Pure Faith in God According to the Gospel

To Serve God Alone without Ascribing Equals to Him

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. (Luke, 4:8)

Jesus said to him, "... Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only." (Matthew, 4:10)

... My dear friends, flee from idolatry. (1 Corinthians, 10:14)

For they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God... (1 Thessalonians, 1:9-10)

And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles [surely God is beyond that]... They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator [surely God is beyond that]—Who is forever praised... (Romans, 1:23-25)

... If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew, 6:23-24)

[Jesus:] "No servant can serve two masters... You cannot serve both God and money." (Luke, 16:13)

... Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. (1 Corinthians, 8:7-8)

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. (1 Corinthians, 10:20-21)

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. (1 Corinthians, 8:4)

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John, 5:21)

The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. (Revelation, 9:20)

To Live for God's Approval Alone

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians, 10:31)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward... (Colossians, 3:23-24)

He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans, 14:6-8)

... This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome... This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John, 5:2-4)

... This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. (Revelation, 14:12)

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians, 1:10)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews, 11:6)

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe... (Hebrews, 12:28)

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. (1 Peter, 2:19-20)

... Each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. (1 Corinthians, 7:17)

... but only he who does the will of God [will enter the kingdom of paradise]. (Matthew, 7:21)

... From Whom all things came and for Whom we live; and there is but one Lord... through Whom all things came and through Whom we live. (1 Corinthians, 8:5-6)

Indeed, those who are under the control of human nature [lower-self] cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the human nature but by the Spirit of God... (Romans, 8:8-9)

Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. (1 Peter, 2:16)

... He who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. (1 Peter, 4:1-2)

... Those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (1 Peter, 4:19)

[Jesus:] "The One [God] Who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him [God]." (John, 8:29)

Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you... doing the will of God from your heart. (Ephesians, 6:6)

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John, 2:17)

... We speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, Who tests our hearts. (1 Thessalonians, 2:4)

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you... to do this more and more. (1 Thessalonians, 4:1)

Because anyone who serves Christ in this way [the one who aids Jesus in the path of God] is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Romans, 14:18-19)

I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. (1 Corinthians, 7:35)

"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One [God] Who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments [of God]." (Matthew, 19:17)

We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does His will. (John, 9:31)

For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's Sight, but it is those who obey the law [God's commandments] who will be declared righteous. (Romans, 2:13)

... Keeping God's commands is what counts. (1 Corinthians, 7:19)

So we make it our goal to please Him [God], whether we are at home in the body or away from it. (2 Corinthians, 5:9)

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? (Galatians, 1:10)

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" (Luke, 17:10)

Children, obey your parents [who have faith] in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (Colossians, 3:20)

Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother. (Mark, 3:35)

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made [to God] for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God... (1 Timothy, 2:1-3)

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. (1 Timothy, 5:4)

Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him [God] Who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the One [God] Who sent him is a man of truth... (John, 7:16-18)

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him [God] anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. (1 John, 3:21-22)

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. (Philippians, 2:13)

Those who obey His [God's] commands live in Him [he lives close to God], and He in them [he lives feeling God's mercy upon himself]... (1 John, 3:24)

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of Him [God's] Who sent me and to finish His work [to ensure that God's commandments are fulfilled]. " (John, 4:34)

For I [Jesus] have come... not to do my will but to do the will of Him [God's] Who sent me. (John, 6:38)

To Shun the Superstitious Rites and Religion of the Ancestors

Then... came to Jesus... and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?... Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?" (Matthew, 15:1-3)

... [They] asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders...?" He [Jesus] replied, "... You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." And he [Jesus] said to them: "You have no trouble rejecting the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!" (Mark, 7:5-9)