Gnats and Camels

"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men."

Isaiah 29:13

True worshippers worship in Spirit and in truth. In saying that spontaneity is not the ultimate Christian virtue I would add that neither is sincerity. I'm sure Uzza was sincere when he tried to steady the Ark of the Covenant but it cost him his life. What of Aaron's sons? In offering strange fire I'm sure they were sincere but it didn't go well with them either. The prophets of old spoke at times concerning the lack of sincerity also.

Swallowing Gnats, Camel and All

It must be clear in our minds that some of what we should do in our worship service is in the gnats category. Lifting up of hands, kneeling, corporate 'amens' would fall into this category. Not singing psalms, I suggest, is either a camel or such a large swarm of gnats that it could be confused as a camel. While I suppose any Christian wouldn't want to find a camel in his coffee mug I don't want any gnats in there either. We do have to be careful that the gnats don't become our main concern. It is easy for a man to become frustrated with swatting away gnats that keep landing in his coffee but gnats tend to gather because of the camel quietly laying on the floor happily chewing his cud. Clean the inside of the cup and the outside be clean also. Get rid of the camel and the gnats will soon follow. Remember, we are to worship God in Spirit and in truth. When Ezra and Nehemiah went about their reformation work the people came out of their ignorance not all at once. So we can afford to be patient. But this does not mean we should tolerate impenitence. For after coming to a knowledge of the truth we are liable to what we understand. "But how will we sing the Psalms? We've never done that before." There are plenty of resources available. "But if we come to where we seek to do things in unity such as lifting our hands and kneeling, kneeling, we might scare off people." Let them go. Our fidelity is not determined by what man sees but by what God sees. So if that camel makes his way out of the sanctuary leaving behind feces and knocking over pews for us to clean up, which he will, and also takes with him a few angry people shaking their fists through a fog of gnats then so be it. In such a circumstance we should have the attitude of our Savior and respond to the congregation saying, "Doth this offend you? Will ye also go away?" Let us then move toward pleasing God and not man.

"He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."

Isaiah 66:3, 4

Our sacrifices and our incense are to be spiritual (1 Pet. 2:5, Rev. 8:4). So how are we to understand a statement like that of Isaiah concerning physical sacrifice as applying to us? Simply put, spiritual truth is not in a vacuum completely separate from any activity of the body. Sure, we could recite the Lord's Prayer together, as we ought, but if our hearts are not in conformity to God's will then it is as if we blessed an idol. We can sing praise songs but if our heart is not near to God then we might as well be singing "All the Single Ladies" dance moves and all. So it is that just because we would have all our Liturgical bullet points in the most precise theological order best communicating the gospel all the while we live like heathens we have only made ourselves more accountable to God for ignoring all of it. This is where some are tempted to say, "Then why does it matter? If it's all about your heart being right then why put up all this extra stuff to increase the likelihood of not meaning it?" I understand the sentiment, well sort of. But the push back should be that we are to please God and not man. Jesus said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments." That should be the driving force for all our Liturgical desires, to honor Christ in his ways because we love him. If lifting up holy hands, kneeling, confessing sins, singing psalms, greeting with a holy kiss, praying, confessing our faith, offering tithes are pleasing to Christ who would argue that to seek to do such things is just "fluff" or not really important because its not as important as being born again? Sure a man can abstain from eating for awhile and survive and so it isn't as monumental as the day of his birth but no one would suggest that eating isn't important. Being born and eating food are not in competition with each other. Neither are those things mentioned above and being born again. We have to stop thinking that every thing we do (that God himself desires of us) after our conversion is somehow a threat to our conversion.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 2:10