man-centered ideas instead of adhering to the teachings of the Bible, and these churches take on a religious context more than a Christian context, they devolve into a “form of godliness that denies the power thereof.”

Religion: Negative or Positive?

Today we often refer to “Religion” as a negative concept, and often this is the case.  Religion can be negative.  Religion can also be positive.  In most cases in the Bible, religion certainly is negative.  Usually man gets in the way of serving God and adds his own ideas and requirements.  This corrupts the idea of serving God in a religious capacity and makes it a negative concept.  But religion can also be positive. 

Religion will only be positive if it adheres to the Word of God.  Once religion departs from the Word of God it becomes a man-made, man-centered institution that can only go downward.

Where Paul referred to the “Jew’s religion”, James refers to “Pure Religion”.  In this instance religion is most certainly a positive thing.  James gives us the two pillars that all “Pure Religion” must rest upon.

Vain Religion & Pure Religion

In our text James talks about two very different kinds of religion.  James makes it clear that there is “Vain Religion” and “Pure Religion”. 

Vain means that it is worthless.  That it has no value.  That it is a waste.  What makes Religion vain?  Man!  It is the actions of misguided individuals that corrupt religion.  A man that does not bridle his tongue makes his religion vain.  This means that all of the services he attends, all of the money he gives, all of the ceremonies he performs, all of the requirements he fulfills will not save him if he cannot bridle his tongue!  The vain religious person is deceived!  He is fooling himself.  He is not fooling God.

On the other hand there is “Pure Religion”.  The word pure signifies that it is in its original state.  That it is uncorrupted.  Uncorrupted by what?  Man!  Flesh!  The carnal!  Religion in its original, uncorrupted, pure state is Holy unto the Lord!

James lists two pillars that all “Pure Religion” must rest upon.  By no means was James saying that Pure Religion only consists of these two things, but James was making it clear that if it were Bible Religion it would have these two things at heart.

The Two Pillars of Pure Religion

The first quality of pure religion is Love.  James said, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction…”.  Everyone that has a true walk with God will walk in love.  Pure religion will cause you to reach out to those in need, in this case it is the fatherless and the widows, but it could be others.  Now James is not just saying that helping others guarantees that it is “Pure Religion” but “Pure Religion” will most definitely care about others.  Love is the hallmark of the Christian faith.  Love that guides us, love that compels us, and love that motivates us is an essential ingredient in every Christians life.  This love requires that we speak the truth:

Ephesians 4:15

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

And who could forget these scriptures?

Matthew 22:35-40

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The second pillar of pure religion is Holiness.  James says this in our opening text, “and to keep himself unspotted from the world”.  There will be a difference between those that belong to the Lord and those that do not.  It is not just a difference for differences’ sake but it is a better kind of life.  We will live morally pure lives.  We will treat people better.  We will have a better attitude.  We will not be involved in questionable practices.  We will shun all things that appear evil.  We will avoid any worldly entanglements.  We will consider our fellow man in what we say and do, how we dress, where we go.  Holiness is not just what we wear but it is how we wear it!

1 John 3:8-11

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

The Dangers of an Independent Spirit

Ephesians 4:11-16
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Colossians 2:8-9
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

One thing that becomes clear as you read the New Testament is that Jesus still has a Body on planet earth. Though Jesus ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, He is not without a Body on this planet. That Body is referred to by many names: The Church, Saints, Bride, Branches, Christians, and Disciples, to name a few.

To be “Saved” means one repents of their sin and is “Born Again”, this makes them a part of the Body of Christ on earth. To seek out others of “like precious faith” is as natural to the Christian as it is for a bird to fly or a fish to swim. Everyone that is Born Again is going to seek out others like them to fellowship with. This is inevitable and universal.

Acts 9:19 (KJV)
And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We are a Body, we need one another. Just as surely as my hand cannot function separated from the rest of my body, an individual Christian will not be able to function long without an attachment to the Body. Anyone separated too long from the Body risks decay and eventual death. The analogy of the Body leaves no other option. What is true of the natural is true of the spiritual.

I have read of people losing a limb in an accident and that limb being sewed back on to function once again as a normal part of the body. This was made possible only because the limb was not allowed to stay severed from the body for a long period of time. The longer the limb is separated from the body the less likely the doctors will be able to produce a favorable outcome. It is imperative that we remain attached to the Body and if for any reason we are severed from the Body that we rejoin as quickly as possible.

