Worship as an Act of Mercy

By Jonathan Jones
Contributor
December 05, 2022

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We are privileged to worship God through Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit both corporately and individually. We come directly to God on his terms and are not separated by a curtain; nor do we have to go to a priest to get to God except our High Priest, Jesus Christ. The New Covenant that we live under and by is a merciful act in and of itself; therefore, worship is an act of mercy. As worshipers of Jesus Christ, we must see that worship is an act of mercy by God as well as his bride, the church. We do not deserve to be in God’s presence at all, but because we are, in his mercy giving, we must also be conduits of his mercy in our lives and actions. There are five ways I see that worship is truly an act of mercy.

Miracle

When we worship, we are participating in a miracle, namely the miracle of salvation. When the Law saving God’s people was an impossibility, Christ came into the world as a man and died for the sins of many, and it is by his blood, we are healed and saved. Now we are able to worship him in freedom. This is a miracle in and of itself, but what is astounding is the miracle we participate in weekly when we, as a body come together and worship the Lord is not only the result of an act of God’s mercy but also a very present act of mercy. That we can come into God’s presence as clean loved ones because of his mercy is a very present and real act of mercy, which we participate in, and indeed it is a miracle.
Evidence

Throughout scripture and in our daily lives, we see the evidence of God’s mercy. His mercy is abundant in each of our lives individually, and as we worship, his mercy is made evident in our actions toward each other. The body is Christ is a living organism. We must each do our part in serving him, and our fellowship and love toward one another in worship is evidence of God’s mercy.

Respect

Our respect to God and to each other is also an act of mercy. When we worship God, we must never do so flippantly. We must have the highest respect and honor toward him. This does not mean wearing a suit to worship. In fact, it has very little to do with externals but more with our heart’s response to who he is. This will determine our outward actions. In worship though, we also respect each other. John 13:35 says that we will be known by our love for one another. This is part of our worship. Therefore, even in the way we deal with wrongdoing, we should exhibit mercy because this is what God did for us. We respect each other by forgiving, encouraging, and loving. Worship is an act of mercy in this way.

Christ’s Exaltation

Worship is also an act of mercy in Christ’s exaltation. No one has ever had greater mercy than Christ did for us. When we exalt him, we are proclaiming this mercy that allows us to worship him freely and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the ultimate mercy giver so the exaltation of him then is an act of mercy.

Yielding

Worship is also an act of mercy in yielding to the Holy Spirit. This encompasses so many things though. We yield to the Spirit but allowing him to work in our lives, thus affecting the way we live and treat each other. This means that in yielding to the Holy Spirit, we also become selfless and yield to the interests of others. Our selflessness and God’s holiness yet allowing us to come into his presence in worship are acts of mercy.
Conclusion

Worship exudes mercy in every aspect. We, the body of Christ, must be a merciful people. It is a merciful thing for God to allow us to worship him freely, but in our sacred actions and daily lives, worship is and must be an act of mercy.








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