Statement: God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
44 percent of respondents strongly agreed with this statement. Only 16 percent strongly disagreed.
It is common today to hear people express this belief. They say “we all worship the same god”, or “it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe something”. It is accepted and lauded to be inclusive. It is narrow minded and bigoted to claim Christianity is exclusive.
Former Pope Francis, for example, said: Every religion is a way to arrive at God…Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian - they are different paths”.
Even Billy Graham, the evangelist, once said:
Whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the body of Christ because they’ve been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts they need something that they don’t have and they turn to the only light they have and I think they’re saved and they’re going to be with us in heaven. (interview with Robert Schuller, 5-31-1997) (Note: His ministry association later issued a statement correcting this assertion.)
However, we believe that God reveals in the Bible who he is, what he requires, and what he accepts as worship.
What does the Bible say?
I read this quote this week that says it perfectly: The only Christian response to any theology, philosophy, ideology, or sociology must be “what does the Bible say?”. (Dustin Benge)
Does God accept the worship of Christians?
Yes. Paul wrote: “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh”. (Philippians 3:3)
Jesus is the only way to the Father, and we have taken the way. (John 14:6)
We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. (1 John 4:13) We are a temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says: “Do you not know that you are God 's temple and that God 's Spirit dwells in you?” A temple is where worship occurs.
We believers are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5) This is worship acceptable to God.
As believers in Christ, we worship in spirit and truth. Jesus said: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, \when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)
We worship in spirit, with the help of the Holy Spirit, our whole being devoted to God and engaged with him. We worship in truth as we come to the Father through the Son, who is the truth. (John 14:6)
Just going through the motions and observing the rituals without actually paying attention to God and worshipping him is not acceptable worship. When we do this, we become like the Old Testament Israelites that God condemned, saying their hearts were far from him. (Isaiah 29:13, quoted by Jesus in Matthew 15:7-9)
Jesus, in Matthew 15:8-9, condemned the Jews for hypocrisy, citing Isaiah 29:13, saying:
You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Does God Accept the Worship of Muslims?
Muslims do not worship the same God as Christians. Therefore, God does not accept the worship of Muslims.
Muslims do not believe in the Triune God. They do not believe in the deity of Christ. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet, but not that he is God. The Quran actually condemns Jesus worshipers to Hell (Qur’an 5.72)
They do not believe in the crucifixion of Christ, either. Therefore, they cannot accept the atonement for sins that only Christ can accomplish. Paul called this a matter of first importance. (1 Corinthians 15:3)
Muslims do not believe one can know God or have a personal relationship with him. They believe they can only know the will of God. They have a works based doctrine of salvation and do not believe in assurance that they are saved. They cannot know this until they die.
Muslims do not believe in the Bible as the inerrant and uncorrupted word of God. They believe that there are some facts and truths, but that that the Bible has been corrupted over time. They believe the Quran is the final and complete word of Allah and supersedes both the Jewish and Christian scriptures.
Does God accept the worship of Hindus?
Hindus worship many gods, or deities, all of which are manifestations of Brahman, the energy that holds the universe together. They do not worship the God of the Bible, so their worship is not acceptable to him.
God has always revealed himself as the only God. He has always required exclusive worship.
An easy place to start is the Ten Commandments. When God entered into a covenant with Israel, he gave them laws they must obey. He said “You shall have no other gods before me”. (Exodus 20:3) He went on to forbid the making of images to worship.
The Israelites had just come out of Egypt, where they had lived for 4 centuries. Egypt was a land of many gods and many images. God knew that the Israelites would come into contact with other nations and people groups who made idols and worshipped other gods. God was clear to say he is the only God and he demands exclusive worship.
In fact, God indicated that these false gods were really demons. (Leviticus 17:7) Moses, in Deuteronomy 32:17 referred to these as “demons that were no gods”.
Paul, who confronted the Greek and Roman religions, said “”…what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God…”. (1 Corinthians 10:20)
Jesus, when tempted by Satan, said “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13. (Matthew 4:10)
Here are some other verses where God says he is the only God:
Isaiah 45:5: ”I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God."
1 Kings 8:60: ”So that all the nations of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is no other."
Isaiah 44:6: ”This is what the LORD says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God."
It is thus clear that God does not accept or condone the worship of any thing besides himself. That is what he means when he says he is a “jealous” God. (Exodus 20:5; 34:14) He demanded that the Israelites tear down the altars at which the conquered nations worshipped.
Does God accept the worship of Judaism?
Judaism does not come to the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, God does not accept their worship. As Paul wrote: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?” (Romans 10:14)
They do not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ or that he is the promised savior sent by God the Father. The apostle John wrote: “…every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already”. (1 John 4:3)
Peter, preaching to Jews, said: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”. (Acts 4:12)
And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Matthew 15:9)
If Jews could come to God without Christ, Paul would not have said:” Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to god for them (the Jews) is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1)
If the Jews could come to God without faith in Christ, Jesus would not have preached to them and the apostles would not have attempted to evangelize them.
If people of other religions could come to God without Christ, there would be no need for the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20)
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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