V.
Applications of the Fact that Reverence and Solemnity
Applications of the Fact that Reverence and Solemnity
Are
Essential Aspects of Biblical Worship
Essential Aspects of Biblical Worship
The fact
that reverence and solemnity are essential aspects of Biblical worship has
tremendous consequences for the practices of Christ’s earthly
congregations. First, it is evident that
“worship” that is not solemn and reverent, but is superficial, foolish,
thoughtless, vapid, flippant, trivial, and irreverent is in the highest degree
offensive to God. The Father seeks for
true worshippers, and “they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:23-24). Jehovah delights in His true children crying
“Hosanna to the Son of David” in His temple (Mt 21:15), but those who do not
worship Him in spirit and truth, but instead profane and defile His worship, He
destroys (1 Cor 3:17). False worship is
idolatry, and idolaters will be tormented with fire and brimstone forever and
ever (Rev 21:8). The Lord Jesus hated
false worship so much that at both the beginning and end of His earthly
ministry He violently drove out from the temple those that profaned the pure
worship of the Father (Jn 2:13-17; Mt 21:12-17; Mr 11:15-18), so that “his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of
thine house hath eaten me up” (Jn 2:17).
The Lord Jesus was so zealous for pure worship that He made a whip and
beat out of His Father’s house those that defiled it (Jn 2:15), In this
jealously for holy worship Christ was in full agreement with His Father, who
sent fire from heaven to burn up those that failed to worship properly (Lev
10:1-2) dealt in pitiless fury to slay utterly those that profaned His temple
(Eze 8), and eternally torments in hell those who offer Him false worship (1
Cor 6:9-11; Rev 14:9-11; 21:8).
that reverence and solemnity are essential aspects of Biblical worship has
tremendous consequences for the practices of Christ’s earthly
congregations. First, it is evident that
“worship” that is not solemn and reverent, but is superficial, foolish,
thoughtless, vapid, flippant, trivial, and irreverent is in the highest degree
offensive to God. The Father seeks for
true worshippers, and “they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:23-24). Jehovah delights in His true children crying
“Hosanna to the Son of David” in His temple (Mt 21:15), but those who do not
worship Him in spirit and truth, but instead profane and defile His worship, He
destroys (1 Cor 3:17). False worship is
idolatry, and idolaters will be tormented with fire and brimstone forever and
ever (Rev 21:8). The Lord Jesus hated
false worship so much that at both the beginning and end of His earthly
ministry He violently drove out from the temple those that profaned the pure
worship of the Father (Jn 2:13-17; Mt 21:12-17; Mr 11:15-18), so that “his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of
thine house hath eaten me up” (Jn 2:17).
The Lord Jesus was so zealous for pure worship that He made a whip and
beat out of His Father’s house those that defiled it (Jn 2:15), In this
jealously for holy worship Christ was in full agreement with His Father, who
sent fire from heaven to burn up those that failed to worship properly (Lev
10:1-2) dealt in pitiless fury to slay utterly those that profaned His temple
(Eze 8), and eternally torments in hell those who offer Him false worship (1
Cor 6:9-11; Rev 14:9-11; 21:8).
The
facts above are most relevant for those who are members of true churches—the
kind the Lord Jesus started in the first century—historic Baptist churches.[1] Only such churches have the special presence
of the holy Trinity in their midst (cf. Mt 18:17, 20). What fearful judgment such churches should
expect from He whose eyes are as a flame of fire if they corrupt pure worship
(cf. Rev 2:5, 16, 20-23; 3:1-4, 14-18)! However,
other religious organizations in Christendom, from the liturgical and
hierarchical to the worldly megachurch, even if they do not possess the special
presence of Christ found in His true congregations, nevertheless will face the
judgment Christ will pour out on all idolaters.
Therefore let all the world take heed to the Biblical mandate for
reverent and solemn worship, and flee with horror from everything that deviates
in the least from such worship.
facts above are most relevant for those who are members of true churches—the
kind the Lord Jesus started in the first century—historic Baptist churches.[1] Only such churches have the special presence
of the holy Trinity in their midst (cf. Mt 18:17, 20). What fearful judgment such churches should
expect from He whose eyes are as a flame of fire if they corrupt pure worship
(cf. Rev 2:5, 16, 20-23; 3:1-4, 14-18)! However,
other religious organizations in Christendom, from the liturgical and
hierarchical to the worldly megachurch, even if they do not possess the special
presence of Christ found in His true congregations, nevertheless will face the
judgment Christ will pour out on all idolaters.
