Sing for Joy to The Lord

Are we to praise our Lord verbally? Yes! Absolutely! Out in the open where others can hear? Sometimes, yes! But not for show. Not as a performance. Not to get attention. But for the purpose of sharing Christ with the people of the world, and for sharing with them the gospel of our salvation so that they can come to know the Lord, too. But under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, as being led by the Spirit in what to do, and how to do it, and in what to say, so that it never becomes a flashy performance to please flesh.

And just because we sing or shout praises to the Lord with our lips, it does not necessarily mean that we are truly praising or worshiping the Lord. For we can sing and shout all kinds of praises and thanksgivings to the Lord with our lips and it mean nothing to God if our lives are not surrendered to him in obedience to him and to his commands in holy living. For our true praise to the Lord is in how we live, and in what we do in service and in obedience to him and to his teachings. So the verbal must match with how we live.

For, if we are truly rejoicing in the Lord, it needs to be in truth and in righteousness, as evidenced by our submission to the Lordship of Christ over our lives. And our joy needs to be based in the reality of changed lives which have been transformed of the Holy Spirit out of living in sin and for self, to now living for God in obedience to his commands in holy living. And we should be thankful to the Lord for rescuing us out of our sinful lifestyles so that we can now live holy lives, which are pleasing to our God, in his power.

For, because you attend a “worship service” or a large gathering of people who are all singing “worship songs,” it does not necessitate that any true worship of God is taking place. For true worship of God is in presenting our bodies to God as living sacrifices to God, acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship of God. And it involves us no longer being conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but us being transformed of God in the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what the will of God is (see Romans 12:1-2).

For our Lord is the only great God who is King above all that are called gods, but are not God. And he is completely sovereign over all that he has made and that he has brought into being. Everything is under his ultimate control, not that he has anything ever to do with evil, but he does presently allow evil to exist, and he allows people to do evil things, not in giving them approval to do evil, though. But he ultimately has control over all that is on the earth, or that is part of this world, including all who live on the earth.

And he serves as Judge and Jury over all that he has made, too. Therefore, he is not fooled by false performances of thanksgiving, praise, and adoration to our Lord, in word or in song, which are lip service only, but which are not followed up with dying to sin and living for God in walks of obedience to his commands. For he requires of us who profess the name of Jesus that we deny self, die to sin daily, and that we walk (in conduct) in obedience to his commands, or we do not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.


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Sing for Joy to The Lord
An Original Work / November 20, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love