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May 2, 2017

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Does a Christian who commits suicide still go to heaven?

People commit suicide for many different of reasons. Some preventable, some not, none good and always tragic. Families are devastated by the loss, the whys and the doubts over what could have prevented it. Sometimes the entire family is treated as if they are guilty for the suicide. One painful question that sometimes adds to the grief surrounding suicide regards the eternal state of the person who killed himself. The largest Christian church in the world teaches that suicide is a mortal sin. Those who die with unconfessed mortal sins do not go to heaven. For many years those who committed suicide were denied funeral rites and burial in a church cemetery. What does the Bible teach about suicide? If a saved person commits suicide does he still go to heaven?

Most Christians view suicide as a sin. The Bible contains a few examples of suicide, but does not include any specific prohibition against it. The command against murder is generally recognized to also be a prohibition against self-murder. Suicides are often accompanied by a large number of extenuating circumstances, including deep despair and mental disorders. This does not mean suicide is not a sin, but recognizing the contributing factors can help those left behind understand what brought a person to such a state.

Those who believe suicide will keep a person from heaven base their belief on passages like Galatians 5:19-21 which declare that that no murderer can enter heaven. If a murderer cannot go to heaven then a person who self-murders cannot enter heaven. This conclusion presumes several things. First, it assumes an act of murder prevents a person from entering heaven. However, the Bible tells of several murderers who are declared to be saved, including such heroes of the faith as David and Paul. The Bible does not teach that the act of murder prevents a Christian from entering heaven, so one who commits suicide is not automatically excluded from heaven.

The second assumption builds on the first. Since there are murderers in heaven then it must be unconfessed murder which prevents someone from going to heaven. One who commits suicide does not have a chance to confess his sin and thus does not go to heaven. This assumption has one major problem. Samson is in declared in Hebrews 11 to be a man of great faith. Samson’s death was at his own hands and he did not confess his sin before dying. How can he be a hero of the faith if he is now suffering in hell?

The last, and foundational, assumption that leads some to conclude one who commits suicide can not go to heaven is the presumption that a saved person can make a choice that will cause him to lose his salvation. If this is true then anyone whose last act is a great sin is in danger of losing his salvation. If this is true Jesus then does not forgive Christians all their sin, but only the sin they confess. If this is true then the redeemed are not kept by the power of God but by the power of God and their continued devotion.

Those who are truly saved are forever saved. No action of the redeemed, no matter how terrible or final, can undo the work of Jesus. Jesus saves to the uttermost those who come to God by Him (Hebrews 7:25). No suicide nor any other sin is greater than the power of God to forgive or the work of Jesus to save. Salvation has nothing to do with anything the person does. Salvation is accomplished, from beginning to end, by Jesus. The redeemed are not saved because of their goodness, devotion or right choices. The redeemed are saved by the grace of God.

Suicide does not lock the doors of heaven upon a soul. The grace of God is greater than all sin, even if the last act of a person’s life is a great evil. “Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.” (Romans 6) Suicide tragically ends a life, but all those who trust Jesus for salvation are eternally saved no matter how their life ends.

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April 21, 2017

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Are Mormons Christian?

In an effort to rid themselves of the longstanding label of cult the Mormon church has spent a lot of money on advertisements to present themselves as mainstream and Christian. Their founder, Joseph Smith, described Mormonism as a restoration of the true church that was lost after the death of the apostles. The church website says, “Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unequivocally affirm themselves to be Christians.” Mormons believe themselves to be Christians, but does their self-evaluation line up with the Bible’s evaluation?

Mormonism is not Christian because its teachings are in direct opposition to central tenets of Biblical Christianity. Most importantly, Mormons deny that Jesus is God. They call Him the Son of God, but do not mean it as the New Testament. Mormon’s believe Jesus was a spirit being organized, or formed, by God the Father and is a separate being from the Father. Jesus is a god and the Father is a god, but they are not one. Lucifer was also organized by the Father and is the spirit brother of Jesus. Many other gods exist and Jesus was appointed by these gods to be the redeemer of earthly humanity.

Jesus’ death on the cross does not wash away all sin of those who believe Him, nor does faith in Jesus bring eternal righteousness to the believer. The death of Jesus on the cross makes it possible for men to achieve salvation. Salvation is not received by faith alone, but is accomplished by faith, baptism, good works, obeying God’s command and obeying the teachings of the Mormon church.