There are times where Christians have become separated from the Body in worship, and there are reasons why this may occur, such as imprisonment, sickness, or distance, but the true Christian will long for fellowship and will seek to overcome the obstacles in their way. To be unable to worship together does not necessarily exclude one from the Body of Christ, but an unwillingness or a lack of desire to gather with God’s people does. I have met some fine Christians that were sick and unable to leave their home to attend worship with God’s people. They may have been unable to gather with those that they loved but they were still a part of the Body of Christ.

We must face this fact: we need one another. I need you and you need me. We were placed within this Body and a dependency was cultivated between each of us. There are things that you supply that I do not supply and vice versa. I will remain incomplete without you as will you without me. There is a co-dependency created between each member of the Body that demands unity and service.

Ephesians 4:16 (KJV)
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

I will never be perfected without you nor you without me. There are many scriptures that teach “Christian Perfection” and though I do believe a measure of perfection can be achieved individually, it is without a doubt possible on a corporate basis. Maturity and perfection await the unity of the Church.

Ephesians 4:12-13 (KJV)
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

God wants to be known on planet earth and He achieves that through His Church. God can be realized in His fullness through His Body, which is the Church. We know that Jesus is “God in the flesh” and that He is the “Fullness of the Godhead bodily”. Jesus has already come to this earth and He lived among mankind in a human body. When He left earth, Jesus left a spiritual Body here and you and I are that Body.

The great danger for us as Christians is to develop an “Independent Spirit” and think that we can make it on our own. This is not our natural state, for as a babe in Christ we know that we need to be connected to the Body, but this can develop in people after they have been in and around the Church for a while. Usually people develop an “independent spirit” because of some type of perceived hurt or from disillusionment with church government and leadership. No matter how one begins to fall into a rejection of being an active part of the Body of Christ, this rejection itself must be rejected or we will find ourselves in rebellion to God’s authority.

Let me define this independent spirit a little bit more for you. It is a rejection of the established authority of God, an unwillingness to work within the corporate Body of Christ, and an isolationist attitude of service, supposedly, to God. There is great danger if one falls into this trap of the enemy. The end result will be worse than their prior life in sin.

I speak from experience here, and thank God that I never gave into this independent spirit, though I have ran across many that have. Back in 1991 I left a major Pentecostal Denomination, one in which I had been raised from a child, and one that I had began my ministry within. This was not an easy decision and one in which I struggled greatly. I will not get into the details of that decision but will say that it was a life changing experience for me, and I believe one that has only led me into greater depths in God.

I knew upon leaving that organization that I could not dangle out there all by myself, that I needed spiritual oversight, fellowship, and cohesion into a Body of believers. Thank God, I found just what I was looking for. This is where so many believers and preachers miss the mark: they leave a group that they had been in fellowship with and instead of joining up with others, they attempt to make it on their own. They create their own little kingdom and they boldly make the statement to everyone, “I am independent! I don’t need them. I can make it own my own!” At first things may go pretty well, as a matter of fact it may look well throughout, but without proper fellowship and inclusion in a sound Body of believers it is not long before a bad attitude, heresy, and a general anger at anything organized develops. The independent spirit is now growing within them. Left unchecked it will lead to a deep bitterness and resentment of everyone else and a general sense of their own supreme rightness in contrast to everyone else’s wrongness. Folks, there are literally thousands of “Independent” churches and preachers out there with just such an attitude.

Now, please do not get me wrong, for there are many denominations that are wholly corrupt, and I will be the first to tell those within them that they need to get out. For the scripture says this:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV)
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Revelation 18:4 (KJV)
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

These two scriptures make it clear that remaining within a religion, denomination, or organization that has rejected the truth, rejected holiness, and embraced worldliness, makes those that are members a part of the sin of the leadership. The only recourse is to “Come Out”, but did God call us out so we could walk alone? No! We must seek out others that desire to walk in truth and join together with them. To attempt to stand alone brings us into violation of God’s Word and courts certain disaster.

There are three great dangers associated with an Independent Spirit. I want to address each of these three.

The first danger is heresy, which may also be referred to as apostasy. To put into terms that is more readily recognizable: doctrinal error. When you isolate yourself from other spiritual people then you increase the risk of falling into a wrong way of believing. There is an increased likelihood that the independent man or woman will do this. Why? Because there is no one over them, or near them, to warn them when they fall into doctrinal error. Our fellowship with others helps build a doctrinal hedge that keeps the snake out. I have said for years that heresy begins with isolationism: first, isolation from other Christians, and second, the isolation of certain passages of the Word of God. Those two combined will eventually produce the weirdest beliefs that can be imagined. I thank God for my fellow ministers that I work with, because it is my fellowship with them that helps keep me from falling into the grossest of doctrinal heresy.

