We are here because we believe the Word of God. We are here because God has summoned us. We are here because God promises to forgive us our sins as we confess them in Jesus’ name. We are here because God is dealing with us; God is at work in our midst.
But there are always endless temptations to slip off the point. The point is that God saves sinners, and that He has done so in Jesus Christ, and only there. Human pride is thrown down, and God’s salvation is exalted. But fifteen minutes after this doctrine of divine sovereignty is established, we find those who take pride in affirming it. They are proud because unlike those fools throughout the rest of Christendom, they know that there is nothing to take pride in. The human heart is truly a marvel.
The only one who can keep us from this is the Holy Spirit of God, and He will keep us by constantly reminding us that He does not share His glory with another. He works in us, and He expects us to do what He has worked into us, and He truthfully praises us when we have done it. We are no puppets. But when He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” we say, “But we are unworthy servants, we have only done as we were commanded.” And when we learn to say this, we must then learn not to treat it as the password, a combination of sounds that need not have any meaning. We are fully capable of thinking ourselves worthy because we have affirmed that we are unworthy.
A true reformation in the hearts and manners of a people will be manifested in this: all the glory and goodness goes to God, and all manner of gladness is found in man. When glory goes to God, but morbidity is found in man, someone is twisting the gospel. When glory goes to man, and man is glad in it, someone is throwing away the gospel. So what should we say as we come to worship. The child’s prayer will suffice.
God is great, God is good,
Let us thank Him for our food.