Object of Worship

by F. Lavington
God our Father is the One who has been revealed to us as the Object of worship, the One to whom our worship is presented. This is very important, because it shows the truth that we have been fitted to take our place before Him. The place God has given us is not "some lone place within the doors." The precious blood of Christ has given us the confidence, not only to take our place before Him now, but to know that our fitness for the inheritance is in the light of His holy presence (Col. 1:12). You and I, as purged by the precious blood of Christ, are as fitted to take our place now in God's own presence as we ever shall be.
God Himself is revealed to us as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who sustained Him in all His perfect walk of grace, love, patience and lowliness. All the beauties God desired, and ever longed to see in man, were found in His Own beloved Son. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ was the Object and worship of this ever blessed One in the perfection in His pathway here. He was the God of our Lord Jesus Christ also, and the God whom He served. He was the God on whom, as a man, His faith was set. God was daily His delight. He was always in the bosom of the Father.
In Christ In process of time, when the way was cleared by our sins being removed, redemption having been accomplished, and the Holy Spirit being given at Pentecost, the sinner was for the first time enabled to take his place before God as fully blessed, and "in Christ." The Church was formed here by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Everyone who was Christ's by grace was united to Him by the Holy Spirit, and there was a new unity constituted on the earth. Henceforth, all believers are linked with each other and united to our Lord Jesus Christ.
As to our relationship with the Father, the Apostle John says, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father." We need as much direction from the Lord to be in communion with Him in thanksgiving and praise as we do to minister His Word. We cannot dwell too often on the truth that true worship is the soul's being brought to God in all the liberty that Christ gives by the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Then we can bring the Lord Jesus Christ before God our Father in whom we find common joy with Himself. Communion comes from our appropriation of Christ, not merely according to man's thought of the word, but by the things that the Holy Spirit has made good to us and in us, and which He enables us to present to God our Father.
1 Tim. 3:14-16 indicates in a few words what seems to be the blessedness of our portion.
"These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
We see that the Apostle was longing that Timothy might have fullness of joy in the place where he was. He was parted from him, but he was coming again. The Apostle writes with the voice of Christ for His servant, and he writes with the voice and heart of Christ for His Church. As the Apostle was coming again to his son Timothy, so our blessed Lord is coming for us. It may seem to be a long time that the Lord Jesus has remained at the right hand of God.