No, the way we are to worship God is congruent with all of scripture and all of what God desires and revels in. That we worship with all our body, soul and spirit is in line with how God desires it. This has nothing to do with lack of self-control. It is about giving over to the Spirit of God in worshiping the Lord utterly. Holding back is not required.
When I worship, I don't feel as though I'm holding anything back from God. What I give to God in worship is what He has given me: impressions of Himself. What else could He take pleasure in, other than what is entirely of Himself?
The first chapter of Leviticus is very instructive when it comes to worship, what we can offer in the service of God.
"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, When any man of you presenteth an offering to Jehovah, ye shall present your offering of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock." (Leviticus 1:2)
Whether of the herd or of the flock, the offering is Christ, in type. A male without blemish, it speaks of His perfection. First mentioned, we get the bullock. That is a large impression of the Lord Jesus, an appreciation of His strength and vitality in doing all the will of God. It says of this offering that the offerer "shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him." (Leviticus 1:4). "Lay his hand" can also be translated "lean with his hand". We get a sense of dependence from that, dependence on the One who has made atonement. Mr Coates has made the following helpful remarks about that:
"The word "to make atonement for him" suggests that there is that in the man himself which is unsuited to be brought near to God. All that we are as in the flesh was unfit for His eye to rest upon, it the only way in which we consider it, when serving God, is as having been covered - nay, more than covered, absolutely removed - in the death of Christ to His glory. No self-deception darkens the heart as we draw near, for we realize that holy love has taken its own way to judge and remove all that we were. We fully own what existed on our part, but the great and blessed fact that we engage our hearts with is that even that has brought to view in a glorious way the perfections and love of the Son of God."
Then we have the sheep or goat, which is a smaller impression. There's no leaning on the victim, a lack of a sense of personal identification with Christ. However, it is still an impression of Jesus, and therefore wholly acceptable to God.
Then we have an offering of the fowls, which is a very small, feeble appreciation - but still an appreciation nonetheless. It is necessary to "remove its crop with its feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east, into the place of the ashes..." (Leviticus 1:16). This speaks of something natural mixed up with the spiritual offering - something which has to be discarded. God still accepts the offering, even though it is very small and does contain mixture. There is still something of Christ in it, and it can still be offered "by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour." (Leviticus 1:17).
The pleasure of God is entirely bound up with Christ. We have to see this. We won't get an appreciation of what God appreciates if we're always looking at ourselves, looking for ways to use what natural abilities we have to make an offering to God. It's only by looking steadfastly on Jesus that we get something that is a suitable offering. The more we look at Jesus, the more we disappear in our own estimation, the more He grows in our appreciation until He fills our gaze completely and nothing of self remains. John the Baptist was an example of someone who had disappeared in his own estimation. When asked "Who art thou?" he answers, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness..." (John 1:22-23). He is nothing in his own eyes, just a voice. He had a full appreciation of "He who comes after me". He wouldn't've been indignant when his disciples left him to follow after Jesus. The humility and self-denial of John was no affectation. The consciousness of the peerless worth of Christ was all that he valued.