The second danger of the independent spirit is immorality. Now, I will be the first to admit that immorality can appear in an organization just as readily as independence, but within an organized structure there should be measures in place to deal with it. When immorality crops up in an independent work there is no structural leadership to condemn it or to offer assistance in reconciling the fallen brother or sister. Many times when immorality occurs in an independent work those that do so make excuse for the infraction and they may even use a heretical corruption of scripture to do so. Immorality, be it adultery or any other form, must be dealt with in a Biblical way so that everyone understands that God will not tolerate such behavior. The independent can be immoral and there is no one to call them into account for it.

The third danger of an independent spirit is worldliness. Now the subject of worldliness is somewhat hard to define because there are so many that have a different idea of what it is, so let us boil it down to its original meaning. The word world in the Greek is taken from the Greek word “Cosmos”. You may recognize the word for we get such words as “Cosmopolitan”, “Cosmetic”, and “Cosmology” from this Greek word. So we understand the word “World”, the “Cosmos”, is not talking about a globe spinning around in space, but rather it is talking about a system that is in opposition to God. To be worldly is not just the way a person dresses, though “adorning” is part of the meaning of the word, but it is a way of thinking. Some people may be what is considered holy in their dress but if they are more concerned about the football game than they are winning souls for Christ they are worldly. When a person embraces independence from the Body of Christ they can walk in worldliness and there is no one to rebuke them for doing so. They can begin to adopt worldly ideas, such as the current self-esteem teachings we find so prevalent today in the prosperity movement, and there is no leadership to call them back to the “Old Paths”. There is a great danger in developing an independent spirit, and one of those dangers is in becoming worldly without any word of warning.

In closing I want to share this last thing with you. The great need of anyone that is independent is these three things: Fellowship, Leadership and Correction. All three of these are clearly outlined in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. Israel could not survive without it and the New Testament Church could not survive without it. Anyone that feels the need to leave an organized structure that they are now a part of because that structure has compromised and ceased to function under the guidelines of the New Testament, must do so, but they must seek out these three things elsewhere. You must not attempt to row this boat by yourself and the good news is you do not have to. There are others out there that have already made that transition, though painful, and have found others of “like-precious faith” that are striving for the purity of the New Testament Church. It is with those people that we must align ourselves. In the end, no one is independent.

The "Come As You Are" Gospel

THE “COME AS YOU ARE” GOSPEL

Psalms 24:1-5

1The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

2For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

3Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

THE “COME AS YOU ARE” FAD

The “Come as you are” fad is a relatively new development in Christianity.  What we see commonly today was not so common as little as forty years ago.  The idea suggests that coming to Church requires no forethought whatsoever, that God is so eager for you to worship Him that he has no requirements at all to impose on the worshipper.  This fad, which has spread all over America and I am sure to other countries, is so prevalent today that it has become the mantra of most mega-churches and is the slogan of modern church growth gurus.    Why it is not uncommon to see a banner hanging outside a worship facility with these words boldly proclaiming, “Come as you are.” 

Churches today are so desperate to capture another warm body to fill a spot on a pew that they will stoop to any level to achieve this go.  They say to the masses with banners and slogans, “Come as you are”!  They are telling them: “We don’t care how you dress – just come to church.  We don’t care if you have a hangover – just come to church.  We don’t care if shave or comb your hair – just come to Church.  We don’t care if you wear a rock-n-roll t-shirt – just come to Church.  We don’t care if you wear a mini-skirt – just come to Church.  Shorts?  No problem!  We just want you in our Church.  You do not have to change.  No one is going to put any pressure on you.  You can join the choir.  You can teach a Sunday school class.  You can even serve on the board.  Come as you are.  We will love you and no one will ever hassle you.”  Folks, this is no longer about reaching sinners this is the philosophy of those that “think” they are saved.

I want to examine these questions: Where did this come from?  What does it mean?  Who started this?  And, why is this idea destructive to true worship?

Here are a few examples that I have seen:

1.      Charismatic church in my local area with a banner across the front that says, “Come as you are.  You’ll be loved.”

2.      Lutheran Church with the bold words across the top proclaiming, “Come as you are.”

3.      A “Cowboy Church” had these words spelled out on its lettered sign, “Come as you are.  Let’s worship the Lord.”

Right about now you are probably thinking, “What is wrong with that?  Are we not supposed to tell the sinner that they do not have to clean their lives up to come to Christ?  Isn’t the Church a place where people can come “as they are” and have Christ change them?” 

