Family of God: [Church_of_Christ] Re: The essence of worship

As always greetings Clay, ED

Clay's response: I have no problem Bro Ed of going into my closet and physically bowing before God physically for you to consider that physical worship. Personally I believe followers can worship from the heart and ignore the physical. Example: Sing and make a melody in your heart. When I sing in my heart without using my physical tongue would be in keeping with this scripture would it not? Isn't that "in spirit" and not "in the flesh?"

ED: I really think that "sing" was what was done with the vocal chords and "make lelody in the heart" is what was done in accompaniment. Of course, I could be wrong, but that is as it seems to me. If a person doesn't sing, I don't think he is singing. I mean no legal sense about this, just trying to understand the meaning.

Clay's response: What you seem not to understand, we are NO LONGER about PHYSICAL worship as the Jews were.

ED: You continue to talk about a non-physical worship. This addresses half of "in spriit and truth". The other half is ignored.

Clay: Followers today are commanded to worship in spirit, from the heart and mind and NO LONGER PHYSICAL RITUAL.

ED: No question that our worship is to be "in spirit" but to use that as if it contradicts "in truth" is abuse of scripture. "In truth" means in harmony with God's word, his revealed will. And there are what you call "rituals" of worship: "sing" is one, the LS is another. I don't call them rituals because the Lord did not call them rituals. I think the term is one of those calculated to cause bias against something. In the NT both sining praise to Gor and the LS are held in the highest and most meaningful sense.

Clay: Paul makes this rather clear that religious ritual days are NO LONGER REQUIRED. Do them and participate and select a day or days as one wishes for our freedoms NOW permit that. Romans 14 4 Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord:

ED: You stretch Romans 14 as if it was one of those new trash bags; something you can stuff anything in. But I am afraid the Lord is not so GLAD with this bag use. What is clear is that Romans 14 is about "doubtful matters", 14:1. It was never intended to be stretched to include "must" matters. And "worship in spirit and in truth" is a "must" matter. So your proof is lacking and misapplied I judge (used in the sense of understand). I claim no judgement in matters of freedom; but where the Lord has spoken, I desire to speak and where the Lord is silent, I desire to be silent.

What the Lord has joined together, let not man put assunder. The Lord joined "true worship" with "must be in spirit and truth" and no amount of traversing to territories of freedom in judgment (Romans 14) will reverse or circumvent what the Lord had said. Best wishes for a good understanding, ED Boggess

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