Why do you bless ourselves when you go into the church?

Answer 1

I can only speak for myself. I approach the Lord's day seeking to shed the dust and dirt of the world after a week in a profane and ungodly cosmos, a system that defies the Lord of all the earth and deifies evil that encroaches upon God's good creation to devour and destroy it.

I approach God's redeemed people assembled together, agreeing with God's word that I have sinned, that I am sinful and bent toward vileness and iniquity, that even my best efforts are like filthy rags in the estimation of Him Who is Holy Holy Holy. . . but assured by that same word that He is good, that He loves me and desires my worship, even cold, feeble, and self-centered worship like mine, begrudgingly and belligerently offered. He wants me in His presence so much that He gave up His only begotten to be brutalized, tortured, and put to death in the manner that is the definition of "excruciating", so that countless thousands and thousands of thousands of hell-bound lawbreakers might be forgiven their sins, to embrace the King of glory, Whose resurrection from the dead proves that His atonement offering of Himself was accepted as both sufficient and complete payment for the debt of all mankind to the Holy One Who is the Judge of both the eternally living, those redeemed by His blood sacrifice, and the damned, those whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life, those who will continue dying and dying and dying for all eternity.

Enough verbiage, as if words could suffice.

"Walk prudently when you go to the house of God;

and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools,

for they do not know that they do evil.

Do not be rash with your mouth,

And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.

For God is in heaven, and you on earth;

Therefore let your words be few.

For a dream comes through much activity,

And a fool's voice is known by his many words." - Eccl 5:1-3

Simply put, I approach the altar as to Him Who is enthroned upon the mercy seat, humbly, knowing that I have nothing to offer but my refraining from disobedience, recognizing that I deserve only punishment, but seeking and expecting His mercy and grace and blessing to replace my wickedness, not because I am worthy (ROTFLOL), but because it is His nature to be merciful and gracious and beneficent.

Then, if He chooses to bless me and my life and my family and my world, that is up to Him, for though I curse my own life with "bad doin's," I cannot bless myself. He is the Source of every good gift, the Fount from Whom all blessings flow. But remember His perspective: His visible blessings in this life are only temporal; His blessings yet to be seen in the life to come are eternal.