One must manage his intimacy and his majesty.

Adoration is a relationship in which we grow every day in our understanding of the nature and will of God. He knows us perfectly and has no need to evolve in understanding our person because He is our creator. But there is a duality in this relationship with our Father, in that He is both the intimate Friend and also the Lord of glory. “He is both the universal Sovereign worthy of all our respect and homage, of whom we are humble servants, and the one who is very close to us.”

These titles and names of God confront us with two realities to consider in our relationship with Him; these are what theologians call the transcendence and immanence of God. These two words used by theology mean nothing other than speaking of two types of relationship that man has with God. On one hand, He is a God who has made His dwelling in our hearts, with whom we are brothers, who becomes a friend to those who love Him (immanence), and on the other hand, He is a fearsome, great, and powerful God; a King whom we must fear and honor, one before whom we stand in silence, the exalted Creator (transcendence).

These are two aspects of the relationship between man and God that every worshiper’s life must take into account. Let us approach God as a friend, but let us not forget that He is the King of kings; let us sing to Him as the bridegroom, but let us not forget to honor Him as the Creator and celebrate His magnificence. Let us fear Him as a mighty king, but let us not forget that He is our Father who is in heaven, the friend who dwells in our hearts.

When I began to take my first steps in faith, I had the privilege of being surrounded by men and women who have marked me until today, and for whom I will always be grateful to God for putting them in my path. Once, while praying with friends, I heard as one of us stumbled in his dialogue with God; indeed, coming from a Catholic Christian education, the brother had developed the habit of addressing adults and authorities with formal language, and here he was in his personal relationship with God, the Lord and king who is both a friend and brother. I could hear him say, “Lord, I pray to you…” Then he would apologize to God in prayer and say, “I pray to you instead…”

This illustration may remind you of someone close to you or even yourself; know that you have not sinned, but rather that you have a deep need to place your relationship with God without offending Him or going against His word. And this is a good thing for anyone who is born again.

His Majesty

The word majesty alludes to august character, supreme greatness that commands respect, whose appearance inspires admiration. It is the title of greatness given to the one who reigns. When used in the Bible, majesty is connected with the greatness, glory, and splendor of God. When we experience the new birth, it is not only a father-son relationship that is restored, but also the majesty that is revealed and we must consider that. Peter says it in 2 Peter 1:16,

“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.“

Worship involves speaking to God with respect and honor, without fear of punishment, but with a fear inspired by love, for true love banishes fear as the scriptures say in 1 John 4:18,

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Loving God does not exclude respecting Him and this respect must be reflected in everyday language, in clothing, in actions, and attitudes both during worship and in our everyday lives and environments.

“Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.” Malachi 1:14

His Friendship

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

Love is always at the base of any true friendship, and God’s love for us is not to be proved or demonstrated here. In Jesus Christ, we have learned how much the Father wanted us close to Him to the extent that He even gave us His Spirit so that we may live His life. God is not to be sought in buildings; He dwells in the hearts of all those who believe in His son Jesus Christ. Yes! He dwells in our hearts through His Spirit as it is written in 1 Corinthians 3:16:

“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” and in Romans 5:5,

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Christ came to restore this personal and intimate relationship that man can have with God; He broke the protocols of religion to bring us into a privileged relationship with the Eternal Father. It is through Him that the curtains of the temple were torn, and now we can approach with confidence before the throne of Grace.

God thus becomes the Father whom we can address informally, the friend who understands us, listens to us, and speaks to us anywhere. We can boast of having a personal and intimate history with Him, even if some overdo it to the point of…

This text is an extract from the book “Redefine: Praise, Worship and Worship” written by Athom’s Mbuma Nkanda.

We invite you to read the following article “Myths about the definition of praise and worship“.

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