Mormon’s believe that salvation is by God’s grace. The grace of God in Mormonism does not give salvation freely to those who turn to Him. God’s grace makes it possible for the faithful to earn their salvation.

Mormonism denies that God is the only God and denies that He is the Creator God who made everything. The Mormon god was once man like us on a different world. God had a flesh and bone body. By his obedience to eternal laws God became an exalted being and is now the god of this planet. He is one of many gods, all who are exalted beings that have risen to their divine state by their obedience to eternal laws. By their faith and obedience earthly men can also be exalted to become gods themselves.

The Bible teaches that none who deny Jesus is God are saved (1 John 2:22-23)), that salvation is only by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9), that any attempt to earn salvation rejects God’s grace (Galatians 2:21) and that any one who preaches a false gospel of moral behavior and personal effort is condemned (Galatians 1:8-9).

Mormonism is a dangerous fraud that presents itself as Christian. The Mormon church willfully obscures its true message to deceive the unlearned or unwary. Mormonism rejects many key tenets of Biblical Christianity. It teaches doctrines both ridiculous and abhorrent. It does not share a common faith with Christians. Mormonism is not Christian and, sadly, those who believe the teachings of Mormonism are not saved.

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March 28, 2017

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What is a Fundamentalist?

The term fundamentalist is tossed around rather loosely these days. Often groups identified as fundamentalist do not claim that title for themselves. Their opponents apply that name to them. Some see calling another a fundamentalist as the highest insult one can give. The real meaning and history of the term is often buried under the derogatory rhetoric of its opponents.

Fundamentalism is almost always used in reference to religion groups. A fundamentalist is one who holds to a strict historic and literal interpretation of a religious text. An Islamic fundamentalist is one who intreprets the Koran literally. A Mormon fundamentalist holds to a strict application of Joseph Smith’s and Brigham Young’s teachings. A fundamentalist group is one that clings to the original interpretation of its scriptures.

Though today fundamentalist is often used to describe violent extremists, fundamentalism did not gain common use with the increase of worldwide terrorism. Fundamentalism as a “name brand” gained popularity in 1920’s America. Fundamentalism was a Christian movement. Churches and denominations across America were being influenced by men who did not believe certain key doctrines of Christianity. These men, called theological liberals and modernists, denied that Jesus was born of a virgin, rejected the inspiration of the Bible, questioned the resurrection of Jesus and discarded substitutionary atonement. A group of men stood up in their churches and denominations to fight for the preservation of the historic doctrines. To aid in this battle a series of books called “The Fundamentals” were published. The men who fought for the long held beliefs of Christianity became known as fundamentalists.

Later, in the 1940’s and 50’s, fundamentalism became more narrowly defined. Certain men who believed the fundamental doctrines wished to cooperate in ministry with the liberal denominations. These men were frustrated by the long contention and distanced themselves from fundamentalists. A new group in American Christianity was formed. This new group of Christians still taught the core doctrines of the Bible and were willing to work together with those who did not. They took the name New Evangelicals. Fundamentalism began to be distinguished by its doctrinal stand and its separation from teachers of apostasy.

The doctrines a fundamentalist defends are the key doctrines of the Bible necessary to be believed for salvation or integral to the truths of God, Scripture, Jesus and salvation. A fundamentalist believes Jesus is God the Son, Jesus died on the cross to bear the punishment for sin and He rose to life again. A fundamentalist believes the entire Bible is the Word of God, perfectly inspired by God and authoritative over men.

A fundamentalist attempts to interpret the Bible in a literal sense. The fundamentalist reads a text using the normal rules of language and literature. If a common sense reading of a passage produces a reasonable meaning then that meaning is preferred.

Though some Christian fundamentalists have picketed funerals, shouted vile curses at people and done violence to others this is not a hallmark of Christian fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is about a particular set of doctrines and the relationships between believers because of these commonly held doctrines. Christian Fundamentalism is not a violent rebuttal of political and moral idealogies. Christian fundamentalism seeks to persuade and convince not overpower, confine or destroy. Fundamentalism is a bastion seeking to preserve and defend core truths of the Bible.

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March 15, 2017

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Christianity, Jesus

What would the world be like if Jesus was never born?

