Love seeks worshippers, but it seeks them under the gentle name of " Father." It places them in a position of freedom before Him as the children of His love. The Spirit, who acts in them and produces worship, is the spirit of adoption," which cries, " Abba, Father." It is not that God has lost His majesty, but that He, whose majesty is far better known, is known also under the more tender and loving character of Father. The Spirit, who leads to worship the Father, leads us also into the knowledge and enjoyment of all the love of God, who would have us to worship Him as His children.
The enjoyment of this love and of these privileges, God be thanked, belongs to the most simple and the most ignorant among Christians. The Christian, when once He has understood what the grace of God is, and has received the spirit of adoption, is entitled to enjoy them without any reasoning; as a child knows and loves and enjoys his father before he can give any account of that which he enjoys. "I write these things unto you," says the apostle John, addressing himself to the babes in Christ, " because ye have known the Father " (1 John 2:1313I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. (1 John 2:13)). The feeblest Christian is therefore perfectly competent for worship. At the same time, it is sweet to be able to estimate and explain this relationship with God. The more we think of it, the more we examine the word on the subject, the more shall we see the import, the deep blessedness, of it. The simple fact that God is our Father, and that we possess the enjoyment of such a relationship with Him by the Spirit, is in itself an immeasurable privilege for creatures such as we are. Every child of God Was this privilege in unquestioned right; but it is in Christ, and with Christ, that we possess it. He is " the first-born among many brethren " (Rom. 8:2929For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)). He is gone to His Father, and our Father, to His God and our God. What a sweet and blessed relationship! what a family is that into which we are introduced! And how are we, who were formerly strangers to these affections and to this love-how are we to learn these things? How are we to learn what the Father is, the knowledge of whom gives birth to these affections in our hearts? It is the only-begotten Son, the Firstborn in this new relationship, who reveals Him unto us. Eternal Son of the Father, enjoying the infinite love of Him in whose bosom He dwelt, it is He who reveals Him as He Himself has known Him.
Become man upon this earth, Jesus ceased not to be the Object of the same affection-affection which, when challenged, could not remain silent. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Nor did Christ, in anything, put Himself at a distance from this love. Upon earth, from the cradle to the cross, He was the Object of it in all its fullness, and He revealed Him in whom it was found. " No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him"" (John 1:1818No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18)). Jesus, a man, but also the Son of God, in the enjoyment of the fullness of this affection, dwells, even whilst upon earth, in the bosom of the Father, to originate and make known, here below, all the beauty-all the force-of that affection. As man, He was the object of this infinite love, in order that we might understand it in its application to men. So If associates us with Himself in the joy of this love, and He reveals it to us as He Himself knows it.
What grace in Him! and what a position for us! How does Jesus Himself, who by His death and resurrection has planted us in this blessedness, become to us an Object of love, of adoration, of devotedness of heart! The very glory which is given to us is presented to us by the Savior as a proof of this love. " The glory," said He, in John 17, " which thou hast given unto me, I have given unto them.... that the world may know that thou Last loved them as thou hast loved me." Such' is His affection towards us, that He desires that we may enjoy the Father's love. So He renders us capable of this enjoyment by revealing to us the Father's name. " I have declared," says He in the same chapter, " thy name unto the men thou gavest me out of the world; and I will declare it, in order that the love, wherewith thou lovest me, may be them, and I in them." Our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus. This fellowship expresses itself in adoration towards Him who is revealed, and towards Him who reveals.
It will be easily seen how the work of Christ is the foundation of all this blessedness, whether in order to introduce us without spot and without fear into the presence of the God whom we adore, or in order to place us in the relationship of children towards the Father. It was after His resurrection that Christ could say, " I ascend to my Father, and your Father to my God, and your God." Then it was that He could say, " Go to my brethren." Now the Spirit which He gives from on high answers to this blessing. He, is " the Spirit of adoption (or sonship ' Rom. 8:1515For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15), see also Gal. 4:55To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5); Ephes, 1:5)," as He is the Spirit of liberty; because we are " accepted in the beloved," and we enjoy a redemption which has made us " the righteousness of God in him," and therefore placed us in God's presence without a spot or stain of defilement.
Thus we have reviewed, at least in principle, the great foundation truths of christian worship. Perfect in Christ, united to Him, brought into the presence of God, whose love and holiness are manifest without a veil; as children beloved of the Father, and objects of the same love with Christ the First-born, we worship together, according to the power and affections which the Spirit, who has been given to us, inspires. We worship the God of Glory, whose presence is the stay, instead of being the terror, of our souls. We worship the God of love, whose will it is that we should be perfectly happy in Him, that He Himself might enjoy our happiness, Himself finding more joy in it than even we ourselves. We adore our Father with endearing confidence in His kindness, which blesses us with all spiritual blessings, and counts the very hairs of our head, while thoughtful of all our present need. We adore Him for that which He is in Himself. We adore Him for that which He is to us, the children of His house for eternity. We thus present ourselves in sweet communion before the same Father-our common Father-as His beloved children; so that brotherly affections are developed, and, the joy of each being reciprocally the joy of all, multiplied praises ascend to God. Hence we see in the New Testament, that, while indeed the consciousness of this relationship must necessarily be individually realized, in order that we may enjoy it together; yet, at the same time, the Spirit constantly associates us, and uses the words " we " and " us," when speaking of christian affections and feelings. The Holy Spirit shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts, it could not be otherwise.
