True Worship of God – Part III Humans were created to worship God. Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The purpose of the church, beyond serving the Lord and spreading the gospel, is to worship God through Jesus Christ. I Peter 2:5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” God is the object of our worship. He alone is worthy of worship. I Chronicles 16:25 “For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.” Psalms 96:4-5 “For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Worshipping God means crediting to Him the absolute worth that He alone deserves. He is our Creator, Redeemer and Lord. The Father and the Son receive worship. Matthew 14:33 “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” Luke 7:16 “And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.” If God is our object of Worship, we need to humble ourselves and give what is due to our maker. God is omnipotent, Omniscient, omnipresent: God is the supreme or ultimate reality; the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe. If that is the case, how should we approach Him.? As we approach God based on Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we should not forget that God is both gracious and holy. Even though we are not worthy to be in God’s presence, Christ’s death on the cross means we have access to God. So, when we come to God, we can come to him with confidence because he is seated on a throne of grace. This, however, does not mean that we can be careless. We need to humble ourselves in His presence. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Though God is love, He does not stop being holy and just. Christ’s sacrifice has given us a right to stand before God, but that does not give us a license to be irresponsible. Instead, we come to God by being reminded of the slavery from which we have been redeemed, and by presenting our bodies as instruments for righteousness. We are called to approach God with reverence and awe because He is a consuming fire. We are to come with holy fear and a repentant heart, knowing that without Christ we are unworthy to be in God’s presence. It is the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary that has paved the way for us to approach God. On our own, we are worthless individuals who dare not stand before the great God, lest we be consumed by His wrath. Dr Ashwin Drummond Laddertoheaven.co.in