Imagining history without certain major figures can be an entertaining exercise. What would the world be like if Buddha, Ghandi, Socrates, Einstein or Newton had never lived? Would things be better off? Would someone else have come along to make similar contributions to history? These kinds of questions are ultimately impossible to answer, but attempting to answer them provides insight into the real significance of historical figures

A reasonable argument can be made that the accomplishments of great men and women likely would have been made by others. The philosophy of Buddha was not just the product of his own mind. Buddhism grew out of the philosophy of others and was added to by those who followed Buddha. His ideas are likely to have risen, maybe in a slightly different form, from the mind of another. The genius of Einstein was not limited to Einstein. His discoveries probably would have been made by others. However, Jesus stands alone in history as totally irreplaceable.

Jesus is not another great philosopher like Aristotle or another influential teacher like Ghandi. Jesus is the Son of God who became human. His contribution to history is more than being a great example of compassion or of founding a religion. In His thirty-three years of life Jesus changed the world. By His death on the cross Jesus paid the penalty for sin. All those who trust Jesus for salvation are forgiven, made new in Christ and given the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus was crucified and rose again, God began to make His name known to the world in a new way. For much of recorded history before Jesus’ birth God was working in the world through the nation of Israel. God called the world to come to Israel and see His glory. Because of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus God sends Christians out into the world to tell all mankind of Him.

Because Jesus died, rose again and returned to heaven He sent God the Spirit to reside in all believers. The Holy Spirit transformed the disciples from a group of terrified men into a bold force that proclaimed the gospel in the face of intense persecution. The gospel they preached spread across the world.

Jesus transformed Saul of Tarsus. Now known by his Greek name Paul of Tarsus traveled the Roman Empire preaching the gospel. The apostle Paul could have been replaced by many other men. Only Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and the promised Messiah, could transform and enable Paul to preach as he did. The history of the western world has been shaped by the gospel of Jesus.

Jesus is not done shaping history. As God He is actively working now to bring history to His intended conclusion. The final thousand years of history will take place after Jesus’ conquers the wicked nations of the world and establishes a worldwide, righteous empire. He will bring history to its God designed conclusion.

Jesus is not another great religious leader. Buddhism would have probably found its entrance into he world, but without Christ there is no Christianity. Other Christ’s rose in Judea before and after Jesus, but none were the true Messiah. They faded off the scene and have left little impact on history. Jesus is the true Messiah, the promised Savior and Son of God, who transforms history. The work Jesus did in bringing salvation to the world cannot be duplicated.

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March 3, 2017

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What is Repentance?

In the early 90’s Leonard Cohen sang, “When they said Repent, Repent, I wonder what they meant.” Repentance is a significant theme in the Bible and a common message from preachers. Protesters, church groups, religious activists and whacko cults regularly call America to repentance. While many have heard the exhortation to repent, how many who hear the call to repent and, like the songwriter, wonder what is meant?

Repentance is not a difficult concept to define. To repent is to turn away from something. Repentance is a U-turn in life.

To give a bit longer definition, repentance is a change of mind that produces a changed life.

In more theological terms repentance os turning from sin to the Lord. Repentance is a decision that produces a changed life. Turning away from something is not a process, it is immediate. Until a person turns from sin, he cannot rightly be said to have repented. Once he has turned to the Lord a person can no longer be described as repenting. The things that move a person to repentance may work in a life for many weeks or months. The results of repentance will be a life long process of obedience. Repentance itself is not a season, nor a process, it is a momentary decision that has lifelong results.

Many things have been misunderstood as repentance. Penance is not repentance. Penance is a self-punishment designed to show true sorrow and achieve absolution. Repentance is a change, not self-punishment.

Sorrow is not repentance. A person may be sorry for many reasons without turning from sin. Sorrow, guilt and shame will help lead a person to repent. Feeling these things is not repentance. Taking steps to avoid the unpleasant emotions caused by sin is not repentance. 2 Corinthians 7 warns against the fleshly sorrow that does not genuinely repent. A criminal may cry how sorry he is after he has been caught, he may promise to never do it again, he may genuinely desire to avoid any trouble because of his crime, but when the fear of consequences dies down he soon returns to his felonious ways.

Genuine repentance, Godly repentance, sorrows over the sinfulness of sin. The repentant person acknowledges the reality of sin. He confesses “I was wrong” without attempting to justify or explain away the sin. Repentance forsakes sin. To repent is to admit guilt and to reject the sinful behavior. Repentance turns from sin to the Lord. Repentance is more than stopping bad behavior. Repentance is a u-turn, not slamming on the brakes in the middle of the road. Repentance turns around to follow the Lord. Repentance replaces the love of sin with the love of God. Repentance seeks forgiveness for sin. A repentant person seeks forgiveness from the Lord and from anyone who has been wronged by his sin. Repentance rejects sin, desires to live for the Lord and seeks help from God to live in obedience to Him.

