Our Worship Should Reflect God’s Transcendence

There is no other God but the Lord. But do you realize that even the demons believe there is just one God? In fact, we Christians could take a lesson from these imps of the dark world. The Bible says they tremble before Him. (See James 2:19) No doubt they shake before God mostly out of fear for His wrath (as well they should). Of course, as believers in His Son we do not need to fear God’s wrath that leads to eternal separation from Him. However, the Lord is still our judge before whom we will each stand and give an account for those deeds done in our bodies. (See 2 Corinthians 5:10)

Too many Christians today have become dangerously nonchalant in their approach to God. The modern trend is to view God more as our “buddy” than as transcendent, holy, majestic God. Nowhere in the Scriptures is God addressed as “Dear God.” He’s called Holy Father, but never “Dear” God.

The Bible is clear that the first and foremost way we need to “see” the Lord is as Isaiah did, “sitting on a throne, high and lifted up.” (Isaiah 6:1) When Jehoshaphat knelt before God to ask for help in their crisis, his opening words were, “God, are you not in heaven?” (2 Chronicles 20:6) In Jesus’ model prayer, He addressed God, the Father in the exact same way. He said, “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9 – KJV)

It must be human nature to want to reduce God to someone more like us, someone we can better wrap our minds around. Perhaps that’s why there are numerous times in scripture where God reminds us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) David wrote, “God has looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth.” (Psalm 102:19 – KJV) We must never forget that enthroned God is still way up there looking way down here below.

Our worship should reflect our honor of His holy and high position. Jerry Bridges said, “It is impossible to be devoted to God if one’s heart is not filled with the fear of God. It is this profound sense of veneration and honor, reverence and awe that draws forth from our hearts the worship and adoration that characterizes true devotion to God. The reverent, godly Christian sees God first in His transcendent glory, majesty, and holiness before he sees Him in His love, mercy, and grace.”

• Excerpt from the Praise More Powerful worship study (c) 2007 by Dwayne Moore