I could remember how I once thought John F. MacArthur taught salvation by works, only because I spent too much reading David J. Stewart’s site. I did feel some conviction about some stuff Stewart wrote yet it was hard to get out of it because of the conspiracy theories. Fortunately, I stopped and decided to investigate MacArthur’s site Grace to You, and found out he wasn’t teaching salvation by works or what lordship salvation is all about. There’s a wealth of books written by MacArthur. My first book was called Fool’s Gold. Later, I decided to investigate The Gospel According to Jesus and Hard to Believe. One book I later got (and at a cheaper price due to being legally and locally printed in the Philippines) is Worship: The Ultimate Priority. The book covers what the Christian life is all about–worshiping God.
As a former Roman Catholic, I found it interesting that MacArthur begins with the tortilla incident in New Mexico. I remembered that while I was growing up as a Roman Catholic (who also practiced Buddhism and Taoism) was the idea of miracles. I used to be enamored by these miracles. However, it was all but blind devotion toward so-called miraculous objects. Has the God of the Universe been demoted to a piece of bread? Yet, I was told that whether it was Catholic or Protestant (take note the name was given as an insult to the reformers)–it’s just a different interpretation but “Come on, it’s just the same prayer.” Martin Luther tried to reform Rome and was excommunicated. The reformers didn’t want to be reformers, they just wanted to be biblical.
As I read the book, I started to think that I’d barely known a fraction of true worship. It may sound intolerant but it’s actually a loving warning, especially to Roman Catholic readers, who may be curious about what means to worship God. Some say that we can worship God the way we want. However, the consequences can be serious when worship is done not according to the Bible. If you want to show your love for God–keep His commandments. Worship must be done according to the Bible. True, there are creative liberties like a church can have some drums and guitars. However, turning the Sunday worship service into a concert is absolutely disrespectful and deviates from the Word of God. The Sunday worship must be devoted to the liturgy of the Word of God.
Religious but lost people have their worship in ignorance. The world is stuck in several forms of unacceptable worship. First, you have the worship of false gods. It’s the most obvious reason why I refuse to believe that all religions worship the God of the Bible. Second, one can be worshiping God in the wrong form. The Israelites in Exodus 32 tried to worship God through the calf but failed. Today, some people try to worship God through the image of an old man. Third, we have to worship God in the way we want, not the way God wants. Remember how the Pharisees created a legalistic system. Roman Catholicism is just as similar. How many so-called Christian denominations exist because of that? The fourth one is very subtle namely worshiping the true God with a wrong attitude. We have unsaved people who worship God for reasons like money or hoping to buy salvation. However, that problem can happen even to saved people like dragging their grudges to church, giving stingily, and having an attitude that chooses not to focus on God.
As the book goes on, it focuses on one fact–Christians are saved to worship. You can’t be a true worshiper of God without being saved. Isaiah 64:6 says all our righteousness is like filthy rags. The book would also focus on God’s attributes to get to know Him better. Can a Christian be saved and know God instantly and be sanctified instantly? That’s why I say never expect perfect repentance or there’s nothing to repent after that during sanctification. Perfect repentance will not permit growth in grace. It would be important to study more of God’s attributes than just say, “God is perfect!” and “It’s God’s will.” It’s easy to say that it’s the will of God. However, to really know God’s will requires knowing His holiness, His unchanging nature, His omnipotence, His omnipresence, and His omniscience. It would require one to know that there’s no contradiction of God existing in the Persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are one in essence (God) and three in Persons.
It was also good to talk about the Lord Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman (John 4). Samaria became the capital of calf worship during the reign of Ahab. Later, Josiah destroyed the altars after the Northern Kingdom was defeated by Assyria. The Samaritan woman was taught about what it means to worship God in Spirit and in truth. Both Jews and Samaritans had been told one message, both of them must be born again. A deeper understanding of the woman at the well can shake anybody’s foundations. I feel that one reading or one study isn’t enough. The Bible must be read over and over, even slow down at times, because the Bible can never be fully understood by the limitations of man.
The glory all belongs to God. One should never think for a moment that worship should be for man’s praise. No, it’s for the glory of God and the declaration of His name. The Pharisees displayed their religiosity for the approval of men. The call for Christian living is Soli Deo Gloria or Glory to God Alone. I also feel the liberty to use the Jesuit’s often-used Latin statement, Ad Maoirem Dei Gloriam, or For the Greater Glory of God, because that’s what worship is. It’s always for the greater glory of God. I find it absurd the Jesuits have been using that phrase when actions speak otherwise.
Reading the book can be a life-changing experience. I believe the book may need to be studied chapter by chapter because of how rich the content is. It’s practically like drinking from a fire hydrant. If that’s not enough, it was like drinking an entire river or an entire ocean. I believe one reading will never be enough to fully understand the true power of worshiping God.
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