The story of Zaccheus in Luke 19 gives an excellent example of repentance. Zacchaeus was a traitor and extortionist who got rich off the bondage of his own people. He desired to see Jesus and then with great joy received Jesus into his home. Zacchaeus turned from his evil ways, gave half his possessions to the poor and paid back to those he had robbed four times what he had taken. He turned to the Lord and forsook sin. This is repentance.

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March 1, 2017

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Should Christians Celebrate Lent?

Today is Ash Wednesday the first day of Lent. Lent is a season of forty days of self-denial in preparation for the celebrations of Holy Week most significantly Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Lent is familiar to many as a Catholic tradition, though the Lutheran and Episcopalian churches have traditionally observed Lent as well. Recent years have seen other denominations take up the practice. Now Lent is a religious season observed by many Christians from a wide range of backgrounds.

The observance of Lent is taught as a time of self-denial through fasting and other forms of self-discipline to increase the spiritual discipline of the Christian. During Lent the individual is purified in mind and heart. For some Lent is a season of repentance and sorrow over sin. The Lenten observances are practiced to prepare the worshiper to better celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Lent is not found in the Bible. Though the Bible does contain examples of forty day fasts (Jesus in the wilderness, Moses on Mt. Sinai) those fasts served very different functions than the season of Lent. No fast in the Bible is presented as the model for all Christians to follow. Jesus assumes that all Christians will fast, but the New Testament contains no command for believers to fast. The New Testament does not command any specific season for fasting. Nor does the Bible forbid the Christian to observe holy days and special religious seasons. Scripture never commands ritual observances but it does give very strong warnings about rituals, holy days and similar observances.

Lent is not necessary as a spiritual discipline. The spiritual disciplines found in the Bible, some call them the means of grace, are things to be practiced on a regular basis. The spiritual disciplines are prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, good works and participation in the ordinances (sacraments). Spiritual disciplines practiced only six weeks out of the year are of little value. Think of an athlete who only trains six weeks out of the year. He’s not going be much of an athlete. Lent should not be observed if it is seen as the primary means by which the individual becomes spiritually strong or receives special spiritual blessing from God.

Lent is powerless as a means to purify the heart. The Bible specifically teaches that actions do not defile the heart, nor can they purify the heart. Behavior comes from the heart. (Mark 7:15,18-23) Impure behavior reflects an impure heart. Yet, right behavior from an impure heart will not purify the heart. (Matthew 23:14) Only the blood of Jesus purifies the heart from sin. Lent may be a good time to reflect on the suffering of Jesus for your sin, but if it is relied on as a means of purifying the heart it should not be observed.

Some observe Lent as a form of penance. Penance believes that enduring bodily suffering or paying a penalty will show true sorrow for sin. When penanced is performed sin can then be forgiven. God’s forgiveness is never given in response to an act of contrition. God’s Word is very, very clear on this topic. Forgiveness is only the gift of God given freely to those who will ask it of Him. Any effort to earn or purchase forgiveness rejects God’s forgiveness. (Galatians 2:21) He will only forgive those who trust Jesus alone for full pardon and eternal salvation. If Lent is done for the forgiveness of sin it should be repented of and the penitent should turn to Jesus for forgiveness.

Lent is not forbidden in the Bible. It can be carefully observed in a way that promotes the gospel, glorifies God and draws believer closer to Christ. Let the words of Romans 14:5 guide your thinking regarding Lent. “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Keep Lent or do not keep Lent, but do so to the Lord.

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February 3, 2017

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What is an evangelical?

American Christianity can be broken down into various groups, sets and sub-sets. Regardless of denomination and church affiliation certain broad categories describe sections of Christianity. These categorizations can help observers understand the general beliefs of various churches and Christians. Four major descriptions of protestant Christians are liberal, evangelical, fundamental or charismatic.

Evangelicals have gained a lot of media attention. A lot of this attention has been unhelpful and often inaccurate. Most news agencies fail to understand Christianity and and to distinguish between Christians beliefs. Any one who attempts to define evangelical based upon the presentation of popular media is sure to be confused.

A simple, exhaustive and settled definition of evangelical does not exist. Many call themselves evangelical whom this author would insist is no more evangelical than a green-soled slug. Some who are evangelical in every significant sense of the word refuse to accept the title. This use of evangelical is a broad categorization of a certain segment of Christianity. Evangelicalism as a label must not be confused with denominations like the Evangelical Free Church or the Evangelical Church of North America or even organizations like the National Association of Evangelicals. While these denominations and church groups may be evangelical the category evangelical is broader than a single denomination.

