Is Everything Done To God's Glory Worship?

[heartoflesh]

Is Everything Done To God\'s Glory Worship?

A while back I was involved in a book study of A.W. Tozer's "The Pursuit of God", and the subject came around to what constitutes worship. I can't remember the exact Tozer quote that stemmed the discussion, but it was pretty much stating that even the smallest and most insignificant things can be worship, if done for God's glory. John Piper expresses a similar thought when he talks about "drinking orange juice to the glory of God" (sorry, don't have the reference handy). Of course, this is all derived from 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."


My questions are: Can mundane, everyday acts truly be called worship? If so, how can we articulate the difference between those acts of worship and those that fall under the RPW.... preaching the word, praying, singing, etc?

Is there such a thing as general worship and specific worship?

Rick

[Edited on 8-11-2005 by Rick Larson]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

The Regulative Principle of Worship, an extension of the Second Commandment, applies to stated times of public, family and private worship (there are distinctions in the application of the RPW to these different settings). It does not apply to all of life in general. All of life is to be lived to the glory of God, but worship is a separate and distinct act of approaching God and is regulated differently than the rest of life.

Westminster Confession of Faith, Chap. XXI.I:

I. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might.[1] But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture.[2]

WCF, Chap. I.VI:

VI. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.[12] Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word:[13] and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.[14]

From our Webmaster's article:

As Samuel Waldron has said, "It seems that one of the major intellectual stumbling blocks which hinders men from embracing the Regulative Principle is that it involves the idea that the church and its worship is ordered in a regulated way different from the rest of life. In the rest of life God gives men the great precepts and general principles of his word and within the bounds of these directions allows them to order their lives as seems best to them. He does not give them minute directions as to how they shall build their houses or pursue their secular vocations. The Regulative principle, on the other hand, involves a limitation on human initiative in freedom not characteristic of the rest of life. It clearly assumes that there is a distinction between the way the church and its worship is to be ordered and the way the rest of human society and conduct is to be ordered...."

[Edited on 8-11-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[heartoflesh]

Thanks, Andrew.

I guess more specifically I'm trying to find out if those acts performed in every day life, common to all societies, etc.., can technically be called "worship". I would tend to think not, based on what you've posted above. Certainly all we do should be done to God's glory, but not everything necessarily is "worship"--- lest the word be emptied of it's meaning. Am I correct here?

Or maybe this is a useless wrangling over semantics?

[Edited on 8-11-2005 by Rick Larson]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by Rick Larson
Thanks, Andrew.

I guess more specifically I'm trying to find out if those acts performed in every day life, common to all societies, etc.., can technically be called "worship". I would tend to think not, based on what you've posted above. Certainly all we do should be done to God's glory, but not everything necessarily is "worship"--- lest the word be emptied off it's meaning. Am I correct here?

Yes, that's exactly right, Rick.

 

[kceaster]

I think we could even go so far as to render it down to the two tables of the law. The first table is all about worship. So as it is directed to God specifically and holily (sanct - or set apart), then it is worship. The rest of life is encompassed in the 2nd table.

Drinking orange juice is not something directed towards God to extol Him and praise Him specifically. Yet part of our duty towards our creator is that we enjoy the things He provides, and so the drinking of orange juice would probably fall under the 8th commandment in that we are using something from God's creation respectfully and in its intended use.

In Christ,

KC

[Edited on 8-11-2005 by kceaster]

 

[JonathanHunt]

And at the risk of doing something I hate...

 

[heartoflesh]

Originally posted by JonathanHunt
And at the risk of doing something I hate...

No, you delighted in it, or else you wouldn't have done it.

 

[alwaysreforming]

This is an easy one, Rick. Worship is the "singing" part of a church service. I know that, because everytime one of my friends talk about their service, the word is used in this way:

"Wow, you should'a been there! There was an awesome time of worship, and then the pastor gave a great talk on "Excellence". Usually I don't like the preaching so much, but the worship is always good, and that's why I keep coming back. "

Hope that helps!

Seriously, though, I just opened up my "Grudem", and here's what he says:

"The term 'worship' is sometimes applied to all of a Christian's life, and it is rightly said that everything in our life should be an act of worship, and everything the church does should be considered worship, for everything we do should glorify God. However, in this chapter I am not using the word in that broad sense. Rather, I am using "worship" in a more specific sense to refer to the music and words that Christians direct to God in praise, together with the heart attitudes that accompany that praise, especially when Christians assemble together."

Then he goes on to say,
"Worship is the activity of glorifying God in his presence with our voices and hearts.... when we are conscience of adoration of him in our hearts, and when we praise him with our voices and speak about him so others may hear."

 

[heartoflesh]

Originally posted by alwaysreforming
This is an easy one, Rick. Worship is the "singing" part of a church service. I know that, because everytime one of my friends talk about their service, the word is used in this way:

"Wow, you should'a been there! There was an awesome time of worship, and then the pastor gave a great talk on "Excellence". Usually I don't like the preaching so much, but the worship is always good, and that's why I keep coming back. "

Hope that helps!

