“SATISFACTORY WORSHIP”

“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.”

Romans 12:1

Different religious groups have various ways of worship. For example, Judaism requires its body to observe the Shabbat and obey the Mosaic Law. Muslims must pray five times daily and read the Quran. Buddhists must follow the Uposatha and discuss Buddhist teachings and meditation. The Hindus have less formal worship compared to others, and they can go as they please. But how about Christians?

Does God accept every kind of worship, or does He have specific instructions on how His people should honour Him? God is a spirit; therefore, He does not have a physical body. The only exception was when God the Son came to earth and put on human flesh. But He is now back in heaven, in His glorified body.

In Romans 12, Paul gives practical instructions concerning the doctrines he taught in chapters 1-11. For the most part, that’s how the Apostle wrote his epistles: he started with principle and concluded with practical applications.

The Old Testament sacrifices were futile, mainly because the worshipers only adhered to the letters of the Law, but their hearts were disconnected from God. They failed to acknowledge that the sacrificial Law was only given as a symbol for the coming Messiah, who would offer the sacrifice to satisfy the demands of the Law, take away God’s wrath, and tear down the barrier between God and humans. Jesus Christ is the ultimate sacrifice that put an end to the Old Testament way of worship.

Paul appeals to the Romans and, by extension, to us, who are recipients of God’s mercies, to offer ourselves entirely to the Lord. Our bodies, which still can sin, must be yielded to God and be used as instruments of righteousness. In our life pre-salvation, we used our bodies for evil. But now that we are being saved, God wants us to use our bodies for His glory. He demands absolute commitment.

True worship is not about mere compliance with a set of rules demanded by a specific religious group. One can be as orthodox as anyone but remain an unregenerate sinner. You can pray all you want but stay an offender of God’s laws. You can be a master of meditation but have a cold, stony, unforgiving heart. This kind of worship fails to satisfy God’s standards for worship.

On the other hand, true worship goes far beyond bare acquiescence. It is natural. It is the heart’s response to what the soul is experiencing. Worship starts inside and is manifested outside. A person who believes in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross passed from death to life. The same thing can be said of his worship. It is an expression of his love for God.

Surrender your body to the Lord as a response to His goodness. Yield to the Holy Spirit, who transforms you into the image of Christ day after day. Your obedience is the only satisfactory kind of worship.

Pursue the Saviour today!