The most common definition of evangelical has four key elements. An evangelical is one who believes in the necessity of the death of Jesus on the cross for the salvation of men, in the necessity of being born again, in the authority of the Bible and in the importance of applying the Bible to life, especially in regards to calling others to salvation.

An evangelical is one who believes Jesus is God who died on the cross to purchase salvation for those who believe Him. Crucial to this is the conviction that salvation is the gift of God, never the work of men. Jesus died for the salvation of men. Salvation is freely given to those who believe Him. Salvation is never given to those who strive to earn their way to heaven.

Every individual must personally trust Jesus for salvation. The ideas of conversion and personal commitment to Christ are core tenets of evangelicalism. The individual must personally believe on Jesus Christ for salvation. A person must be “born again”. When one turns to Jesus for salvation he is made a new creature and begins a new life in Christ.

The Bible is God’s Word and the authority over the Christians life. The Bible is to be applied to every part of the believers life. This is especially true of the necessity of evangelism. Since none can be saved apart from believing the gospel every Christian has the duty to proclaim the gospel message to others.

Evangelicalism is a largely self-applied label. Those who wish to call themselves evangelical can do so with little repurcussion aside from the disagreement of others. Evangelicalism is possibly the largest category of protestant Christians in America. Evangelicals can be found among Lutheran, Baptist, Wesleyan, Presbyterian, Methodist, non-denominational churches and most other protestant churches.

Evangelicals will disagree amongst themselves about the specific features of these four broad categories, but, in general terms, this definition accurately describes the distinctive features of an evangelical in America today.

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January 13, 2017

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Christianity, The Bible

Are the words in the Bible written in red more important?

The first red letter edition of the Bible was printed in 1901. The first red letter New Testament was printed just 2 years before in 1899. The idea to print the words of Jesus in red is credited to Louis Kopsch. He was the editor of a Christian magazine and committed to the distribution of the Word of God. He hit upon the red letter idea in hopes of encouraging people to read the Bible. The first red letter editions printed in red the words spoken by Jesus and any passages in the Old Testament that Jesus later quoted. Today most red letter Bibles only print in red direct quotations of Jesus.

The majority of Bibles today are red letter editions. With large blocks of red ink the four gospels have a distinctive appearance. An unfortunate side effect of this printing innovation is readers who treat the red letters as more important than the rest of the Bible. The red letters become the lens through which the rest of the Bible is interpreted. In cases where there appears to be contradiction, the words of Jesus are given the priority in resolving the contradiction.

This seems reasonable. The words in red are direct quotes from Jesus. The rest of the Bible is what God said through men. Shouldn’t we give priority to the words of Jesus?

While the argument sounds good because it gives Jesus the most important place, it misunderstands the nature of inspiration. The doctrine of inspiration teaches that the entire Bible are the words of the Son of God. The things Hosea wrote are no less God’s Word than the things Jesus said. Inspiration is described in 2 Peter 1:21, “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Biblical inspiration refers to the process by which God’s Words were written down by God’s prophets and God’s apostles. The human authors of the Bible wrote exactly what God told them to write. This does not mean God dictated to them what to write. The authors of the Bible were not like secretaries typing up a letter as dictated by the boss. God spake His Word using the personality and intellect of the men. The writing style of Paul is very different from that of Peter. God used these men in such a way that they wrote in their own style but still wrote exactly what God intended to be written.

All of the Bible claims to be the very words of God. How many times does the Bible say, “The Lord said”? Are the quotes of God the Son on the earth less important than the quotes of God the Father from heaven?

Jesus Himself spake the words of the Old Testament as if they were as authoritative over Himself. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness He responded by quoting the Old Testament. Jesus was showing that the Word of God was the authority over His life. He did not assert His own superiority, but declared His humble obedience to the Bible.

Jesus quoted the Old Testament in His own life. While on the cross Jesus cried out the words of David from Psalm 22. The words of David were prophetic of Jesus. Are those words more true than the rest of the Psalms because Jesus said them?

The Bible cannot be split into various parts with some more important than the others. The Bible is all the Word of God, equally true and important no matter who is being quoted, or it is not. Emphasizing any section as greater than the rest is a dangerous path which inevitably compromises the authority and perfection of the Bible.

