The basic question indicated in the title of this article has been answered thoroughly in three articles already appearing in the Archive for Gospel Gazette Online. Please note the following links to those articles.
Someone asked in addition to the basic question above whether Romans 1:25 teaches that everything one does in life is worship. The premise put forth about which the one asking the question ponders is whether the apparent human disposition to worship proves that everything in the life of a child of God is worship. Romans 1:25 reads, “Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (NKJV).
There is nothing in either Romans 1:25 or in its surrounding context that legitimizes the proposition that everything done in one’s life is worship. Yes, from observation of this verse and from observation of historical societies, it appears true that mankind has a built-in inclination or is hardwired to worship. However, having a disposition to worship does not prove that all of one’s life is worship. Rather, Romans 1:25 and personal observation of worship practices of former societies around the world only prove that mankind having the predisposition to worship will worship someone or something—an object of worship. Instead of teaching that all of life is worship, Romans 1:25 teaches that worshippers may correctly choose as the object of their worship the true and living God, or they may choose another object of their worship (e.g., celestial bodies, people, creatures, idols made of wood, stone or metals, etc.). Romans 1:25 does not deal with the activities of worship as much as it pertains to competing objects of worship.
