But many times, the posture of my heart is something other than reverence and awe when I come to worship God. It’s easy for all of us to forget the reasons why (and the means by which) we worship the Lord. We still bring offerings of our own merit to atone for our sins. We promote the good deeds we’ve done, or we condemn ourselves for the wrongs we’ve done and the good deeds we’ve left undone. We discount the unconditional, unfailing and liberating love of God, forgetting the perfect sacrifice of Jesus in our place.
Consider again what worship was like under the old covenant (before Jesus died and rose again):
“Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins.” (Heb. 10:11)
Now consider and marvel again at what Jesus has accomplished for us:
“But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There He waits until His enemies are humbled and made a footstool under His feet. For by that one offering He forever made perfect those who are being made holy.” (Heb. 10:12-14)
Oh the great love of God who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins that we might have access to Him and be made perfect and holy as He is!
Our response to God’s unfailing love should be nothing less than David’s: We should go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts, fully trusting Him and His finished work (not fiddling around with offerings of our own merit); and there we should worship with deepest awe the Savior who cleansed our guilty consciences and bodies with His innocent blood.
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a Great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.” (Heb. 10:19-23)
“So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.” (Eph. 1:6-8)
