Have you ever wondered what the author of Hebrews means when he states, “Let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.'” (12:28)? Is he saying that there are acceptable and unacceptable ways to worship God? These are the types of questions that are helping shape the purpose of www.AcceptableWorship.com. If you have asked yourself these questions, then follow along as we explore what the Bible says is “acceptable worship.”
Without holiness, we cannot worship God acceptably.
In looking at all of Hebrews 12, the author reminds Christ-followers many things: do not sin (1-3), be willing to accept discipline (4-11), live a Christian life (12-17), a reminder that believers live under the blood of Christ (18-24), and lastly, to worship God acceptably, with reverence and awe (25-29). When set in the context of the entire chapter, we see the author encouraging believers to stay committed to Christ, not discouraging them by setting parameters in their worship practices. Verse 14 states, “without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Without holiness, we cannot worship God acceptably.
As we pursue holiness, it does not mean we pursue perfection. We should continually remember that we are vile sinners, and repentance needs to be common in our walk with God. The author of Hebrews is, therefore, reminding believers that they need to continually pursue sanctification through confession of sin and worship. In other words, one cannot worship God acceptably if she willfully chooses to harbor sin. One cannot pursue both sin and worship simultaneously. And for our worship to be acceptable to God, we must pursue holiness over sin.
We cannot help but worship falsely unless we are guided by God’s Word.
Kevin Vanhoozer
The Westminster Confession of 1649 elaborates on Hebrews 12:28 by stating that liturgical leaders must lead the body of believers in, “the acceptable way of worshipping the true God [which] is instituted by himself . . . that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men . . . or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture.”1 One theologian asserts that it is the “height of presumption to think anyone has the right or ability to initiate the worship of God. Only by God’s preeminent call and grace, given to us through the person and work of Jesus Christ, can a congregation of God’s people come to worship.”2 As Kevin Vanhoozer states, “we cannot help but worship falsely unless we are guided by God’s Word.”3
Liturgies must be created as heart-forming moments for the believer and Gospel pronouncement for the unbeliever
Are you grasping the importance of offering acceptable worship to God? The purpose of worship is to draw near to God through Christ. Therefore, our liturgies (every church has a liturgy, by the way) must be created as heart-forming moments for the believer and Gospel pronouncement for the unbeliever. Hebrews 12 reminds us that worship is not about creating an “authentic worship experience.” Worship is about ascribing ultimate power and worth unto the Lord, through a liturgy that is completely guided by Scripture, to help form the hearts of “disciple-worshipers.”4 Nothing more, nothing less.
For further discussion on this topic, see Why the Quality of our Worship is Important
- Westminster Confession of Faith, 1647, XXI:I.
- Robbie F. Castleman, Story Shaped Worship: Following Patterns from the Bible and History (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2013), 81.
- Kevin Vanhoozer, Pictures at a Theological Exhibition: Scenes of the Church’s Worship, Witness and Wisdom (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2016),113.
- Scott Aniol, By the Waters of Babylon: Worship in a Post-Christian Culture (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2015), 179.
