Consider this chorus I wrote a long time ago:
I could never sing enough
To tell about Your wondrous love
But I will do the best I can
To wholly give you all I am
I could never give enough
To offer up what You deserve
But I will fear You everyday
For holy is Your mighty Name
Now compare it with this chorus I recently wrote:
We have nothing to give to You
But Jesus came
And He gave it all
So rightstanding we worship You
He takes our blame
And up from the Fall
We rise with Christ
My former understanding of worship was very Cain-like: "Don't you owe it to God for all that He's done for You?"
7 comments
Comment by B-U-R-L-Y on July 19, 2007 at 9:15 AM
your understanding may have been cain-like, but I think the song is still valid to sing with an understanding that the Spirit empowers anything we do. Because we still "do." We just "do" knowing that we'll never pay back or do enough or give enough, because we're not called to do enough ... we're just called to walk and do in the Spirit's power while rightstanding. Maybe one line could be changed to "Please help me fear You everyday." I don't know.
Comment by Ryan Flanigan on July 19, 2007 at 11:38 AM
The problem was that I had no understanding of Christ's mediation when I wrote the former chorus, nor did I sing the song with the right understanding that it is only by the Spirit and through Christ that I can give myself to the Father. Is it important for worshipers to have this Trinitarian understanding? And do we really have anything to give to God in addition to Christ's sacrifice?
Comment by B-U-R-L-Y on July 19, 2007 at 2:26 PM
Answer to question #1: Absolutely. Answer to Question #2: Hmmm ... the answer is absolutely nothing when you phrase it "in addition to Christ's sacrifice." The answer is "[our] bodies a living sacrifice ..." if you phrase it "because of Christ's sacrifice."
Comment by B-U-R-L-Y on July 19, 2007 at 2:54 PM
I think that's what you're saying. That's what I'm saying.
Comment by Keith on July 19, 2007 at 5:32 PM
Theological point aside,
They were both excellent songs though.
Comment by Ryan Flanigan on July 19, 2007 at 9:02 PM
Burly, the last question I asked you was, "Do we really have anything to give to God in addition to Christ's sacrifice?" My answer is "No and yes." No, we don't have any other sacrifice to give to God from a justification standpoint, because Christ was the Final Sacrifice. Yes, from a sanctification standpoint we are called to walk in the good works which God has prepared for us to walk in (Eph 2:10).
Where I see my definition of worship (which is still in formation) headed is toward what Heb. 13 says; namely, that our sacrifice of praise is doing good works through Christ. Our sacrifice of praise is not merely singing songs, which many people do as if they owe to God what Christ already paid for, seeking His approval. If we begin to understand worship as good works through Christ in all aspects of life, the church will begin to look much different.
Do we owe our lives to God? Of course we do. It is our reasonable service to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12), but my point is that [our] worship has less to do with justification and more to do with sanctification. Has ever a sacrifice wrought rightstanding with God? Just once, and that once for all in Christ. Has ever a sacrifice wrought sanctification? Only the sacrifice of those whom He has justified.
Comment by B-U-R-L-Y on July 20, 2007 at 6:41 AM
Yes.
Thanks for joining us and sharing your thoughts.