Worship-less Religion

“And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner”  1 Peter 4:18  NASB

Godless man – Peter calls these people “godless” and “sinners.”  “Godless man” is the Greek word asebes.  It literally means, “without worship.”  This is a person who does not honor God’s authority or majesty and who actively pursues life without acknowledging God.  This word has nothing to do with going to church.  Worship is not a place.  It is a state of mind.  I can go to church every week and never worship even though I sing the hymns and say the prayers and pay my tithe.  Unless I have worship as an attitude of life, I will be a godless man.

What is an attitude of worship?  It is the attitude that life does not belong to me, it belongs to God.  He is the One Who is in charge of my existence.  So I need to fit into His plans instead of trying to get God to fit into my plans.  How many times have we approached situations by praying, “God, help me make my plans come to pass?”  Do you see that this is an attitude that begins with me at the center?  How different it is to pray, “God, help me act in ways that advance Your purpose.”  There is no better example of an attitude of worship than the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane – “Nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done.”

The godless man is the man who thinks that God helps those who help themselves.  The godless man is the man who thinks that being good is good enough.  The godless man is the man who thinks that love is given to those you like.  The godless man is that man who worries first about himself and his plans before he commits to a charitable act.  He might appear to be religious.  He might say the right words.  He might even claim to love God.  But the truth is in the behavior.  A man of God lives life with an attitude of awe, reverence and respect for God and all that God brings into his life.  Everything becomes a reminder of God’s grace.  It is the life of humility and surrender.

Much of our world is godless even in its religious proclamation.  The world preaches a religion of power to the people, power to the church, power to the project or the cause.  Wherever God is not the focus of our power, we brush against godless men.

As Rabbi Marc Angel wrote, “Religious piety without moral values is not religion at all.  It is pseudo-religion.  It looks like religion on the surface, but is deficient at its inner core . . . We constantly need to remind ourselves that Torah Judaism is a lofty moral framework for life, that it represents the loftiest ideals and noblest visions.  It is based on compassion, empathy, commitment to the dignity of each individual.  It teaches service to God and service to our fellow human beings.  Without full commitment to these Torah values, ‘religion’ becomes pseudo-religion.  Pseudo-religion is false and corrupt at its core, and ultimately undermines and shames true religion.

Each of us can find a way to strengthen the moral fiber of our people.  We can be sure that we ourselves conduct ourselves with proper manners, with proper values, with genuine concern for others.  We can raise our voices in protest of institutions, schools and ‘religious’ leaders who do not live up to Torah values.  We can join with other like-minded people to work for an intellectually vibrant, compassionate, inclusive and moral community, truly representative of Torah and its teachings.”[1]

Perhaps you can pray with me, “Father, forgive us for abusing the life you have given us by thinking it is our right to do what we please or even that You have given us the freedom to walk as we will.  Show us how to be godly in our attitudes toward life and all that life has to offer.”

Topical Index:  godless man, worship, 1 Peter 4:18, Marc Angel