The Worship of God

(Article for publication week of 2-29-2012 AD)

“Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Revelation 14:7).

We are presently considering the duties of all men to God. We have shown that it is the duty of all men to believe God, to love God, and obey God. Next to be considered is the duty of all men everywhere to worship God.

All men are obligated to worship God. He is properly the only true object of worship. He is Jehovah, “the eternal and Self existent One.” He is the Great “I AM.” He is the First Great Cause, and the last Great End. He is the only truly Good One. In Him is light, and there is no darkness at all in Him. There is not a single flaw in His holy Character. He is the only Being Who needs no improvement. He created all things, and by Him all things consist. He is all-wise, all knowing, all seeing, all mighty, everywhere present, and nowhere absent. He is pure Spirit, having not body, parts nor passions. He is One glorious Being, yet three glorious Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is without beginning and without end. He is infinite, and His ways are past finding out. All men are duty bound to worship such a perfect and glorious Being as Jehovah.

The worship of God is recognition that He is indeed God, and that we are accountable creatures. The worship of God is an expression of our inferiority and of His infinite Superiority. The worship of God springs from a realisation that God is on the Throne of Glory, and that we are bound to the earth. The worship of God is an acknowledgment that He is the Absolute Despot of the universe Who is to be feared and obeyed and loved.

The worship of God is a humbling of ourselves before His presence with faith, repentance, reverence, awe, respect, love, adoration, and fear.

God is to be worshipped privately and publicly. He is to be worshipped in every common act of life, and in such ways and times as He has appointed in his word. He is to be worshipped in our closets, in our families, and our churches. He is to be worshipped exclusively and enthusiastically.

God is to be worshipped both externally and internally. He is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. He can only be properly worshipped through a Mediator.

I have given you a brief introduction to the worship of God. As one of my old pastors used to commonly end his sermons, “much more could be said.” Unless you are worshipping the Only True God in the way he has commanded, and in perfection, you stand condemned. You must be lost world without end. I hope you see something of your great duty to worship the God of the Bible.

Now dear readers, I am not telling you today how to be saved. Rather, I am telling you why you are lost if you are not worshipping God in perfection. Worship that is not in perfection as I have only briefly described is not worship at all, but blasphemy. Imperfect and sinful worshippers of God need a Saviour. I tell you of Him continually. If you see yourself as a sinful blasphemer by nature, flee to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ and tell Him your case and plead for His mercy. I leave you in the hands of God.