I want to make one thing emphatically clear that I am not saying that a person has to clean themselves up before they come to Christ.  I have heard the old saying all my life, as I am sure you have, “You have to catch the fish before you clean them”.  Unfortunately, the “Come as you are” fad is no longer targeting sinners but now appeals to worshippers.  We now have a whole generation of worshippers that believe they can worship God, and might I add, live for God, any way they please.  They mistakenly believe that God will take them just like they are or He will not have them at all.  I heard B. H. Clendennen say once, “Then God will not have you at all”.

This “Come as you are” slogan tends to confuse people about the nature of God.  People have lost their reverence for God, respect for the House of God, and honor for the things of God.  I believe much of this can be traced back to this casual, lazy idea that we can approach God any old way that we want to.  Because of this people are confused about how to worship and serve the Lord.

The questions must be asked: Can people really come as they are?  Are we free from any preparation when coming to God?  If we must prepare ourselves for service to the King then what preparation is there? 

THE INITIAL APPROACH TO GOD: COME AS HE IS

The initial approach of the sinner to God is certainly, “Come as you are”, but it is only in the sense that we can do nothing in ourselves in order to please the Father.  We cannot work hard enough to please Him.  We cannot give enough of our money, time, or efforts to please Him.  There is nothing we can do in our flesh that would ever please God enough to save us.

The initial approach to God is based on the shed blood of Jesus or else God would kill us on the spot.  A better saying than “Come as you are” would be, “Come as He is.”  For it is Christ, and Christ alone, that enables us to come to the Father.  Without Jesus no one could approach the Father.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

No man can come as “he is”.  He must come through who Jesus is.  Our approach to the Father is solely based upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.  To “come as we are” is a fleshly approach.  Every person that comes to Father must come on the basis of what Jesus did at Calvary.  It tell you again: It is not “Come as you are” but rather “Come as He (Jesus) is” that will get us access to the Father’s mercy and grace.

DOES THE BIBLE UPHOLD THE “COME AS YOU ARE” THEOLOGY?

We need to look at the Word of God and see how men and women approached the Holy God so we can better understand our approach to God.  Did they come as they were when they approached God?  I want to give you two examples from the Old Testament.  I know already some of you are saying the veil has been rent and the Old Testament no longer applies, but we must remember that Calvary did not change God – His nature is still Holy – Calvary changes us. 

Again let me say here, the come as you are ideology may have originally been targeted at sinners but today we see that it has washed over into the Church.  People come together at Churches with the intention of worshipping God any old way they want.  They come in shorts, tank tops, pants with holes all in them, pajamas, and, what else?  The list goes on and on.  You need only go back forty or fifty years ago and things were a lot different.  As soon as the “Come as you are” idea came into the Church people began to readjust their thinking about worship.

Look with me now at two glaring examples in the Old Testament:

1.     The Priests could not come as they were to offer sacrifices to God- God gave them strict guidelines on how to dress and how to cleanse themselves in order to approach God.  Look at this scripture:

Exodus 30:17-21

17And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

18Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.

19For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:

20When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:

21So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

2.      Moses could not come as he was to the burning bush- God would not allow Moses to approach the burning bush with his shoes on.  God’s command to Moses was “Put off thy shoes”.  There has been much speculation by many preachers over the years exactly what this referred to but the point is, Moses had to change something about himself before he could approach a Holy God. 

Exodus 3:4-6

4And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

THE CORRECT WAY TO COME TO GOD

The text at the beginning of this message says if you want to ascend the hill of God and stand in the Holy Place that you must make preparation.  These scriptures have correctly been applied to Christ, for He is the holy lamb without blemish.  But, we as well must have “clean hands” and a “clean heart” if we intend on “ascending” to God in worship. 

If people would spend time preparing their hearts to come and worship then God will surely send revival to the Church.  A prepared and holy heart is going to be reflected in our dress, manners, and attitude. 

This is the correct way to approach God:

1.      Holy- They that approach the Lord must be holy.  The following scripture your about to read is not just something you do it is something that you are.  We must worship God by giving Him praise but we must also live a life that is pleasing unto the Lord.  Such a life is a life that has beautified by holiness.  So we understand it is not just how we act in corporate worship, it is how we should be all the time.

1 Chronicles 16:29

29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

2.     Fearfully- We must approach the Lord with fear and respect.  What happened to the fear of the Lord?

Psalms 111:10

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever

3.      Humbly- We should never be arrogant or proud, but we should be humble.

Isaiah 57:15

15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

4.      Faithfully- It is useless to approach God without faith.

Hebrews 11:6

6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

5.      Boldly- If we have done our part then we can be bold.  A man that has something to hide, sin, cannot be bold.

Hebrews 4:16

16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

6.      Patiently- We should be patient when seeking an answer from the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31

31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

7.      Consistently- God wants us to be consistent in our seeking Him.

Luke 18:1-8

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?