WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH

In John 4:24, Jesus tells us that we MUST worship God in spirit and truth. What does this mean? How do we worship God in spirit and truth? I hope that this page will give you a better understanding of how to worship God this way.

John 4:23-24 ...'But the hour cometh, and now is, when the TRUE worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him MUST worship Him in spirit and in truth.'

Now there are a couple of things that stand out in these couple of Bible verses, spoken by Jesus. First is that He said the TRUE worshippers will worship God in spirit and truth. What does this mean? It means that there are also false worshippers who claim to be Christians, but the way they live and "worship" shows that they are not true followers of Christ. Again, the fact that Christ said that the TRUE worshippers would worship in spirit and truth shows that there would be false worshippers. The second is that He said we MUST worship God in spirit and truth, which shows that any other form of worship is unacceptable. So we need to look at how to worship God and what our worship is like. Is it in accordance with God's Word in the Bible? Please prayerfully study this ad it is a very important subject.

Worship Any Way we Like?

Can we worship God any way we like? Will God accept any form of worship? Satan is very active within the church and has deceived many (if not the majority) of professing Christians into thinking that they can worship God any way they like. Now does this kind of thinking fall in line with what Christ Jesus said in John 4:23-24? No. Jesus said that the TRUE worshippers would worship in SPIRIT and TRUTH, and not only that, He also said we MUST worship this way. He didn't say we could worship God any way we like. He said we MUST worship a CERTAIN way.
The problem we have today amongst professing Christians is that they don't study their Bibles. Instead, they are more interested in the worldly activities that Satan has laid on for them. Satan has so filled our lives with " entertainment" that Bible study is now boring to the majority.

"In giving us His word, God has put us in possession of every truth essential for our salvation." (E White, Christ's Object Lessons, Ch.11, P.133)

And in saying "worship God in spirit and truth", Christ is guiding us to His Word in the Bible. And it is only from this source that we can learn how to worship God the right way. So set time aside each day to study God's Word and He will show you how He wants you to serve and worship Him.
Another problem is the thought that as we are now living in the 21st century, then we need to find new ways of worshipping God, so that we can keep up with the times. Many Christians think that they need to change with the times and therefore change their form of worship. Does the Bible agree with this?

Malachi 3:6 ....'For I am the LORD, I change not.'

Hebrews 13:8 ....'Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.'

May these verses put that thought to rest! We should not look to change with the times, because God NEVER changes. His Word NEVER changes. Therefore our form of worship should NEVER change.

How to Worship in Spirit

God is a Spirit, therefore He is not subject to the limitations of material things. He is not concerned with what kind of building we go to, to worship Him. No, God is concerned with HOW we worship Him. He isn't interested in the added special effects we put into the music or sermons. He is interested in our hearts.
Worshipping God in spirit means to worship Him from the heart with all we have, just as the greatest commandment that Jesus gave tells us to do ... Mark 12:30...'And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.' ... We all know this command well, but do we actually keep it? To love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength is to worship God in spirit. But how do we love the Lord this way? We give our all to Him. We surrender all to Him. Our work, time, money, possessions, body, everything! We say, "I am yours Lord, and all I have is yours". And then we live each moment for our dear Saviour.

1 Chronicles 28:9 ....'And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.'

Do you see why we need to worship God in spirit? He knows what is going on in your mind, the very thoughts you are thinking and feeling. So going to church is not THE definition of worshipping God, it is just a small part of it.

Revelation 2:23 ....'and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.'

Do you realise that we no longer belong to ourselves, and that we have been bought and belong to someone else? ... 1 Corinthians 6:20 ...'For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.' ... Christ Jesus bought us with His very own life, and we now belong to Him, therefore EVERYTHING we are and do should bring glory to God. THIS is acceptable worship.

Romans 12:1 ....'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.'

How to Worship in Truth

John 17:17 ....'Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.'

Quite simply, worshipping God in truth means to worship Him according to His Word in the Bible. It is through diligent study of the scriptures that we learn about the great love of God and His Son Christ Jesus. And it is through the scriptures that we learn how God wants us to serve and worship Him.

Ephesians 5:18-21 ...'be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.'

Does this give you an idea of how God wants you to worship Him? And yet this is just a couple out of thousands of precious Bible verses that show us how to worship God.

Psalms 89:7 ....'God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.'

Hebrews 12:28-29 ....'let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.'

Do you see how we are to come before God, whether it be in church or at home or wherever we are? God is an all consuming fire. He is so holy that we could not stand before Him without being consumed. Therefore we are to give Him great reverence. Sadly, this is greatly lacking in many churches today, because they ignore the plain truths of God's Word.

Matthew 4:10 ....'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.'

Do you spend more time on other things than you do on God? Do you put family or friends before your relationship with Jesus? If so, then you are not worshipping in spirit and truth, as God requires complete devotion and for Him to be FIRST and FOREMOST in your daily life.
Please do not think that any kind of worship is acceptable to God. If that was so, then Jesus would not have said that we are to worship in spirit and truth. We cannot say that we must change with the times and be more acceptable to the world, because God never changes and His truth never changes. We cannot choose our own style of worship, rather we must worship according to God's Word ... Jeremiah 10:23 .....'O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps .' ... We cannot direct our own steps and choose our own ways. We must choose the ways of God that are clearly laid out in His Word.