Abba, Alleluia!

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"I will declare Your Name to My brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You" (Psa 22:22)

One of the favourite texts used often in charismatic worship meetings is Philippians 2:10,11, "At the Name of Jesus every knee should bow...and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." Undoubtedly this is a very appropriate text for worship. But we tend to lose sight of its closing words: "To the glory of God the Father." The meaning is, all worship must ultimately be to the Father. We are to worship the Father "by" the Spirit of God and rejoice "in" Christ Jesus (Phil 3:3). "We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Col 1:3). "We bless our God and Father" (Js 3:9). In fact, Christ also joins us in praising the Father! He tells His Father, "I will declare Your Name to My brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You" (Psa 22:22; Heb 2:11-13). He told the Samaritan woman how His Father was seeking for true worshippers to worship Him (Jn 4:21-23).

When we get to Heaven, the mediatory work of Christ will no more be necessary. We will be ushered into the literal presence of God and we shall behold Him in all His glory and majesty (Rev 22:4). Christ's Name and the Name of His Father will be written on our foreheads (Rev 14:1;22:3,4). There we find worship being addressed to the Father as well as to the Son, depending upon the subject of praise. See Revelation 4:8,11; 5:9,10,12,13; 7:9-12; 11:16-18; 15:3,4; 16:5,6; 19:1-6. There is however no reference to the worship of the Holy Spirit.

The Father is not the Son. And the Son is not the Father. But the Father dwells in the Son, and the Son dwells in the Father (Jn 14:11). However, in the same passage Jesus ascribes all authority and glory to the Father (vv 10,13). In the same way, eventhough the Holy Spirit like Jesus is fully God, He does not attract worship towards Himself but directs it to the Father. When He came on people, He prompted them to magnify God for His wonderful works (Acts 2:4,11;10:44,46). The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ; and Christ glorifies the Father (Jn 16:14;17:4). This understanding will revolutionize our worship practices and add new dimensions to it. I counsel the composers of worship songs to bear this truth in mind and check the doctrinal correctness of their choruses and songs with reliable Bible teachers before releasing them. Otherwise irrepairable damage may be caused to the doctrinal understanding of Christians in a day when songs become popular for their tune rather than the truth.

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