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December 16, 2016

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What does “Jesus” mean?

In Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus we are given some insight into the man who would become his father. When Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy he decided to put her away because of her immorality. While Joseph was thinking about the situation the angel of the Lord came to him and explained that Mary was not unfaithful. She was pregnant through the power of God. The angel said to Joseph, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

What does the name Jesus have to do with saving people from sin? Someone without a Biblical background would not read the name of Jesus and think about salvation. The explanation of what seems to us to be a cryptic statement is found in the process of transliteration.

Transliteration is the bringing of a word from one language into another. Often a transliterated word is changed a little bit to be more easily pronounced or read in the second language. Taco Bell commercials do not use transliteration. They insert Spanish into the English text and dialog. News programs frequently utilize transliteration. Most reports about Islamic terrorists require transliteration of names and places. Arabic letters are unreadable to most Americans. The producers of news programs write the Arabic names in English and spell them with a close phonetic approximation to the original name. The end result is what we read is a little bit like how the word sounds in its original language However, with every transliteration there is usually a slight change of pronunciation. The word we city we call Moscow is pronounced Moskva in Russian

All of this applies to Jesus’ name because the familiar English word is a transliteration of a transliteration. In Hebrew the name the angel declared was Yeshua or Yehushua. That Hebrew name was transliterated into the Greek as Iesous. The Greek name was then transliterated into English as Jesus.

The angel announced to Joseph “thou shalt call His name Yeshua” and like most names today names in Biblical times had meanings. Most definitions of names were rarely thought of in day to day life (when was the last time you told someone the meaning of your name?). Jesus’ name carries significant meaning.

Yehushua means “Jehovah saves”. The angel told Joseph they would name the child “God saves” because the baby being carried by Mary was the one who would save His people. The baby in Mary’s womb was the Savior promised by God to bring deliverance to His people. The angels message to Joseph is just one of the many reminders of the great importance of the entrance of Jesus into this world.

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November 19, 2016

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Christian living, Christianity

What is the difference between praise and worship?

Browse through church websites and you will find a pair of often repeated word: praise and worship. The words praise and worship can be found together in a single phrase, separated into different concepts or substituted for each other as synonyms in a paragraph. What are praise and worship?

Culturally, the words are descriptive of a wide range of events. Praise and worship are used most often as if they mean the same thing. The Bible uses the words frequently, a few times close together but most often separately. They overlap some in their usage but are distinct in meaning.

Praise is most often used for the vocal exaltation of the greatness of God. Praise is the verb that fills the Psalms. Boasting in God’s deeds, giving thanks to God for His work and blessing the name of God are all acts of praise. Praise may be accompanied by other activities, like dancing or feasting, but praise is done with the voice. Praise is telling. Praise is telling God and others how wonderful God is.

While praise can legitimately offered to one other than God, worship is to be reserved for God alone. Worship is the act of a humble person adoring his God. Worship often involves a ritual, a form or a liturgy. Worship offered sacrifice, attended the feasts, knelt in prayer, gave offerings or approached God in another way commanded by Him. Worship took place in public and in private. A person worshiped at the temple surrounded by others or at home by himself.

Worship in the Old Testament always has the idea of bowing down before another. The New Testament frequently uses worship in the same way and includes the analogy of kneeling before another to kiss his hand. Worship bows before God in reverence of the One you serve.

Worship today is often understood only in its relationship to music. The time of singing at the beginning of a church service is known as worship. Listening to a playlist of Christian songs is considered to be worship. Singing with a congregation or listening to Godly music alone can be acts of worship, but worship in the Bible is never restricted just to musical expression. In fact, the majority of Biblical discussions of worship do not involve music in any way.

Praise and worship are also understood to be a very emotional experience. Both involve the emotions but neither can be defined from the Bible as primarily emotional. The Psalms are heavy on emotion but even heavier on doctrine. The character and power of God are the central truths to which the Psalmist responds in praise.

Jesus says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” Worshiping God in truth involves the mind. Worship requires an understanding of God. Worship is an intellectual activity. The worshiper thoughtfully considers the glory of God, the truths of God, the grace of God and the commands of God. The thoughtful worshiper then responds to God’s greatness. Worship that does not encompass the emotions is hollow. Worship that does not exceed the emotions is shallow.

To generalize the differences between praise and worship think of worship as bowing down before the altar and praise as standing with arms raised to heaven. Though ideas have similarities with each other, praise and worship are two different approaches to God. Both should be part of the Christian’s relationship with his God.