But the effect of the presence of this " one Spirit" goes yet much further. Not only does He give us the consciousness of being in Christ-of being perfect before God, according to the efficacy of the redemption which Christ has accomplished; not only does He witness with our spirits that we are the adopted children of the Father, but He gives us also the consciousness of being but " one, body "-the " body of Christ," and " members one of another." The Church, which God has newly-created in Christ-that " one new man "-the redeemed who have been "all baptized into one body,"
Offering worship in "the unity of the Spirit," necessarily offer it as but " one body,' and that " with all the saints." They are the " habitation of God through the Spirit;" and, that Spirit uniting them all in the unity Of the body Of Christ, adoration ascends on high towards God, who formed them to be but " one new man " in Christ. If Israel, as a whole, was represented by the priests who officiated in the tabernacle, the faithful now, who render direct worship to God, do it in the unity in which they are all " one body in Christ." In this worship there is more than brotherhood. There is unity,' not of nation, and not only of family, but Of the members of one body formed as such, and indwelt by one Spirit. This is the endowment, privilege, and position of the Church, which is baptized into " one body in Christ," the Head being ascended up on high, in order that the members of the body. may render worship freely and with joy before God, by that unction which descends from Him.
Let us state some of the practical effects which flow from these truths:- First, it is evident that worship is the privilege only of the children of God. Being offered " in spirit' and in truth," and being Offered to Him who cannot admit sin into His presence, they, and they alone, who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, and who have received the Spirit, can draw near to God to adore Him. That a man who is not converted should render worship to God is simply impossible; for "without faith it is impossible to please God " (Heb. 11:66But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)). Such an one may be blessed in temporal things. He may, perhaps, ask such a blessing and be heard. God may have tender compassion for him, as a poor sinner; but as yet he knows not God, as yet he has not the Spirit, as yet he is not washed in the blood of Christ; and therefore it is utterly impossible for him to worship God. That he thinks he can draw nigh to God is but the proof that he is ignorant of what he is in himself, and of what the God is whom he thinks to serve. Who can enter into the sanctuary, save he who is sanctified? Who can address himself to a father, as such, save as a child? Worship, moreover, being offered in the unity of the body of Christ, and by the Spirit who has formed this unity, and who dwells in the body as in a temple, he who is not of the body is necessarily excluded. To suppose that a person who has not the Spirit can be a member of this body is to deny its existence, its end, and its nature; for, if a man who is not converted can enter into the presence of God, and worship there, there is no need that there should be either a body in which God dwells as in a temple, nor is there need of redemption, which is the basis of everything. Why should there be a redeemed people, if the worldling can serve God in His presence? Wherefore adore God by the Spirit, if he who has not the Spirit can adore just as well? Worshipping in common supposes persons united in one body by the same Spirit, and that each can say, " We," in sincerity, when addressing God. A hypocrite may be present; he will be a hindrance in the worship; but its validity will not be thereby destroyed, when the worshipper says, " We," in truth, in the name of all. It is believers who worship God.
To render true worship to God supposes that a soul is set at liberty, and is free to draw near to God, in virtue of the efficacy of the work of Christ. If a person who loves God, and who has no other hope than the work of Christ, is timid in drawing near, it is right to encourage him; but if such a one has no real knowledge of the efficacy of the work of Christ, he will be ill at ease even in drawing near to God, because God's presence will communicate to him rather the conscience of sins, than of the joy which that presence inspires to him who enjoys it in the peace which Christ confers. Nevertheless, in such cases of doubting and trembling, right affections often precede the being set free, and are more true to Christ than the reasoning of the mind; but this state of soul is not the normal state of worship. To be consciously in the presence of God, purified from all in by the blood of Christ-in the light as He is in the light-such is the true worshipper. This is the standing of the believer in Christ: and, in order to worship truly, this standing must be known and enjoyed. Sometimes bad teaching neutralizes this liberty, although the soul all the while, in its secret communings with God, cries, " Abba, Father!" As a principle, however, whatever allowance be made by charity for these cases of ignorance, true worship supposes that we can draw near to God without fear. This freedom of access is a necessary and absolute effect of the complete and triumphant work of Christ, of which every true believer has the benefit; but it is the presence of the Spirit which enables us to realize it.
How delightful to be able thus to adore God! What a source of joy is He whom we adore! How great the blessedness of finding oneself in His presence, no cloud between Him and us, no tinge of fear, because no vestige of sin! Being made " the righteousness of God in Christ," the presence of God becomes but an inexhaustible spring of happiness for that. new nature which He has given us, and which finds its enjoyment in Himself. What joy to be able to express one's acknowledgments, to render to Him one's thanksgivings, knowing that they are acceptable to Him! What a blessing to have His very Spirit, the Spirit of liberty and of adoption, as our power of worship, as the Inspirer of praise, of confidence, and of adoration! What joy thus to worship in unity, as members of the same family and of the same body, sensible that this joy is a joy common to all; knowing that those whom we love are infinitely precious and acceptable to the Lord, and that they all find their pleasure in praising Him who is worthy-the God who is the source of all our happiness-the Lord who gave Himself for us, in order that He might be our eternal portion!
God of love, our souls adore Thee!
We would still Thy grace proclaim,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
And in glory praise Thy name;
Praise and worship
Be to God and to the Lamb