The full assurance of sin put away, is the alone basis of worship. It ministers not to a spirit of self-confidence, but to a spirit of praise, thankfulness, and worship. It produces, not a spirit of self-complacency, but of Christ-complacency, which, blessed be God, is the spirit which shall characterize the redeemed throughout eternity.
It does not lead one to, think little of sin, but to think much of the grace which has perfectly pardoned it, and of the blood which has perfectly canceled it.
It is impossible that anyone can gaze on the cross—can see the place which Christ took—can meditate upon the sufferings which He endured—can ponder on those three terrible hours of darkness, and, at the same time, think lightly of sin.
When all these things are entered into, in the power of the Holy Ghost, there are two results which must follow, namely, an abhorrence of sin in all its forms, and a genuine love to Christ, His people, and His cause.
Nothing is of any value, in the judgment of God, which is not immediately connected with Christ. There may be a great deal of what looks like worship, which is, after all, the mere excitement and outgoing of natural feeling. There may be much apparent devotion, which is merely fleshly pietism.
Nature may be acted upon, in a religious wax, by a variety of things, such as pomp, ceremony, and parade, tones and attitudes, robes and vestments, an eloquent liturgy, all the varied attractions of a splendid ritualism, while there may be a total absence of spiritual worship.
Reader, beware of all this. See that your worship stands inseparably connected with the work of the cross. See that Christ is the ground, Christ the material, and the Holy Ghost the power of your worship.
Take care that your outward act of worship does not stretch itself beyond the inward power. It demands much watchfulness to keep clear of this evil. Its incipient workings are most difficult to be detected and counteracted. Our only security is in keeping close to Jesus.
If we lift up our hearts in “thanksgiving” for some special mercy, let us do so in the power of the name and sacrifice of Christ. If our souls go forth in “voluntary” worship, let it be in the energy of the Holy Ghost. In this way shall our worship exhibit that freshness, that fragrance, that depth of tone, that moral elevation which must result from having the Father as the object, the Son as the ground, and the Holy Ghost as the power of our worship.