Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day, XXI:1

The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.

According to natural or general revelation, there is a God, a good and beneficent God, who is Lord and sovereign over all things. This is plain to men who have no excuse when they deny it (Romans 1). Men, as creatures, are obliged to worship and serve this God. But general revelation by itself cannot instruct men how they ought to worship God.

When first confronted with the idea that God alone may determine and direct his worship, many people are perplexed. They see worship as their gift to God, so it seems natural that whatever they decide to offer God will accept. But this is not so. God institutes acceptable worship. He determines how men are to approach him; he does not leave this to men's choices. Religious behavior is limited by his revealed will, which is special revelation or the written Word. Improper worship is defined by men's imaginations and designs as well as the suggestions of Satan, who ever delights to make men stumble and insult God. Worhsip may not, then, be given in any way not prescribed by Scripture. This is called the regulative principle.

There are several examples in Scripture of worship given that God did not accept. Cain's offering (Genesis 4) was unacceptable in God's eyes, but what Abel did was pleasing to God. Nadeb and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2) paid a heavy price for innovation in worship.

In other parts of this chapter of the Confession we will examine the proper elements of worship, so I will not expand on these now.

Men of conscience, in attempting to do what is right, have had conflicting ideas about what constitutes true and false worship. On one hand, some have thought that true worship consists of doing only that which God has expressly commanded and false worship is everything else. On the other hand, some maintain that true worship is that which is commanded plus anything not expressly forbidden. The latter definition is broader than the first. Paul gives us some guidance and a warning at the end of Colossians 2--watch out for man-made regulations that have superficial wisdom but are ultimately "self-made religion."

Visible representations of God may never be used in worship, either directly or as guides or aids. Biblical Christianity conscientiously avoids pictures and statues regardless of the traditions of men.

Tomorrow: The proper object of our worship.