Balancing Human Examples with Worship and Adoration of God
The biblical concept of balancing human examples with worship and adoration of God is rooted in the understanding that humans are created in God's image [3]. This foundational truth underscores the inherent value and dignity of human beings while also pointing to their ultimate purpose: to glorify God. The Psalmist reflects on this glory, noting that God's name is excellent in all the earth, and that human beings, though frail, are crowned with glory and honor (Psalm 8) [9].
The tension between human worth and divine adoration is evident in the book of Job, where the question is posed, "How can a human being be just before God?" [1, 2]. This query highlights the vast disparity between human righteousness and God's holiness, emphasizing the need for humility in human endeavors. In worship, this balance is maintained by acknowledging God's sovereignty while valuing the role of human community. As Calvin notes, the image of God in humanity is not merely a philosophical concept but a theological reality that underscores the relational and communal aspects of human existence [10].
The New Testament reinforces this balance, emphasizing that believers are to "prove what is acceptable to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:10) [4] and to grow into the "measure of stature of the fulness of the Christ" (Ephesians 4:13) [5]. This growth is facilitated by holding to the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and being transformed by God's Spirit into a new nature [6]. True worship, therefore, is not merely a human act but a Spirit-enabled response to God's truth and reality, as Jesus teaches in John 4:24 [7].
In the view of Reformed theologians like John Gill, unity of heart and mind among believers is essential for genuine worship, as it enables them to glorify God with one voice [11]. This unity is not uniformity but a harmonious expression of diverse individuals united in their devotion to God. The pursuit of this unity is a key aspect of balancing human examples with the worship and adoration of God.
The biblical emphasis on both the image of God in humanity and the necessity of worshiping God in spirit and truth provides a framework for understanding this balance. As the Psalmist prays, "Lead me in the path of wisdom, that I may walk in it" (Psalm 139:24), there is an acknowledgment that true human flourishing is tied to a life directed towards God [8]. In this context, human examples serve not as ends in themselves but as illustrations of a life lived in devotion to God.
The early Christian tradition, as reflected in the writings of Calvin and other Reformers, underscores the importance of recognizing the image of God in humanity while maintaining a proper reverence for God's transcendence. This balance is crucial for a healthy Christian spirituality that values both the dignity of human beings and the majesty of God.
Sources
- Job “Job 9:2 (LEB) — “Truly I know that it is so, but how can a human being be just before God?”
- Job “Numquid justificari potest homo comparatus Deo ? aut apparere mundus natus de muliere ? -- Job 25:4”
- Genesis “Genesis 1:27 (YLT) — And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them.”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:10 (Webster) — Proving what is acceptable to the Lord.”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 4:13 (YLT) — till we may all come to the unity of the faith and of the recognition of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of stature of the fulness of the Christ,”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 4:24: 4:24 A believer has a new nature: God’s Spirit expresses his life within the believer (see Col 3:10; cp. Gen 1:26; Rom 12:1-2; Gal 5:22-23). The transforming work of God’s Spirit is part of the gift of salvation (Eph 2:8-10).”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 4:24: 4:24 in spirit and in truth: One Greek preposition governs both words (literally in spirit and truth) and makes them a single concept. True worship occurs as God’s Spirit reveals God’s truth and reality to the worshiper. Jesus Christ is the Truth (14:6; cp. 14:17; 15:26).”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 139:24: 139:24 The path of wisdom leads to everlasting life (see 1:6; Prov 4:18; 6:23).”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 8 (introduction): This psalm is a solemn meditation on, and admiration of, the glory and greatness of God, of which we are all concerned to think highly and honourably. It begins and ends with the same acknowledgment of the transcendent excellency of God's name. It is proposed for proof (Psa 8:1) that God's name is excellent in all the earth, and then it is repeated as proved (with a "quod erat demonstrandum" - which was to be demonstrated) in the last verse. For the proof of God's glory the psalmist gives instances of his goodness to man; for God's goodness is his glor”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 5.31: and fourteenth books on the Trinity, also the eleventh book of the “City of God.” I acknowledge, indeed, that there is something in man which refers to the Father and the Son, and the Spirit: and I have no difficulty in admitting the above distinction of the faculties of the soul: although the simpler division into two parts, which is more used in Scripture, is better adapted to the sound doctrine of piety; but a definition of the image of God ought to rest on a firmer basis than such subtleties. As for myself, before I define the”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 15:5: That ye may with one mind and one mouth;.... This is the end for which the above request is made, and shows, that a cordial and sincere affection for one another is necessary to the worshipping of God with one consent, to a joining together in acts of religious service, both in praying to God, and in praising of him, which latter seems here chiefly designed; for how should there be an agreement of heart and voice, of mind and mouth, in praising God, unless there is a singleness of heart, and oneness of affection? This is necessary in order to glorify God, even the F”