Assurance and Evidence (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 isa consuming fire.Hebrews 12.28, 29

First and foremost
The Christian life is, first, foremost, and at all times, a life of worship.

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 give ourselves to meditating on the unseen realm, where Christ is seated next to the Father, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, served by myriads of angels and adored by departed saints, 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 at all times (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 must).

But the idea that we are continuously in the presence of the Lord – with Him where He is, as it were – 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). 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 signal to the Lord and the watching world that we live 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 begin to 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 for ten or fifteen minutes into the Lord – in meditation, by praying a psalm, or by offering up our next activity to the Lord in prayer – at various times during the day, we continuously renew and reinforce the spiritual framework of our lives and draw on the spiritual resources God has provided.

In addition, learning and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs – what 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.

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.

Our God is a consuming fire, and He calls us to worship Him, not just as a token 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 sure 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.

For reflection
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?

2.      What do you think should be the relationship between worship on the Lord’s Day and daily worship?

3.      Meditate 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: 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 day or so, and then share your experience of doing so with a Christian friend.

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, Assurance and Evidence, is Part 1 of a 10-part series, Full Faith. You can download Assurance and Evidence by clicking here. Your gifts to The Fellowship of Ailbe make this ministry possible. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Subscribe to The Week, T. M.’s daily insights to worldview issues, by going to the website and, when the pop-up appears, put in your email, click on The Week, then click to update your subscriptions. You’ll be sent an email allowing you to add The Week to your free subscriptions.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.