Therefore let all the world take heed to the Biblical mandate for
reverent and solemn worship, and flee with horror from everything that deviates
in the least from such worship.
Second, note
that it is absolutely essential to have grace
if you are to worship or serve God acceptably.
Only through grace can you serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear—consequently, God commands you to have grace (Heb 12:28).[2] Your prayers and praise must be with grace in
your heart if they are to be acceptable (Col 3:16). The only way of true access
to the Father is through the Son and by the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18; Col 3:17; 1
Tim 2:5; Jn 14:6), so if you are unconverted, you are utterly unable to worship
God and offer Him true service. Only
regenerate people will enter into the New Jerusalem to worship God forever and
ever, and only regenerate people are those true worshippers that can worship
the Father in spirit and truth now (Jn 4:23-24). They only have fellowship with the Father and
the Son through the Spirit (1 Jn 1:3; 2 Cor 13:14). If you are unconverted, you cannot please God
in any way, you have no Mediator to bring you into the Father’s presence, no
Spirit to assist you in your coming, and consequently you face the awful and
immeasurable wrath of God against you for your sin in Adam, your sin nature,
and your innumerable personal transgressions (cf. Rom 8:8-9; Tit 1:15-16). Ought you not immediately turn from your sin
and flee to Christ, that you might receive mercy through His blood, the
imputation of His own perfect and everlasting righteousness to your account so
that you can stand perfect before the legal tribunal of God, and the freedom
from the bondage of sin under which you so awfully lie (Mr 1:15; Jn 3:16; Rom
5:1)?
that it is absolutely essential to have grace
if you are to worship or serve God acceptably.
Only through grace can you serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear—consequently, God commands you to have grace (Heb 12:28).[2] Your prayers and praise must be with grace in
your heart if they are to be acceptable (Col 3:16). The only way of true access
to the Father is through the Son and by the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18; Col 3:17; 1
Tim 2:5; Jn 14:6), so if you are unconverted, you are utterly unable to worship
God and offer Him true service. Only
regenerate people will enter into the New Jerusalem to worship God forever and
ever, and only regenerate people are those true worshippers that can worship
the Father in spirit and truth now (Jn 4:23-24). They only have fellowship with the Father and
the Son through the Spirit (1 Jn 1:3; 2 Cor 13:14). If you are unconverted, you cannot please God
in any way, you have no Mediator to bring you into the Father’s presence, no
Spirit to assist you in your coming, and consequently you face the awful and
immeasurable wrath of God against you for your sin in Adam, your sin nature,
and your innumerable personal transgressions (cf. Rom 8:8-9; Tit 1:15-16). Ought you not immediately turn from your sin
and flee to Christ, that you might receive mercy through His blood, the
imputation of His own perfect and everlasting righteousness to your account so
that you can stand perfect before the legal tribunal of God, and the freedom
from the bondage of sin under which you so awfully lie (Mr 1:15; Jn 3:16; Rom
5:1)?
Are
you regenerate? Then sensibly recognize,
and all the more because your formerly blind eyes have been opened, and your
formerly insensible heart of adamant has been softened, how necessary grace is
for your to worship your Triune Redeemer acceptably! Do you not know by experience the truth of
Paul’s statement: “I find then a law,
that, when I would do good, evil is present with me” (Rom 7:21)? Do you not see your indwelling sin the more
awfully active the more you seek to approach the Lord in true reverence and
godly fear? Is it not especially active
when you engage in your especially holy duties?
