The Danger of an Inferiority Complex

THE DANGER OF AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX
Posted on 05/01/2017 by Nate

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Q/A’s on the 2nd Commandment:

Q. 49. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Q. 50. What is required in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his word.

This requires simplicity in worship. We don’t practice innovations, or inventions, in worship. That’s why worship in Reformed churches is not ornate, like the Church of Rome. Neither is it flashy, like evangelical “worship experiences.” It’s simple, because what is permitted in worship is restricted to what God has commanded. Nothing more, nothing less. This is what the 2nd Commandment implies. The first commandment tells us Who we worship, and the second tells us how.

That’s why Presbyterian worship services are simple. Worship is to be kept pure. Nothing commanded is to be left out. And, nothing not commanded is to be added. It’s limited to what God has appointed in his word.

This makes Reformed churches stand out. Or seem peculiar. Other churches do not limit their worship to what God has appointed. They see no problem with adding things. The result? Other worship services have more going on. Are more extravagant. More experiential. More attractive. More exciting. More “spiritual,” or “anointed.” More entertaining. The form that they take doesn’t matter. Whether they have extra sacraments, ceremonies, and special religious clothing, or have added dramas, movies, and pictures of Jesus everywhere. They may look very different, but they are the same in principle. They have gone beyond what God has appointed for worship.

And what does Reformed worship look like, in comparison? Boring. Plain. Uneventful. Nothing special. Maybe even spiritually dead, or “quenching the Spirit.”

At least that can be the impression of those who are looking for all those innovations and additions, to those who are about the visual and what is pleasing to the eyes. That happens to be what the 2nd Commandment targets, by the way. As John Gerstner has said, worship is about what is pleasing to God, not what is pleasing to us.

So in contrast to innovations and additions in worship, we have a mandate to keep it simple and limited to what God has appointed. And this can make us look lacking, in comparison.

G.I. Williamson, with his usual practical wisdom, drives this home. He draws an application from these catechism questions, entitling it “The Danger of an Inferiority Complex.” He writes:

Reformed Christians sometimes (and quite wrongly) have an inferior feeling. Because of the simplicity of their worship—or in other words, because they do not have some of the things that are common in other churches, things that are attractive to human nature—they almost apologize for not having those things that are not commanded. What Reformed Christians should realize is that adherence to this principle does not make them the poorer. To the contrary, it is their true riches. For what could be more wonderful than to receive from the Lord himself a sure knowledge of the way that He would be worshipped? And what could be a higher privilege than to observe—and to keep pure and entire—all such religious worship?
—G.I. Williamson, The Westminster Shorter Catechism: For Study Classes pg. 208

I appreciate Williamson’s application so much because I have personally seen what he’s warning against. I have witnessed this inferiority complex. I have heard with my own ears what sounds very much like an apology for not having that more extravagant worship that is so common in all the evangelical churches.

And I feel like saying, “Please, do not apologize for adhering to Scripture!” As if you answer to human beings, instead of the Lord Jesus! Remember that Christ is head of the church.

Who do you want to please, anyway? We have certain knowledge about the worship that God desires, and the privilege of pleasing God with it! Why would we feel sorry for that? Perhaps we desire the approval of men, more?

This inferiority complex can even be followed by little moves of compromise. Even the tiniest efforts to be more contemporary, because that’s obviously what appeals to people now. All the other churches are doing it. And they have more people than we do.

Yet, we must recall the reason given to enforce the 2nd Commandment: God is a jealous God. God is zealous for his worship, that it be pure and acceptable, that it be according to what he has said, and not as the other peoples do. Remember the historical context of the Ten Commandments: God’s people were just delivered from an idolatrous nation (Egypt), and were moving into the midst of idolatrous nations! God in effect was saying, “don’t worship like that!” God’s people still need to hear that, today.

So stand unapologetically on his Word. By all means, explain why Reformed worship is simple, and not like other churches. And by “explain,” I mean give the Scriptural basis, give the biblical reasons. I certainly do not mean explain it away. Just say it, explain it, but don’t kill it with qualifications (because you don’t want to offend anyone).

But never, ever feel sorry for sticking to what Christ has appointed. Do not love the praise of men more than the praise of God. Following from that, never, ever actually say sorry for keeping it simple. In effect, you would be saying, “I’m sorry that we don’t compromise worship.” Really? Think of the Lord Jesus, head of the church, whom you worship, looking at you as you tell other people sorry for your worship being the way he has commanded! What a scandal! Personally, I would detect the implication that if it was up to you, the worship would be like everywhere else. That you would personally do it differently. Secretly, we wish that we could be like them: more attractive, more fun, more popular, because we offer what everyone likes.

Are you actually sorry for obeying Christ? Are you actually sorry for trying to keep the worship of God pure?

If we are sorry for that, what are our priorities? In our heart, what do we truly value? These are important questions that we must ask ourselves.

The Lord is jealous for his pure worship. We should be, as well.