Society and pop Christianity corrupts and perverts or twists the idea or concept of worship. Now people get certain pictures of it that define worship in their imaginations. The media portrays worship and that becomes superimposed in the minds of men. Then when true worship presents itself through the exposition of scripture, already established wrong thinking rejects the biblical portrayal.
In the English term “worship” is the first part of the term that corresponds to the words “worthy” or “worth.” Worship starts with the Person worshiped, which in scripture is only God, including Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the three persons of the Trinity. Worship corresponds to the value and character of the One worshiped. The worshiper does not define the worship. Worship does not conform to the one worshiping, but to the one worshiped.
False worship that starts with the worshiper one could call “subjective worship,” which is from the perspective of the subject rather than the object. “Objective worship” matches the object of the worship. That means the worship will not shift and change and mutate according to the feelings or affections of the worshiper. This is sacred worship. Sacred is another word for “holy.” God is the priority of worship.
If someone worships God, then God is first, ahead of other things. Someone who works God into his life is not worshiping God. He places value, worth, to something or someone else ahead of God. This means God is in fact not getting worship. Paul calls this worshiping the creature rather than the Creator.
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