How, then, can you worship the Lord in solemnity and reverence, when sin
clings to even your most zealous and holy thoughts and deeds, so that you
deserve nothing more than to be thrust into the depths of hell for the most
holy act of worship you have ever done in your life? “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O
Lord, who shall stand?” (Ps 130:3). What, then, is the answer? Grace—“But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” (Ps
130:4). You have in the Lord Jesus a
perfect High Priest who bears the iniquity of your holy things, that you may be
accepted before Jehovah (Ex 28:38).[3] Then let grace
be of infinite sweetness to your soul, the rejoicing of your renewed heart, and
your constant dependence in all your acts of personal and corporate worship
before your Lord.
you regenerate? Then sensibly recognize,
and all the more because your formerly blind eyes have been opened, and your
formerly insensible heart of adamant has been softened, how necessary grace is
for your to worship your Triune Redeemer acceptably! Do you not know by experience the truth of
Paul’s statement: “I find then a law,
that, when I would do good, evil is present with me” (Rom 7:21)? Do you not see your indwelling sin the more
awfully active the more you seek to approach the Lord in true reverence and
godly fear? Is it not especially active
when you engage in your especially holy duties?
How, then, can you worship the Lord in solemnity and reverence, when sin
clings to even your most zealous and holy thoughts and deeds, so that you
deserve nothing more than to be thrust into the depths of hell for the most
holy act of worship you have ever done in your life? “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O
Lord, who shall stand?” (Ps 130:3). What, then, is the answer? Grace—“But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” (Ps
130:4). You have in the Lord Jesus a
perfect High Priest who bears the iniquity of your holy things, that you may be
accepted before Jehovah (Ex 28:38).[3] Then let grace
be of infinite sweetness to your soul, the rejoicing of your renewed heart, and
your constant dependence in all your acts of personal and corporate worship
before your Lord.
What
is more, you must not only be regenerate, but also have an upright heart, for
if you regard iniquity in your heart, the Lord will not hear your prayers or
accept your worship (Ps 66:18). As a
believer, you are individually the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19-20), even as the
corporate assembly is His temple also (1 Cor 3:15-20; 1 Tim 3:15). You must be a clean and holy temple if your
individual worship is to be acceptable.
You must individually be a clean and holy temple the whole week if your
part of corporate worship on the Lord’s Day is to be acceptable (Is
1:13-15). If you cannot lift up holy
hands (1 Tim 2:8) because your hands are stained with sin, or stained with the
blood of the unconverted to whom you refused to give the gospel (Ac 20:26-27;
Eze 33:8), do you think the Lord will be pleased with your worship? Can you pray reverently to the King of heaven
because you have a regenerate and upright heart?
is more, you must not only be regenerate, but also have an upright heart, for
if you regard iniquity in your heart, the Lord will not hear your prayers or
accept your worship (Ps 66:18). As a
believer, you are individually the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19-20), even as the
corporate assembly is His temple also (1 Cor 3:15-20; 1 Tim 3:15). You must be a clean and holy temple if your
individual worship is to be acceptable.
You must individually be a clean and holy temple the whole week if your
part of corporate worship on the Lord’s Day is to be acceptable (Is
1:13-15). If you cannot lift up holy
hands (1 Tim 2:8) because your hands are stained with sin, or stained with the
blood of the unconverted to whom you refused to give the gospel (Ac 20:26-27;
Eze 33:8), do you think the Lord will be pleased with your worship? Can you pray reverently to the King of heaven
because you have a regenerate and upright heart?
This entire study can be accessed here.
[1]
See
“Bible Study #7: The Church of Jesus
Christ” at faithsaves.net/Bible-studies/, and also the resources at
faithsaves.net/ecclesiology/ for the identifying marks of true churches.
See
“Bible Study #7: The Church of Jesus
Christ” at faithsaves.net/Bible-studies/, and also the resources at
faithsaves.net/ecclesiology/ for the identifying marks of true churches.
[2]
That
is, “let us have grace” is a hortatory subjective, which “is used to urge someone
to unite with the speaker in a course of action upon which he has already
decided” (pg. 464, Greek Grammar Beyond
the Basics, Wallace), and which consequently bears an imperatival
notion—for only through grace can men worship acceptably with reverence and
godly fear: e¶cwmen ca¿rin, di∆ h∞ß latreu/wmen
eujare÷stwß twˆ◊ Qewˆ◊ meta» ai˙douvß kai« eujlabei÷aß.
That
is, “let us have grace” is a hortatory subjective, which “is used to urge someone
to unite with the speaker in a course of action upon which he has already
decided” (pg. 464, Greek Grammar Beyond
the Basics, Wallace), and which consequently bears an imperatival
notion—for only through grace can men worship acceptably with reverence and
godly fear: e¶cwmen ca¿rin, di∆ h∞ß latreu/wmen
eujare÷stwß twˆ◊ Qewˆ◊ meta» ai˙douvß kai« eujlabei÷aß.
