Russell Haffner
There are four types of worship mentioned in the New Testament and only one is acceptable to God.
- Will Worship (Colossians 2:23) is a voluntarily adopted worship, whether unbidden or forbidden. It is a worship based upon our will (likes and dislikes), rather than the will of God. It is not in reality worshiping God. Therefore, God will not accept will worship.
- Ignorant Worship (Acts 17:23) is a worship that is void of a knowledge of the true and living God. It is based upon superstition, tradition and the imagination of men, not on a revelation from God. Naturally, ignorant worship is not acceptable to an all-wise Holy God (Acts 17:30-31).
- Vain Worship (Matthew 15:9) is defined in Matthew 15 as a worship that is based upon the teachings of men rather than the commandments of God. Vain is defined as empty or worthless. When men leave the teachings and example of the Bible for their own teachings, worship becomes vain and void. God will not accept it (Leviticus 10:1-2).
- True Worship (John 4:23-24) is defined as worshiping God in Spirit and in truth. The word "truth" means "real, genuine and authentic." There are some worshipers who are true, while others are hypocrites. God seeks worshipers who will submit to worshiping Him in His way. God's word says that our worship must be done according to His word. To "worship in spirit" the heart must be involved. God will not accept worship that does not come from the heart, and He will not accept worship that is not “according to the divine standard” (John 17:17) - the New Testament. Our lives must be in a right relationship with God for our worship to be true.
Let us worship God in spirit and in truth "for the Father is seeking such to worship Him" (John 4:23-24; Romans 8:1-8; Galatians 5:17).
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to upgrade your enrollment from Auditing to Informal or Formal Student status. I want to thank you for making use of the videos provided by the school, but I encourage you to consider the advantages of upgrading your enrollment. If you upgrade your enrollment you will not only have access to the video Bible lessons, but you will also have free online viewing access to the teacher’s course notes, exams and some course books.
Formal Students follow a set course order which is designed to make the progression through the Bible easier. The assignments include viewing all video lessons, taking exams and writing research papers. Formal Students are issued a certificate of completion when they fully meet the requirements of a course. They receive a diploma when they have successfully completed all required courses.
Informal Students have the same requirements to meet for each course and cover the same material but they are allowed to take the courses in any order they desire. Informal Students receive certificates for each course but no diploma is awarded.
If you would like to change your status you will need to click on ENROLLMENT (https://school.wvbs.org/enrollment/) which is on the blue menu bar at the school website. When you have reached the enrollment page please select either the Formal or Informal Student Registration button. This will provide you with the form to fill out to change your status.
I completely understand if you have no interest in upgrading your enrollment. I commend you on your hard work and devotion to learning more about the Bible. God bless you as you continue in your studies. If I can answer any questions for you about the school please let me know (https://school.wvbs.org/about/contact-us/).