The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Regulative principle

Agreed.



Let me offer a few words of admonition from Samuel the prophet in reference to the symbolic worship rites of the Old Testament, to the end that the reader not be caught up in the error of so many today who do not understand that the worship of God does not now, and never has, consisted of outward rituals performed only during brief periods in particular situations. Again, the true worship is, and always has been, a love for God manifested by an obedience to His will in all of life.

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry.” (1 Sam. 15:22-23)




It sounds like you are making an unbiblical sacred/secular division when you refer to "secular work."

And I don't see how you reached your conclusion about Arthur Pink's words. But I'm more concerned with Paul's thought, which, like Pink's, tells me that God cannot be worshipped by carnal means. In other words, the things that we do in obedience to God are not worship in themselves, they are only outward manifestations of a heart that is always in worship to God.

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands...” (Acts 17:24-25)

In the passage of Scripture quoted above, in which an audience of pagan Greeks is being addressed, Paul the apostle is correcting a group of men of their idolatrous concept of God and, in doing so, revealing to them the fundamental truth that those who would worship God rightly must do so in a manner consistent with His nature as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. In this discourse from atop Mars Hill, Paul goes on to say that God “giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (vs. 25), that “he be not far from every one of us” (vs. 27), that “in him we live, and move, and have our being” (vs. 28), and that, therefore,“we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device” (vs. 29). In other words, Paul is teaching his audience that they ought not to think of God in carnal terms and, likewise, they ought not to think that such a God can be worshipped by carnal means. For “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)




As you ought to do. But don't make the false delineation that these things are acts of worship, while obedience to other biblical precepts outside of this setting are not acts of worship. That is a compartmentalized view of the worship of God which cannot be biblically supported.

Every true Christian should understand that the Bible regulates all of his actions to the same degree in all facets of his life and that there is never a time when he is to cease from worshipping God “in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) and doing all things “as to the Lord” (Col. 3:23) Those who make statements such as: “Our worship begins at 10:00 A.M.” or ask “Where do you worship?” -- as if worship is something that is limited to brief periods of devotional activities in certain places -- show that they do not understand what it really means to worship God. And those who allow the Bible to strictly regulate their activities in church assemblies (most don't even go that far) but shrink back from allowing the Bible to regulate every facet of their lives, worship God in vain.