Theology Shaping Worship: God Is Good

By Savannah Cone

[Editor’s Note: This is the next article in a series for our blog called “Theology Shaping Worship”, which has previously been featured in our weekly Monday Motivation emails.]

Theological attributes of God manifest through our daily, personal, and corporate worship. “Theology Shaping Worship” is a series that explores key doctrines and how they affect our worship.

Doctrine: God is Good

“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:5).

Philosophy #1 (system of thought): A direct response of worship is repentance

Repentance begins when God engages with His worshippers in a transformative experience where His loving kindness, revealed through His Word, brings people to repentance. The Apostle Paul writes, “. . . the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” (Romans 2:4 ASV). It is God’s grace and mercy on display bringing His children – in awe of His goodness – to true repentance.

Can you think of a time in a corporate worship setting (i.e. church service) where you repented of a sin?

Application #1 (How does this look practically?): The Good News should be presented in worship

By presenting His good news, we are reminded of our need for repentance. Paul regularly reminds His followers of who this Jesus Christ is through his teachings: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you. . . that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. . .” (1 Corinthians 15:1-5).

Let us be regularly reminded of the good gift Jesus Chirst has provided.

Philosophy #2 (system of thought): God’s goodness is praiseworthy in worship

“Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!” (Psalm 107:31) Worship should praise God for His relentless love, His unchanging faithfulness, and His goodness through Jesus’ work on the cross. God deserves His praiseworthy stature because of these things, and when they are proclaimed in worship, people will recognize this amazing God being praised.

Application #2 (How does this look practically?): Worship praises God using lifted hands, musicality, and exhortation

Because God’s goodness is awe-inspiring, we are left with nothing but emphatic praise to bring to him. In reference to giving God praise, scripture teaches believers to worship the Lord through words, dance, sing, shouts, raised hands, and more. The psalmist in Psalm 134:2 exclaims, “Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!” And in Psalm 149:3 it is encouraged to dance and sing in praise: “Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!” Then in Hebrews 13:15, children of God are instructed to praise Him with proclamation of His name. “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”

Let’s remember to emphatically bring praise to our good God.

---