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.

The Duty of Man to Obey God

(Article for publication week of 2-22-21012 AD)

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

It is the duty of all men to keep the commandments of God. Dear reader, this is YOUR clear duty as a rational creature of God to keep His commandments.

First of all, let us emphasize that God has a right to demand your obedience. God has a right to demand your obedience because He made you for His Own glory. God is the Absolute Despot of the universe and He will run things the way He wants to. You need to wake up and realise that this is not “Burger King.” You CANT have it your way! God will have it His way, or no way. Now that is the truth and you had better believe it.

Secondly, it is your duty to keep God’s commandments because they are holy and just. God’s law is a reflection of His Own Holy and Righteous Character. God cannot command anything that is not right and good (that is, and keep being God). “His commandments are not grievous” (I John 5:3). If everybody obeyed the Ten Commandments, it would indeed be a perfect world. It is your duty to keep God’s commandments because He said to, because it would be for His glory, for your good, and for your neighbor’s good.

Now, we need to see that God demands a perfect conformity to His commandments. God is not grading us on a “curve”. He is judging us by His perfect standard. God is not impressed that you have a little more outward morality than your neighbour. God is not impressed that you have been moral enough to stay out of the jailhouse. God requires that you keep His commandments perfectly and continually, outwardly and inwardly. Your duty is to do everything that God has commanded. Now how answerest thou? Have you done everything God requires? If you lack one thing, you are condemned by the holy law of God, and God will render unto you according to your deeds.

Not only are you condemned for not positively doing everything God requires, but you are condemned if you have done anything that God prohibits. If you lived a life of perfect obedience for 100 years, and then on the last day of your life committed a sin, you would deserve the fires of hell for eternity. What about it dear Reader, have you committed any sins in your life?

We need to also see that the scriptures tell us that God will judge us for the very secret things in our minds and hearts. Our Lord taught that we break the sixth commandment by unjust anger, low esteem for our fellow man, and by an unforgiving spirit (Matthew 5:21-26). He also taught that we break the seventh commandment by lust and unscriptural divorce (Matthew 5:27-32).

I hope you are beginning to see the solemn truth of Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Dear reader, if you have to stand before God on your own, and give an account of yourself, you are in a precarious position. May God have mercy upon you.