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Holding on to grace –
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 awe. [Hebrews 12:28]
The kingdom of God is firm, unshakable and stable. And worship in the kingdom of God has two aspects to it – a) God pleasing service b) An acceptable sacrifice
Grace makes it possible –
It is by holding on to the grace of God which is freely available to you, that both become possible. In fact, all His dealings with you, in the new covenant, are by His grace. For, as the psalmist rightly remarks, if He marked our transgressions, who can stand before Him? It is by His grace that you and I stand cleansed by the precious Blood of the sinless Lamb, our sins removed as far as the east is from the west.
What is meant by holding on to grace?
It is a total and complete dependence on God, and not on your self – effort. It is with dependence on God, and His incorruptible word, that you can overcome your difficulties in life, to find good success and fulfillment in life. It is the moment that you start thinking that you can manage it yourself, without depending on God, that you begin to go astray. God’s grace is given to you that you may find your dependence in Him. And the Bible cautions against receiving the grace of God in vain, or falling short of the grace of God.
Falling short of the grace of God –
The writer to the Hebrews warns them of the danger of falling short of God’s grace, and the root of bitterness that could then crop up to affect many. Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by it many are defiled. [Hebrews 12:15] Falling short of the grace of God happens, when instead of depending completely in the sufficiency of His grace, self – effort creeps in.
‘Not I, but the grace of God working in me’, declares the apostle Paul very emphatically, when he talks of his service for the Lord. By saying ‘not I’, he negates the role of the ‘self’, in all his labor in the kingdom of God. And he establishes the truth that it is by grace you are saved, and it is by grace that you continue to live and serve the Lord.
Straying from grace to self effort –
The Galatians began well in receiving salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. But they were then wrongly influenced into thinking that it had to be in some way perfected by self effort. The apostle Paul knew that it was the craftiness of the devil that was leading them astray. Hence it is with an anguished plea that he addresses them – ‘Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect in the flesh? [Galatians 3:3]
Thinking that you know it all, know what to say, what to do in any situation, is the ‘I’ enthroned in you, the dependence on your own self, without bringing God into the picture at all, or keeping Him somewhere in the sidelines. But, when you are a child of God and born of the Spirit, you need to wait on God, to be led by the Spirit, in all areas of your life. And, it is when the pillar of cloud moves that you move.
In worship – falling short of God’s grace:
Being self dependent can permeate even into the realm of worship. It will then be one of false humility, and a pleasing of self, instead of a pleasing aroma in the sight of God. The Colossians were becoming guilty of it; and it is why Paul addresses them saying, – ‘Therefore, if you died with Christ to the basic principles of the world, why as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations – ‘do not touch, do not taste, do not handle’-which all concern things which perish with the using, according to the commandments and doctrines of men?
And he goes on to give the reason –
These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self imposed religion, false humility and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. [Colossians 2:20-23] When it is self pleasing, worship will become more of a hypocritical pretense; but the best bit of acting is still acting! Lord Jesus had stringent remarks to make about the Pharisees who indulged in prayers that were meant to impress men.
By their many words alone –
The Lord did not mince words as He described them – ‘And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corner of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. [Matthew 6:5]
Showy prayers are not approved by Him. He also added –
‘And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words’. [Matthew 6:7] Jesus thus clearly set forth, how worship ought not to be. And it can be adhered to, only by holding on to God’s grace.
Worship that is true –
The Samaritan woman, in the course of her conversation, entered into a mild argument with the Lord, about how the Jews and the Samaritans worshiped at different mountains. But Jesus then led her into the truth of what true worship is. He talked to her about the living waters of the Holy Spirit, and worship in spirit and truth.
‘God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. [John 4:24] This becomes possible, only when there is a restoration of the divine order in you.
You are spirit, soul and body –
Man has been created in the image of God, with a spirit, soul and body. You are a spirit being, with a soul that is made up of your mind, will and emotions, and you live in a body. And the divine order that needs to be in you is – firstly, your spirit, secondly, your soul, and lastly, your body. But prior to your salvation, being dead in your transgressions, your spirit was cut off, separated from God. And the soul, your mind, was dominant.
But through salvation, your spirit that was dead, separated from God, has been quickened, made alive. Salvation brings order in the chaos; in the confused malfunctioning of your being that existed, as your spirit was cut off from God, and not in it’s rightful position. God has regenerated the dead spirit in you, raised you up with Christ, to be seated in the heavenly realms in Him. Thus, salvation brings about a restoration of the divine order in you.
The Holy Spirit is in you –
Your spirit is alive, as the Holy Spirit dwells in you now, in your spirit. This is how you are connected to God, made alive in your spirit, to call Him, ‘Abba Father’. And this is the only worship that is true – the worship in spirit and truth. But the divine order has to be established in you, that this may happen. All other ways of reaching God, connecting with Him to worship Him are nothing but rules made by man.
Worshiping God in the spirit –
We are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. [Philippians 3:3] The true circumcision is a heart that is cleansed by the Blood of Christ, of sinful dependence on the human ‘self’, and the works of the flesh. It is a dethroning of ‘self’ and an enthroning of Christ in your heart, to worship God by the Holy Spirit who is in you, dwelling in your spirit, and glorifies Christ alone.