Great point. It's become extremely popular to limit the "worship" to the praise band and our reaction to them-- the praise band. Would most evanjellyfish churches today consider the sound exposition of the Word as worship? A stumbling block to the unchurched- yes, worship- no.

Seriously, though, I just opened up my "Grudem", and here's what he says:

"The term 'worship' is sometimes applied to all of a Christian's life, and it is rightly said that everything in our life should be an act of worship, and everything the church does should be considered worship, for everything we do should glorify God. However, in this chapter I am not using the word in that broad sense. Rather, I am using "worship" in a more specific sense to refer to the music and words that Christians direct to God in praise, together with the heart attitudes that accompany that praise, especially when Christians assemble together."

Interesting. Grudem seems to be answering my initial question in the affirmative, that is, "Can everything in our life be considered 'worship"?



[Edited on 8-11-2005 by Rick Larson]

 

[Texas Aggie]

God has established that which is acceptable for His worship. Anything else is "above and beyond" that which He has prescribed... therefore it is absolutely pointless (if not polluted). There is no glory to God when one worships contrary to His way.

Doing things (acts of expected Christian behavior) for His glory is another matter outside worship. In my opinion, worship has a prescription provided by God... this is the only thing that is acceptable to Him. God provides the means of observance and remembrance of Himself. Funny how man and the devil create substitutes.

If it is not prescribed by God, then it is unacceptable to God. If it is unacceptable to God, there is no glory to God.

 

[heartoflesh]

Another verse I've heard used to support the "All of life should be worship" view is Romans 12:1...

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (ESV)

(The footnote reads "reasonable service", so I suppose it depends on how you translate it.)

If it's "spiritual worship", then the question is whether the "presenting your bodies a living sacrifice..." is supposed to be something directly prescribed or whether it includes everyday, mundane activities.

[Edited on 8-11-2005 by Rick Larson]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by Rick Larson
Another verse I've heard used to support the "All of life should be worship" view is Romans 12:1...

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (ESV)

(The footnote reads "reasonable service", so I suppose it depends on how you translate it.)

If it's "spiritual worship", then the question is whether the "presenting your bodies a living sacrifice..." is supposed to be something directly prescribed or whether it includes everyday, mundane activities.

[Edited on 8-11-2005 by Rick Larson]

Whatsoever we do, whether it involves stated worship or something else, we are to do it with our bodies and our spirits engaged in the service of God and to his glory. The sacrifice of obedience is what we are to offer to God, whether in stated worship or in the ordinary activities of life. We are purchased with a price, and our whole beings belong to God. This verse though is not suggesting that all of life is worship. The context includes worship, but is not worship-specific. I think the Geneva/KJV/NKJV translation is more helpful in this case.

From the 1599 Geneva Bible:

12:1 I beseech 1 you therefore, brethren, a by the mercies of God, that ye b present your c bodies a d living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your e reasonable service.

(1) The fourth part of this epistle, which after the finishing of the principal points of Christian doctrine, consists in the declaring of precepts of the Christian life. And first of all he gives general precepts and grounds: the principal of which is this, that every man consecrate himself wholly to the spiritual service of God, and do as it were sacrifice himself, trusting the grace of God.
(a) By this preface he shows that God´s glory is the utmost goal of everything we do.
(b) In times past the sacrifices were presented before the altar: but now the altar is everywhere.
(c) Yourselves: in times past other bodies besides our own, but now our own must be offered.
(d) In times past, dead sacrifices were offered, but now we must offer those which have the spirit of life in them.
(e) Spiritual.

 

[JohnV]

My questions are: Can mundane, everyday acts truly be called worship? If so, how can we articulate the difference between those acts of worship and those that fall under the RPW.... preaching the word, praying, singing, etc?

Is there such a thing as general worship and specific worship?

My answer would be a bit different. I would turn it around to say that if true worship is not reflected in even the mundane things, then it would not be true worship. The RPW has to do with the elements of true worship, but do not address the heart of worship. That is, the RPW addresses formal worship, but true worship is in spirit and in truth. If we divorce areas of life from our worship of the Lord and Creator in every day life, then those are areas in which we shun God's authority or Lordship. This is informal worship, the heart and dedication, the daily love to the Redeemer. It requires of us thankfulness in all things, even in the drinking of orange juice or the music of the heart. For the Christian, he ought to be at home in the formal worship, but he won't be if he isn't worshipping God at home, in all things.

