# The essence of worship.



## JM (Dec 14, 2006)

What do you believe is the essence of true, Biblical worship?


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## bookslover (Dec 15, 2006)

JM said:


> What do you believe is the essence of true, Biblical worship?



The essence of worship is glorifying God. And this is what glory is:

_Glory is the sparkling of the Deity; it is so co-natural to the Godhead, that God cannot be God without it. The creature's honour is not essential to his being. A king is a man without his regal ornaments, when his crown and royal robes are taken away; but God's glory is such an essential part of His being, that He cannot be God without it. God's very life lies in His glory. This glory can receive no addition, because it is infinite; it is that which God is most tender of, and which He will not part with (Isaiah 48:11). God will give temporal blessings to His children, such as wisdom, riches, honour; He will give them spiritual blessings, He will give them grace, He will give them His love, He will give them Heaven; but His essential glory He will not give to another._ - Thomas Watson


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 15, 2006)

A few brief thoughts:

I think we are to glorify God in all aspects of our life, but I would define worship as a separate, distinct act of seeking after God, to commune with him -- "meeting with God," as it were. It may be at an appointed time and place, as in corporate or family or private worship, or it may be spontaneous, but it is distinct from our everyday activity, although we ought always to obey and live for God which means walking with the Lord at all times. 

We approach him by faith (Heb. 11.6), according to the ordinances he has appointed for this special activity (ie., prayer, singing psalms, reading/hearing God's Word, etc.), as revealed and prescribed by his Word. We do so to specially praise, adore, thank, petition and confess before him. To worship him is to glorify him, but to glorify him is not necessarily to worship him. 

To worship him sincerely is required (hypocrisy in worship being a grave sin) but sincerity apart from worshipping him as he has commanded is insufficient. That is why true worship is distinguished from will worship. One may engage in a certain commanded activity, such as prayer or singing, but if it is done without faith, or not agreeably to his Word, or with wandering thoughts, for example, then one may be sinning in the very act of worship (Prov. 21.4, 27). 

Also a Mediator is required, even the Lord Jesus Christ. Many "worship" God apart from Christ, or one they refer to as "God." But no one can worship God truly apart from Christ. This is essential to true worship. Our God is holy and we are sinners, hence our need. But those who draw near to God must draw near in faith and be sanctified (Lev. 10.3), clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Thus, we pray in his name, and plead his merit and sacrifice, not our own. Our attitude in worship ought to be like that of John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3.30).


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