Worshiping in truth –
I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience as my fore- fathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day. [2 Timothy 1:4]
Sin entered through Adam to corrupt the entire human race; and man’s will power is never enough to overcome sin. But a conscience that is evil is made pure to enter into the presence of a holy God, through the Blood of Christ which cleanses you. How much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God? [Hebrews 9:14]
Cleansed from a guilt ridden conscience –
When the prophet Isaiah saw a glorious vision of the Lord whose train filled the temple, he was consumed with guilt, made conscious of his sin. ‘Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips’, They were his guilt ridden words; and the Angel of the Lord, touched his mouth with fire from the altar of God saying, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips. Your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged’. [Isaiah 6:5,6]
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; and guilt in your conscience will keep you from worship; from entering the presence of the Holy God. It is the Blood of the sinless Lamb of God, Christ Jesus, which cleanses you from the guilt of sin to worship the One True God.
Cleansed from dead works –
His Blood cleanses you from sin that you may worship. His Blood also cleanses you from sinful deeds – the dead works or lifeless observances. Christ has delivered you. It is for a purpose; and there is also a method to the accomplishment of the purpose.
The purpose – a spiritual house, a holy priesthood :
You also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood – to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God through Christ. [1 Peter 2:5] You are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, as you come to worship. It is to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God, through Christ. And there is a method by which it happens.
The method – to the spirits of saints made perfect :
In the new covenant, you have come not to Sinai but to Mount Zion.
The contrast describes the difference – For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest. [Hebrews 12:18]
The writer says thus about Mount Sinai, which symbolically represents the old covenant, the covenant of law. And then he moves on to the glorious difference, the covenant of grace. But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the Living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels –To the general assembly and church of the first born who are registered in heaven, to God, the Judge of all – to the spirits of just men made perfect –
To Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel. [Hebrews 12:22-24] It is the spirits of saints made perfect, that you are now part of.
What does it mean ?
It is to be initiated, permeated, or controlled, and perfected by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in your spirit. For, revelation knowledge from God comes in your spirit through the Holy Spirit. And it has to remain there, overcoming all the distractions that can arise in your soul, in your feelings and emotions to stifle it, so that it can be worked out through your body, in what you say or do. It is how Kingdom worship comes about. There is an involvement of your whole being, and it takes place continually in you. Even as you go about your tasks, you stay continually connected in your innermost being to the Holy Spirit in you. It is how ‘pray without ceasing’, becomes a reality in your life. Kingdom worship involves your spirit, soul and body. And Paul advocates what needs to be done, for this to happen.
Your spiritual act of worship –
I urge you brethren by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. [Romans 12:1] ‘And this is your spiritual act of worship’ – is how some translations express it. The truth that comes across is that, as you present your body to be a living sacrifice, it is –an acceptable sacrifice, a God pleasing service, and a spiritual act of worship unto God.
Your reason and intellect is involved in it. For, ‘reasonable service’ is a component of kingdom worship. Your body is consecrated to God for a purpose. And the gospel never demands that you shut down your intellect. As a man of God has said about his moment of salvation, it was ‘a rush of reason’ that he experienced, at that point of time in his life.
A renewal of your mind –
Rote prayers and meaningless repetitions find no place in Kingdom worship. There needs to be a renewal of your mind according to the word of God instead. For the truth of God’s word has to under gird all that you say or do in worship. Therefore, when you lift up your hands in worship, it is in acknowledgement of the truth, that God is the source of all that you have. And above all, it is an act of surrender, bowing down to His Lordship in all areas of your life.
The confession of your mouth in worship also needs to be in the revelation knowledge of God’s word. It is the knowledge of the truth of what the Blood of Christ has done, and is still doing for you that will make your worship pleasing and effective in God’s sight, when you offer praises unto Him regarding it.
The involvement of your mind in worship –
‘I beseech you according to the mercies of God’, says the apostle, in asking your body to be presented as a living sacrifice. But the mercy of God can be experienced only in your mind; it cannot be grasped in any other way. It is why Paul exclaims – Oh! The depth of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! [Romans 11:33]
Among all the billions in the world, He is mindful of you; and it is true of every child of God. It is pure grace. The reaction to this truth can vary according to your personality; but there will always be reverence and awe.
Reverence in worship –
The word of God dwelling in you richly, will find you worshiping in reverence and with liberty – Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. [Colossians 3:16] Worship is indeed very pleasurable; but the need to maintain reverence is always there. Therefore Kingdom worship is always with reverence and joy.
The connection with work –
And whatever you do, do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks unto God the Father, through Him. [Colossians 3:17]
The work that you do is not worship. But, in the work that you do, wherever and whatever it may be, you glorify God, doing it all in the Name of Christ Jesus, and with a grateful heart, giving thanks unto he Father. Work will no longer be drudgery or fruitless toil, when you know it is a God pleasing service in His Kingdom.
The connection with the Spirit –
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to the Lord. [Ephesians 5:18,19] The infilling of the Holy Spirit in you is the channel, through which worship in spirit and truth flows forth out of you. And it makes you the true worshiper whom the Father seeks after.
Permeates your relationships –
What you talk with God in your worship, should find it’s influence in what you talk with people too, in a very positive manner. For, what you are after worship, shows what your worship was.
Affects your giving –
This is the truth you know in your spirit, the revelation knowledge – For here we have no continuing city, but seek the one to come. [Hebrews 13:14]
And giving and sharing is a God pleasing sacrifice, which is a component of the worship in spirit and truth. Therefore, giving will no longer be difficult and hard for you to do, not just in your finances, but in every area of your life – But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. [Hebrews 13:16]
And above all you have been called to worship –
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people – That you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. [1 Peter 2:9,10]
And it is all by His amazing grace! In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
