Let’s dive in with the adoption concept in mind. When a child is adopted, do they have say or a choice? In other words, can they do anything to stop the adoption? No. Granted, in very rare cases when the child is older who is being adopted, their desire or preference may be a factor, but in most cases and for the purpose of this analogy, the child to be adopted is at an age and state where they are helpless. A baby is helpless and abandoned when put up for adoption, and when it is chosen by a family to be adopted, that family is stepping in and doing all the work. Thus at the end of the day, that child IS a part of that family. What a great analogy in terms of what the Father has done for us through Christ in adopting us as sons! We are also given a little more insight into the mystery of the Gospel and the motivation of our worship. After saying that the believer is adopted through Jesus Christ it finishes the statement with this, “according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (1:6)” It also precedes the adoption statement with “In Love…(1:4)” These two divine expressions, grace and love, are insights into the mystery on which the Gospel is founded. Why would God choose to adopt anyone, let alone sinners, through the sacrifice of His son? The adoption was motivated, but not ultimately answered by His glorious grace, and love. Again, I emphasize that these are not the ultimate answer to the mystery because the question still stands: what motivates His grace and love? And indeed, we are still left speechless, because our Holy God was not obligated to express those two attributes, BUT He did. The application to this insight will be given later in this study. In the meantime, it is imperative for the reader to understand that God has chosen some in Him before the foundation of the world and has adopted us as sons.
Having poured the foundation for the work of Christ in the believers, being predestination and adoption, the first gift and work of Christ to discuss now is faith. Faith, as eluded before, is a gift. Paul could not make it any more clear when he says,
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [1]
Notice that the terminology used here is not that faith is a gift of God, it is the gift of God. Romans 6:23 refers to the wages of sin being death, where as “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” John 4:10 gives a more personal identity to the gift, “Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’” [2] The important thing to understand about a gift is that there was nothing done on the receiver’s end in the making of that gift. There is nothing contingent on the believer’s end on whether or not the gift of God, being salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, is real. In other words, nothing I can do can diminish the gift of God. Thus, receiving the gift of God is entirely GOD’S doing through Jesus! This was an eye opening experience for the two high school students I referred to earlier. Although they were confused on whether or not initial trust in Jesus Christ is a “work” or not, the realization of it being a gift that can only be received sunk in. Being chosen by God the receiving of the gift is HIS doing and not ours, why? Ephesians 2:9 answers this, “so that no one may boast.” No one, who has received salvation, may boast in saying that they had any part in it. This substantiates the humility of the recipient and maximizes the glory due to the Father for offering such an amazing and gracious gift.
Earlier we went through a few examples of different motivations that worship pastors and church leaders can succumb to. Each one of those motivations tends to elevate man. Music as a motivation elevates man’s ability or fame. Inclusivity as a motivation elevates man’s security and respect for himself or their program. Emotionalism as a motivation elevates man’s sense of self-awareness or perhaps even their pride in feeling “more spiritual.” The reason why the mystery of the gospel acts not as a good, but the BEST motivation for the worship pastor is in the forced humility it brings upon proper understanding. God was never obligated to save us, BUT he did. There is nothing about man, in pride, in fame, in ability, in self sufficiency, in self confidence, or in right standing that is elevated when faced with this mystery; ONLY the glory and awesomeness of God is elevated, and rightfully so. We are put in our place so that Christ can be elevated by HIS work, not ours.
Bob Kauflin shared a story in his book Worship Matters about how he was pressured with his own fleshly motivations in leading worship that lead him to the tough road of anxiety. He approached his pastor with his problem expecting to be encouraged with pithy statements somehow referencing Romans 8:28, but instead he was faced with a slap in the face. His pastor said this, “I don’t think you’re hopeless enough… If you were really hopeless you’d stop trusting in yourself and what you can do and start trusting in what Jesus accomplished for you at the cross.”[3] THAT is our motivation as worship pastors, it would do us well to wake up every morning and remind ourselves with the truth of God’s word, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”[4]
Bryan Chapell emphasizes this point well; he says,
The corruption and weakness of our natures make it vital that we preach the gospel to our own hearts every day. Reminders of grace are not dry cereal for the soul; they are daily bread, blessed manna, and needed meat. For those in whom the Spirit dwells, grace is the fuel of obedience and the foundation of hope. Without its regular support, we quickly resort to self-dependence or private despair. The maturest believers most appreciate regular nourishment from the truths of God’s love… While the gospel’s power can become lost in canned and stale recitations, its sincere and authentic expression is a never-ceasing source of the joy that is strength for God’s people. Worship that keeps the gospel before God’s people serves their deepest needs and highest aspirations, enabling them to feed on God’s grace while praising him for it.[5]
The worship pastor must keep this message so fresh on his pallet that it would seem that his heart is overflowing with this truth. That is worship in itself, the overflowing of the heart gripped by the greatness of God in the gospel. There is a danger that a worship pastor, or any pastor faces if they are not careful: Apathy—boredom. If the gospel becomes boring to the worship pastor then an immense disservice has been done in the attempt to lead or facilitate a worship service and that pastor ought to repent. A puritan prayer that I’ve read recently had a verse that models this repentance:
“Give me to feel a need of his continual saviourhood, and cry with Job, ‘I am vile’, and with Peter, ‘I perish’, with the publican, ‘Be merciful to me, a sinner.’ Subdue in me the love of sin, Let me know the need of renovation as well as of forgiveness, in order to serve and enjoy thee forever.”[6]
The gospel is a message of fervency, not apathy. A fervent message is one that carries the full weight of the issue and one that the speaker is clearly on fire for. Fervency pushes out of the realm of “heard it, understand it” to “can’t stop bringing it up, tell me more!” Imagine what would happen in a congregation lead by a worship pastor who is so on fire for the gospel of Jesus Christ that everything about him exudes his pursuit of giving God praise, honor, and glory? Now, imagine a congregation that follows. This is a “culture of worship” that we should seek in our churches today; one that stretches beyond Sunday morning and “oh that was good music,” to Monday-Saturday all day and “oh what an amazing Savior!”
I believe strongly that the gospel becomes boring when the believer becomes arrogant. In other words, when the mystery of the gospel is forgotten, the motivation for worship is significantly lessened; not destroyed, just lessened. See, the glory of a gift is in the preparation or the desire of the giver more than the actual giving of the gift! You’re wife would say, “It is the thought that counts.” If the gift of salvation is emphasized more than the giver the deep-rooted sin of pride can quickly slip into the heart of the believer. Why? Because the focus becomes self centered, “God saved me!” If one were to focus not only on the known aspect of salvation, being that it’s available, and forget the mystery of why it’s available, then it’s no different than a child taking a birthday present without saying thank you to the grandma who gave it to him. God was not obligated to save, but he did anyways. It is the reason behind the Father presenting His Son as the perfect sacrifice for sin and saving a lost people that is the mystery. The only reason that could be given to give partial answer to the mystery is that God saved out of love for His creation, but as was stressed before, there still is mystery surrounding the reason for God’s love. Why did God choose to love? We may never know, but we can praise Him all the more, now being struck with awe and wonder over that very mystery!
[3] Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway 2008). 24.
[4] Romans 5:8
[5] Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic 2009). 117.
[6] Arthur Bennett ed. The Valley of Vision: A collection of puritan prayers and devotions. (Edinburgh, UK: Banner of Truth Trust 2009). 6-7.
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