In other words, if worship is only what the RPW requires of us, then I would not call that worship. That is merely institutionalizing the practice. We are in danger of reinstituting the pharisaical worship of God. The important part of worship is the heart, not the formality. Formality kills true worship as much as overindulgence or selfishness in worship, doing what feels good, or doing what we will because "I see nothing wrong with it." However, formality is not itself wrong, and neither is worship from the heart in all you do. And this better reflects the RPW when we recognize the limits of freedom, refuse enslavement to our own impulses, know what truly pleases God, and come before Him with a true heart, submissive to Him in every way, not imposing upon God that which we will, but submitting to what He wills.

We are granted the use of all things, if we use it to God's glory. If we simply write off many things as being of use to God's glory, simply because they are not listed as requirements of formal worship, then we make too strong a distinction between the physical and the spiritual. Man was created to spiritual, even in his flesh, but instead became fleshly even his spirit. We are not called to separate ourselves from all things not included in the formal worship of God, but we are called to glorify God in the use of all things. For this is true worship, when we submit ourselves with heart and soul to our Redeemer in all we do, in life or death, body or soul.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

The usual verse that I see cited to support the proposition that all of life is worship is 1 Thess. 5.17: "Pray without ceasing."

Here is what Matthew Henry says:

Pray without ceasing, v. 17. Note, The way to rejoice evermore is to pray without ceasing. We should rejoice more if we prayed more. We should keep up stated times for prayer, and continue instant in prayer. We should pray always, and not faint: pray without weariness, and continue in prayer, till we come to that world where prayer shall be swallowed up in praise. The meaning is not that men should do nothing but pray, but that nothing else we do should hinder prayer in its proper season. Prayer will help forward and not hinder all other lawful business, and every good work.

He speaks to the principle also found in Ecc. 3.1: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." That is, there is a time for worship and a time for the mundane. While all is to be done to the glory of God, and everything is under the Lordship of Christ, there is a distinction between acts of worship and everything else in life.

It is very important to distinguish between the general activities of life which are to be done in faith for the glory of God in obedience to His moral law, and worship which is a particular act specially regulated by the first table of the law.

It is the Second Commandment, specifically, however, to which the RPW pertains.

The Second Commandment and the RPW deal particularly with the ordinances or manner of worship. False worship, ie., idolatry or will-worship/strange fire, is prohibited by the Second Commandment/RPW. False worship springs from unbelief which is prohibited by the First Commandment. The Second Commandment/RPW assume that the force of the other commandments, particularly the First, complement the requirements of the Second/RPW.

The Westminster Larger Catechism expounds on the duties required and sins prohibited particularly of these commandments.

See also Q. 50 of Fisher's Catechism:

QUESTION 50. What is required in the Second Commandment?

ANSWER: The Second Commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his word.

Q. 3. In what then does the Second Commandment differ from the first?

A. The First Commandment respects the object, and requires that we worship the true God for our God, and not other: the second respects the means of worship, and requires that the true God be worshipped in such a way only, and by such ordinances as he has appointed in his word, in opposition to all human inventions.

Q. 4. What is meant by religious worship?

A. That homage and respect we owe to a gracious God, as a God of infinite perfection; by which we profess subjection to, and confidence in him, as our God in Christ, for the supply of all our wants; and ascribe the praise and glory that is due to him, as our chief good, and only happiness, Psalm 95:6, 7.

Q. 5. What are these religious ordinances, which God has appointed in his word?

A. They are "prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ; the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word, the administration and receiving of the sacraments; church government and discipline; the ministry and maintenance thereof; religious fasting; swearing by the name of God; and vowing to him."[59]

There is great danger in confounding or blurring the distinction at issue here. The RPW can easily become a ball of wax to justify anything in worship and thus become the normative principle of worship and hence meaningless or, on the other side, one can see the confusion about the RPW applying to all of life leading to monasticism or the like and thus denying that God is glorified in mundane activities done in faith. I often hear that nature is God's chapel so we don't need to be a part of organized religion, we can worship God anywhere, anyhow. While there is truth is the thought that God can be worshipped anywhere, not just the Temple anymore, yet this "worship is all of life" philosophy negates the fact that specific ordinances of stated worship are required of us by God.

One particular error which could reasonably result from misunderstanding that the RPW applies to specific worship and not to all of life is the Second Commandment prohibition against graven images. Graven images are prohibited in the context of worship, not in the context of life generally. (Of course, pictures of the Triune Godhead are prohibited in all situations because, as Thomas Vincent has said, if they stir up not worship they are vain, and if they stir up worship it is false worship.) The Second Commandment/RPW, then, applies to worship as a separate and distinct act (thus prohibiting images in that context) rather than to all of life (thus images are allowed in general, subject to the regulations of God's Word, ie., the Seventh Commandment, etc.)

If we remember that pure worship is both a matter of 1) faith and 2) obedience to the prescribed regulations and ordinances of God, then we will see how as the highest duty of mankind it is separate and distinct from all other activities, and yet sanctifies the mundane when the mundane is done in faith to God's glory.

[Edited on 8-12-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]