A Christian Guidebook: What Is Faith? (4)

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12.28, 29

First and foremost
The Christian life is, first, foremost, and always, a life of worship. It comes to us by grace, is sustained and advance in us by grace, and nurtures a life of good works by the grace of God. And the grace we know and which helps us grow so that our lives will show Jesus to others is unto praise and thanksgiving to God (2 Cor. 4.15).

The fact that, through Jesus Christ, the believer has been ushered into the very Presence of God Himself, should be sufficient to inculcate a mood of worship in all we do (cf. Rom. 12.1, 2). As we meditate on the unseen realm, where Christ is seated next to the Father and in the Presence of the Holy Spirit, and where He myriads of angels serve Him and multitudes of departed saints adore Him, our sense of wonder, awe, adoration, and, yes, fear should be greatly enhanced, leading to more spontaneous and ongoing worship as part of the evidence of our true and lively, full faith.

Our lives can resound with and express the ongoing cry of “Glory!” that characterizes the throne room of our God (cf. Ps. 29.9; cf. Rev. 4.8-11; 1 Cor. 10.31).

In our day most believers treat worship as an activity in their week rather than a way of life. Worship is what we do together on Sunday morning and perhaps one or two other times during the week. Worship may factor into part of our daily devotional time, for those, that is, who practice such a discipline (as all full-faith believers do).

But the idea that we are continuously in the Presence of the Lord—with Him where He is—seems hardly to impress the contemporary Christian. Which of us can say with the psalmist, “I have set the LORD always before me” (Ps. 16.8)? Do any of us see our lives from the vantage point of being seated with Jesus amid the glory cries of the heavenly hosts (Eph. 2.6)? If it were in fact the case that we had “set our minds” on unseen things and were continually “looking to Jesus,” it would doubtless be true that our frame of mind, and even our daily practices, would reflect a more worship-full approach to life.

Worship as work
The words “worship” and “work” are frequently associated in Scripture. Indeed, in the Hebrew language they share the same root word.

Worship is work, the most important of the “good works” for which we have been redeemed by the Lord (Eph. 2.10). Worship is the foundation of our love for God and of how we show that love. In worship we refocus our lives on our true citizenship and destination; we draw near to the Lord, exalted in glory, so that we might bask in His abundant beauty, goodness, and truth; we confess our sins, pour out our praises, bring offerings of thanks and song, and wait upon the Lord to search and shape us by His Word and Spirit. This is worship acceptable to God, the worship which we have been redeemed to express as our primary work of full faith.

The acceptable worship God requires of us is not only acceptable on the Lord’s Day, however. It is acceptable and expected all along the way in our walk with Jesus as the most important way we experience living in a realm of realities unseen as well as seen (cf. Rom. 12.1, 2).

Worship is the quintessential way of expressing full faith.

Worship throughout the day
The Scriptures suggest various ways we might bring worship more consistently into our daily lives, all day long.

First, as previously mentioned, we might follow the example of Biblical saints, as well as of saints throughout the ages of Church history, and establish set times to meet with God for meditation and prayer each day (cf. Ps. 55.16, 17; Dan. 6.10; Acts 3.1). By retreating into the Lord for ten or fifteen minutes at various times during the day—in meditation, by praying a psalm, or by offering up your next activity to the Lord in prayer—we continuously renew and reinforce the spiritual foundation and framework of our lives and are refreshed by the spiritual resources God has provided.
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In addition, learning and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs—which Paul described as evidence of the filling of the Spirit (Eph. 5.18-21)—can create a continuo of praise beneath and throughout the activities of our day. We’re not much used to singing to the Lord other than at Sunday worship. But this is a discipline which has refreshed and sustained saints throughout the ages, and it’s one we can benefit from as well.

Finally, making a point to speak with, encourage, and pray with other believers during the day can also keep us in a mode of worship and connect us with the unseen realities that define our lives. Find a soul friend to meet with weekly for prayer. Pray for the people around you all day, and tell them you do. Ask for prayer requests and invite fellow believers to join you for a few moments of giving praise and thanks to God.

Our God is a consuming fire, and He calls us to worship Him, not just as a regular activity in our week, but as a way of life. Worship throughout the day—and an attitude that inclines to worship continually, even in the midst of every other activity—is a fruit and evidence of full faith.

But we must work hard at this, just as at every other facet of our walk with and work for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Search the Scriptures
1. How would you explain the idea of “worship” to a new believer? What is worship? Why does it matter? How should we do it? To what Scriptures would you point to support your explanation?

2. What do you think should be the relationship between worship on the Lord’s Day and daily worship? How does Romans 12.1, 2 teach us to think about this?

3. Spend a little more time meditating on Romans 12.1, 2. How does Paul’s teaching here support the idea of worship “along the way”? What’s “reasonable” about this?

Next steps—Demonstration: Jot down one or two of the ideas suggested in this column for bringing worship more consistently into your daily life. Practice these for the next few days, and then share your experience of doing so with a Christian friend.

T. M. Moore

Additional Resources
If you have found this study helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

For a more complete study of this subject, order the workbook, The Landscape of Unseen Things, by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from theNew King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.