The modern era places increasing emphasis on expressive individualism. If one were to survey a segment of the church-going population about the right way to worship God, the results would likely reflect as many opinions, preferences, and philosophies as there are participants. Interestingly, John Calvin wrote the following in 1543, showing that the tendency to worship according to personal opinions and impulses is not new:
I know how difficult it is to persuade the world that God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by His Word. The opposite persuasion, which clings to them—being seated, as it were, in their very bones and marrow—is that whatever they do has in itself a sufficient sanction, provided it exhibits some kind of zeal for the honour of God. But since God not only regards as fruitless, but also plainly abominates, whatever we undertake from zeal to His worship if at variance with His command, what do we gain by a contrary course? The words of God are clear and distinct: “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” “In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (1 Samuel 15:22; Matthew 15:9).
Calvin, 1844, The Necessity of Reforming the Church
Given this ongoing reality, it is vital for biblically serious Christians to ground and defend their worship practices in God’s revealed will in Scripture. It is equally important to distinguish biblical worship from philosophies that do not align with it.
In this regard, the Reformed tradition has long valued a clearly articulated, Scripture-based philosophy of worship known as the historic Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW). Derek W. H. Thomas, in an essay titled The Regulative Principle: Responding to Recent Criticism (2003), defines it as follows: “Nothing must be required as essential to public worship except that which is commanded by the word of God.”
Though the Reformers did not use the term RPW, they practiced its principles. This is evident in the confessions that emerged during the Reformation. For example, the London Confession of Faith states:
The acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.
1689 Confession, 21:1
This confessional statement makes it clear that worship is to be governed by God. It not only outlines what is permitted but also excludes practices that do not belong in a worship service according to God’s Word.
The RPW focuses on the strict regulation of the elements of worship—preaching, reading, praying, displaying (through the ordinances), and singing the Word. It insists that worship must be Word-centred. However, within the implementation of these elements, there is some room for Christian liberty in style and expression.
Some argue that if the RPW were applied consistently, it would result in total uniformity—and that the absence of such proves it ineffective. But the RPW is not intended to legislate uniformity in all things, only in the essential elements that make worship scriptural. Unity in the essentials, diversity in some of the ways they are practiced—that is the model being upheld.
This means one congregation may sing hymns with an organ, another with modern instruments, yet both fulfil the element of singing the Word (e.g., Ephesians 5:19). The RPW is strict where Scripture is strict and allows for cultural, historical, and practical flexibility where the elements are preserved and the Word remains central.
The RPW is not a modern development. It has always been the way God related to His people throughout redemptive history. Scripture consistently reveals that God is a God of specificity and order, especially in matters of worship. Since the garden (Genesis 2:17), God gave clear commandments to be obeyed in order to honour and glorify Him, warning of the consequences of disobedience.
Exodus 25:40, concerning Israelite worship, demonstrates God’s requirement for detailed obedience in corporate worship: “And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.” Worship is to be governed by God’s revealed instructions.
There are also sobering examples of divine judgment when worship deviates from God’s commands. The deaths of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10), and of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11), illustrate how seriously God regards violations of His worship regulations.
Some assume that as long as the correct God is worshipped, the method doesn’t matter. Yet the golden calf incidents (Exodus 32; 1 Kings 12:26–30) show that God’s anger was directed not merely at idolatry, but at the wrong way of trying to worship Him.
Paul, in his instructions to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 12–14), reinforces the principle by insisting that worship be conducted in obedience and order. He writes, “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized” (1 Corinthians 14:37–38). Hebrews 12:28–29 also reads: “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
These passages, among others, make it clear: God cares deeply that worship is conducted according to His Word, not human invention.
Central to my own beliefs—and to all who hold to the RPW—is the conviction that duty is good, and that law is necessary to guard the human heart from drifting into unbiblical, idolatrous worship. At the same time, I find it essential to emphasize that mere duty, without a heart stirred for God, is not pleasing to Him. It is unethical to worship God wrongly—but also to worship Him outwardly while lacking the inward affection that gives worship its true worth.
This is why Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13 when rebuking the Pharisees in Matthew 15:8–9:
“These people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
Matthew 15:8–9
With this in mind, I long to worship—and to encourage worship in others—that avoids the false dichotomy of choosing either biblical accuracy without heart, or heartfelt expression without truth. In all the discussion about the outward elements of worship, it is crucial not to neglect self-examination: are our affections aligned with the standards of God’s Word?
Common affections in true worship include awe at God’s power and holiness, contrition over sin, longing for freedom and fellowship, gratitude for forgiveness, hope for eternity, and desire for a deeper vision and enjoyment of God.
May the Lord grant grace, that He might be worshipped rightly—in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24).
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