ALL OF LIFE IS WORSHIP
“A MODERN DOCTRINE BEING TAUGHT IN SOME CHURCHES OF CHRIST”
By Carl O. Cooper
This doctrine is not new by any means among the denominational world, and it is gaining ground rapidly and being spread throughout the churches of Christ. Many look to Romans 12:1 in the NIV Bible for their text on this subject, and feel it teaches them that all of life is worship. It is true that all of our life is to be spent in a Holy lifestyle that reflects our Holy attitude in our service to God. And we should never lose sight that our life is a mirror to our heart, but everything we do is not worship to God.
There is a reason that this doctrine is being taught. It is not an accident by those who have invented it. This is a way to teach that there is no correct pattern in the Bible for the worship of the Church. This is very destructive. If there is no correct pattern for worship in the Bible, then any form of worship is correct. If this teaching is correct, then denominational religion carries as much credibility as the Church of Christ. This is the purpose behind this doctrine. It is a way to justify other religious practices and to copy or extend fellowship to other religions.
This doctrine is being taught and seems to be catching on partly because of a misunderstanding of scripture due to the wording of some modern translations of the bible.
Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God– this is your spiritual act of worship. (NIV)
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (NKJ)
This teaching is rebellious against the very foundation principles of all we read in the Bible. It follows that if all of life is worship then there is really no true pattern of worship designed by God as we have always affirmed in the church of Christ. This teaching brings all denominational practices up to the same level as the true church. That in effect would allow pure fellowship with all denominations and give credibility to their practices. If this were true then the very foundation of the church of Christ crumbles and becomes untrue and so the church of Christ ceases to exist. We become “just another denomination”.
Consider these verses;
Acts 8:27 so he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, (NKJ) (Note that it was a special act…to go somewhere to worship God)
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” (NKJ) (Note that worship was a special act)
You will notice in these verses that worship was to be a specific act done by the worshipper and done at a specific place and time. And not only was worship to be done at a specific place and time, but it was, and still is, to be done in a specific way and manor. We are told in John 4:24 that we are to worship in “truth” (according to God’s instructions) and “spirit” (sincere worship from the heart). (Carl notes .. However, worship can also be spontaneous and unplanned)
But no matter how you worship God, “all of life” is not worship.
John 4:24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (NKJ)
(Our worship must be from the heart and be sincere………And in accordance with God’s design)
Any worship we present to God must be sincere and from the heart and it also must be according to the truth of the Scriptures; according to the way God has designed for us to worship Him. For instance, we cannot create a statue to represent God and bow down to it as though it was God in our mind. We cannot worship God with sacrifices and we cannot worship God with chants and by burning incense. By the same logic we cannot worship God using instrumental music. (See Carl’s book about instrumental music for an explanation for this).
So it doesn’t matter if you are worshipping God during a planned worship service at a special place and a special time, or if you suddenly and without any plan fall down and worship God, you still must worship God “in truth” according to the instructions He has given us in the Scriptures.
To worship in spirit is to involve the emotions into your worship. You must be sincere and you must include your conscience and feelings into what you are doing. There are times when you may be overwhelmed by your emotions because of events that can happen in your life. Many times your first thoughts are to turn to God as your ally and your friend. Sometimes you desperately need God’s help. In these desperate times most people seek God through worship. But even in these times you must worship God in spirit and in truth.
There are many examples in the Bible of “spontaneous worship”. I can furnish a list of these Scriptures for anyone who would like one.
Carl O. Cooper
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