[3]
Cf.
“Christ our High Priest, Bearing the Iniquity of our Holy Things,” Horatius
Bonar (http://faithsaves.net/soteriology).
Cf.
“Christ our High Priest, Bearing the Iniquity of our Holy Things,” Horatius
Bonar (http://faithsaves.net/soteriology).
WOW!
"You must individually be a clean and holy temple the whole week if your part of corporate worship on the Lord’s Day is to be acceptable (Is 1:13-15)."
PS. Ladies in historic, Baptist churches have worn headcoverings in worship, but I'm not sure while they're in nursery.
The acceptability of our worship is based or conditioned on our works?
Surely that is not the position being advanced here.
Gentlemen, you would do well to read the reference with that statement:
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Worship from the sin stained in hypocrisy is an offence to God. Obviously it's not like a single instance of sin in a week lays waste to your worship Sunday Morning, but your worship isn't going to be a sweet savour Sunday morning if you spent the previous 6 nights watching pornography is it?
Nothing Thomas said should be seen as controversial unless you are trying to take him for a sinless perfectionism advocate, and you should already know he isn't.
D4's position on worship: Live like the devil all week and then come and worship on Sunday.
There. How does that feel for misinterpretation and exaggeration in a twitter sized commment?
I'm not sure you can misinterpret or exaggerate the statement and make it more wrong. It certainly is not the application for Isaiah 1:13-15, nor any other biblical passage for that matter.
For the double downers, when was the last whole week your temple was clean and holy?
Worship is not unconditional…just like forgiveness. We need to worship the LORD on his terms, not ours. We need to take care of sin before we approach him.
Mt 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Brother Thomas – thank you for the series.
Mark Schabert
Dear D4 and John,
Isaiah 1 connects the acceptability of our worship to our works. I mean, and I don't mean, exactly what Isaiah meant, or what the Lord Jesus meant in Matthew 23.
Joshua,
I agree.
Pastor Brandenburg and everyone else, thanks for the comments.
Hi,
For those who need an entire exegesis of the appropriate passages, if you forget God in attitude and direction, as manifested by the practices that we see in Isaiah 1, during the entire week and week after week, only to think that you'll worship God on Sunday, you've got that wrong. Nobody is teaching sinless perfection being the basis for acceptable worship. When you read statements, you should take them in context. When you don't, you're guilty of bad judgment, and that's what I'm hearing. Bad judgment. Reading the worst possible meaning into "whole week" in a way that will justify what? Living defiled all week and then coming to church for worship in Sunday, thinking God will accept it?
John says that you may say that you know God, but if you don't do what he says, you are a liar. So do you have to do what God says to know Him? Same kind of question being asked, except at John and making him look like he's teaching some kind of justification by works. That's what you're doing here. And in so doing, you are making room for the all week defilers to be comfortable. Enjoy that.
Howdy,
I read the context and the passages. Jesus nor Isaiah are saying ,"You must individually be a clean and holy temple the whole week if your part of corporate worship on the Lord’s Day is to be acceptable".
Telling folks "You must individually be a clean and holy temple the whole week if your part of corporate worship on the Lord’s Day is to be acceptable" is no less noble that telling folks you can defile yourself all week and worship on Sunday with no problem.
Were not talking looking at pornography all week. I'm saying some folks may have an immoral thought, not witness to every soul they come in proximity to, or lose their temper with their kids (which may be less likely to happen if the kids are in private school all week and nursery a few hours on Sunday. Whose raising them again?)
Be sure to read 1 Cor. 11:1-16 tomorrow AM and look at all the uncovered heads and enjoy your clean and holy temple.
Blessings,
John G
John,
We're talking about the context of Thomas Ross, reading him in context, not Isaiah 1. He doesn't believe what you are attributing him to say, which is slanderous, because you know he isn't saying that!!!! Yes, I'm not happy.
Isaiah 1 is saying that God doesn't accept the worship of Israel, because Israel lives like the devil and then comes and offers sacrifices like it cares, when it doesn't, so God won't accept her worship. That's as simple as that one line is. When you apply that to Sunday worship, you're saying that you can't live all week like you don't care and you don't mean it, and then worship on Sunday like you do. God won't accept that. That is so obvious, except for people who have an agenda, like the commenters.
