We do not always think of repentance as worship, but it can be much easier to sing a rousing hymn than to turn away from our favorite sin. A sinful act involves worship of the wrong kind, submitting ourselves at that moment to serve the appetites of our pride or lust, and so repentance is literally a transfer of our worship back to the One who rightfully owns it. . . . . Worship has been misunderstood as something that arises from a feeling which “comes upon you,” but it is vital that we understand that it is rooted in a conscious act of the will, to serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ. The feelings, the joy of having been forgiven, follow on as a consequence of our reunion with him.
Note that Kendrick is not saying that love is a merely rational choice. When he says worship is "rooted in a conscious act of the will, to serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ," he is saying that worship is deeply connected to discipleship. We cannot say we adore him if we have ignored his call to leave everything else to come and follow him.
No comments:
Post a Comment