WHERE GOD PLACES HIS EMPHASIS
It is not difficult to discover what a man treasures. Observe where his attention settles when no earthly necessity compels him. The heart follows its treasure as surely as a ship follows its compass.
Our Lord taught that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).
If this principle is true of men, it reveals something of the heart of God as well. What God repeatedly emphasizes in the Bible tells us what He values most.
When I read the sacred pages, I find far more said about justice, mercy, faithfulness, purity, kindness, humility, and love than I find concerning the minute details over which religious men have often contended.
The Lord rebuked those who carefully measured out tiny herbs while neglecting “the weightier matters” of justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). He declared that pure religion involves caring for the vulnerable and keeping oneself unstained by the world (James 1:27).
The emphasis of heaven appears plain enough.
Yes, there is limited guidance and principles for when we assemble. The apostles taught that all things should be done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40), and that gatherings should promote peace rather than confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Love must govern our conduct, and whatever is done should seek the edification of others (1 Corinthians 14:26).
Yet once these broad principles are honored, one finds a remarkable liberty. The New Testament does not read like an exhaustive manual regulating every movement of the assembly. Rather, it repeatedly calls believers to wisdom, love, and spiritual maturity.
The Lord is less interested in producing experts in religious procedure than in producing people who resemble His Son.
He tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). He tells believers to forgive one another as God forgave them in Christ (Ephesians 4:32). He commands that we bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and that we love not merely in word but in deed and truth (1 John 3:18).
These commands reach far beyond the walls of a Sunday gathering and into every hour of daily life.
Indeed, the prophets often confronted a people who excelled in religious activity while failing in righteousness. Through Isaiah, God spoke of assemblies and sacrifices that had become empty because the people neglected justice and mercy (Isaiah 1:13-17).
Through Micah He reminded them that what He required was to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God (Micah 6:8).
The lesson is difficult to miss. God desires transformed lives more than perfected ceremonies.
A Christian may spend years debating forms and methods, yet the true test of discipleship arrives on ordinary days.
How does she treat her neighbor?
Does he keep his word?
Is she generous to the needy?
Does he show patience to the difficult and grace to the fallen?
The one who walks in love fulfills the very heart of God’s instruction (Romans 13:8-10). Such a life is a continual act of worship, offered not merely for an hour on Sunday but throughout the whole week.
The assembly of the saints is precious, and it ought never be abandoned (Hebrews 10:24-25). Yet the God who meets us there also watches us when the service has ended. He sees the hidden life. He sees the motives of the heart.
And judging from the things upon which He places repeated emphasis throughout His Word, it appears that He cares that His children assemble with wisdom and love, but how we assemble and what we do in the assembly is not important—as long as we do it with love for God and others.
What God cares about is that His people carry His love into every corner of daily life (John 13:34-35; Colossians 3:17).
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Father, teach us to love what You love and to value what You value. Keep us from empty religion and fill us with sincere devotion. Conform us to the image of Your Son, that our whole lives may become an offering pleasing in Your sight. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
BDD
