Day 275

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day.

Chapter 22, Paragraph 5.

“The reading of the Scriptures,…”

Scripture Lookup

1 Timothy 4:13

Reflection

Prayer is part of natural worship. All people everywhere are commanded to pray to God. But prayer alone does not equal the sum of religious worship. When Christians gather together to worship God, there are other elements that He has prescribed. One such element is the reading of Scripture.

If you look back to chapter 1 of the Confession, Scripture was the first topic discussed.:

The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving Knowledge, Faith and Obedience…

The importance of God’s Word in the life of humanity cannot be stressed too much. Scripture is where we learn the truth about God and His will.  The church is strengthened in its fight against the world, the flesh and the devil by that truth. Comfort is brought when we hear of God’s love for His people. When God’s word is read, faith is wrought in our heart by the spirit. We learn what good works we are to walk in. The Spirit enables us to press onward to obey the commands of Christ we hear in His word.

Watch a typical “seeker-sensitive” church service online sometimes, and you will see that little time, if any, is given to reading God’s Word. Yet this is where we discover what we must do to be saved! Flashing lights, fancy songs, and full-on fashion will not bring the consoling, fortifying truth that Scripture contains. It is most necessary that God’s word, authored by God Himself, be at the forefront of our worship. Its revelation of God is a gift to us; let us not neglect it.

Questions to Consider

• How important is the reading of God’s word at the church you attend?