For one, it's just to trash us, to look hot to a particular crowd of compromisers.
For the other, it's something related to head coverings. John, your conscience says you are sinning when your women aren't wearing headcoverings on a Sunday — a subject that has NOTHING to do with the post, which makes you look like a troll doing a drive by. My conscience is clear on headcoverings, so I'm discussing it with you, not because you've got good material, but because I don't believe that is what 1 Corinthians 11 is teaching. I'm not sinning when our women aren't wearing headcoverings, because it doesn't violate my conscience. I'm done with it, and so should you be, unless you've got something new, because this is not rebellion on my part.
Slander, really? I quoted him. I was talking about TR's context.
"Saying that you can't live all week like you don't care and you don't mean it, and then worship on Sunday like you do. God won't accept that." is nowhere close to "You must individually be a clean and holy temple the whole week if your part of corporate worship on the Lord’s Day is to be acceptable".
No agenda really, just thought a brother would want to clarify/edit/retract that statement. Obviously, that ain't happening. We're a house church with 3 families. We look hot to the chickens and goat outside , that's about it.
I brought HC's in because you doubled down and I know you don't practice this. Its the only place I'm on your right. Just because your conscience is clear and you don't think that is what 1 Cor. 11 is teaching doesn't mean you can't be completely wrong. Your position is not the historical one. That seems important to you in other areas. I've been hear for years so I'm not trolling.
I know TR doesn't believe in sinless prefectionism. But words mean things. I can't see that sentence, even in its context, meaning something other that what it says.
Peace
John,
Two commenters. One, not you, to look hot. The other, you, head coverings.
Yes, you slander him when you take something he said and have it means something other than what he believes. Take it the best way, like you would John in 1 John, an argument you said nothing about.
John, I appreciate you, and if Thomas Ross did this to you, I would be just as harsh on him.
Dear John,
I don't think that having one sinful thought in an entire week means that someone cannot worship God acceptably on the Lord's Day.
I am actually surprised that my statement was in any way controversial.
For anyone who wants an exposition of how being right with God/an upright heart fits with the fact that indwelling sin remains in the believer, please see:
http://faithsaves.net/prerequisites-vivification-be-right-with-God/
Thanks.
To look hot. Yah. Just read the writing.
If you're not happy, you might look to the author who made the unacceptable statement for the cause rather than those who called him on it.
There's quite alot of real estate between "live like the devil" and "you must be clean and holy the whole week."
The easy solution is for someone to own up to the poor locution and be done with it.
Each paragraph neatly twitter sized for your convenience.
And, speaking of slander, who is my crowd of compromisers? The people online I am closest to both theologically and philosophically I can count on one hand. And compromisers on what, pray tell, are they?
Plus, I don't even think they read here much, so, please.
D4,
So if it is bad locution, as you say, then why not just challenge the locution instead of accusing the man of teaching sinless perfection. He has a 1000 page book on sanctification. He doesn't believe that. You take "holy and clean" and "whole week" in the worst possible way. Why not question as to what he means by that? You were very clear what you were accusing him of, and he doesn't believe what you are accusing him of?
You take an entire article on a very important subject and you hone in on one statement. What about the rest of it? I illustrated to John Gardiner that you could take several Apostles the same way as you took Thomas, but you wouldn't because you know that they don't believe that way based upon what they have written elsewhere, so you harmonize the interpretation with the rest of their writings.
Yes, I have a problem with that.
Now for doing to be hot to compromisers. I could explain that based on other things you have said or not said, but it was still be a judgment I couldn't make. That was sheer speculation that was wrong. I'm going to leave the comment so people know what I'm referring to, but I would delete it now. So why did you do it? It is slanderous. He doesn't believe that and it isn't what he means. You say it is poor locution. Why? And if it is poor locution, why do you accuse him of believing it?
Thomas isn't an Apostle. I probably should do a critical review of the whole article.
Furthermore, Thomas owned up to believing what I asked for clarification on (as opposed to accused him of).
An exclamation of disbelief at what I'm reading isn't slander.
If I have more time, I'll make a further case about what he said.