Introduction. Offering gifts of gratitude and appreciation to those we love and respect has always been an enjoyable yet occasionally difficult task. When contemplating a gift, the obvious goal is to please the recipient. Entire industries have grown up around this emotional need. Greeting cards, flowers, and jewelry stores rely on this universal longing for their livelihood. The only way to guarantee success is to know their needs and desires. Thus to have a successful birthday, anniversary, or other important event we must choose gifts carefully by seeking only to please and honor them.
What about God? He is worthy of our greatest efforts to give him the very best that we have. Have we given as careful thought and consideration to pleasing Him as we do for others? One thing is certain, God seeks this type of worship and those who worship must worship in this manner.
What about God? He is worthy of our greatest efforts to give him the very best that we have. Have we given as careful thought and consideration to pleasing Him as we do for others? One thing is certain, God seeks this type of worship and those who worship must worship in this manner.
- "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." Jn. 4:23-24
Cain and Abel revealed the difference between genuine worship and self-centered worship (Gen. 4:4-5; Heb 11:4; 1Jn 3:12). Genuine worship requires both faith and submission to God’s wishes. As faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17), so also does genuine worship.
The key vocabulary words of worship are “must,” “spirit,” “truth” and “true.” Let's look at each.
MUST
The term “must — expresses the ‘character of necessity or compulsion’ in an event” (Kittel, TDWNT; NT: 1163). Since Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18), when He says it is both necessary and compulsory to worship in spirit and truth we would be wise to comply. When He goes on to say that those who worship in spirit and truth are the only ones God is seeks to be His worshipers, it is sheer folly to ignore “spirit and truth” in our worship.
SPIRIT
How do we worship in spirit? There are two possible ways to understand this word. Since Jesus prefaced it with “God is spirit” He is either referring to the Holy Spirit or to the spirit God gave us (Ecc. 12:7) when we were created in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-17). If it is the Holy Spirit, then we must worship through the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit guided us into all truth (Jn. 16:13), our worship must be directed by the Spirit who gave us truth.
The second possibility is our own spirit. We must use our spirit in every act of worship. Hence each act of worship is done outwardly according to truth and inwardly by using our spirit. After looking at all the commands concerning worship, I believe Jesus spoke of our own spirit. As we worship by faith with emotion, desire and zeal within our spirit, we fulfill this first “duty and necessity.” For “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise. Ps 51:17
TRUTH
There are two passages in John that clearly reveal what Jesus means by truth. In the first, Jesus revealed that God’s word is truth: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17-18). In the second, Jesus defined genuine disciples as those who abide in His word and thus, by abiding in His word, know the truth: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). Hence if we want to worship God in truth, we must worship him only as He directs in His word. Since it was faith that made Abel’s sacrifice more excellent and that faith comes from hearing the truth in God’s word (Rom. 10:17). Every act of worship must be found in God’s word and done exactly as directed in that truth.
TRUE
Only when we have a full understanding of these terms can we intelligently and purposely worship. The goal is to give God respect, honor, love, and gratitude. This is the real point of the term “true” which is defined: “that which has not only the name and semblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name; in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name: real and true, genuine” (Thayer, NT:228). Thus the distinction between the genuine and the counterfeit is based on the “spirit” and “truth” found in our worship. If our worship is guided by the truth and submitted to in our spirit, then our worship not only has “the name and semblance,” but also the “real nature corresponding to” a worship pleasing in the sight of God. Just as there are genuine and counterfeit $100 bills, there is also genuine and counterfeit worship.
Acts of Worship. The worship revealed in God’s word centers on five acts.
The key vocabulary words of worship are “must,” “spirit,” “truth” and “true.” Let's look at each.
MUST
The term “must — expresses the ‘character of necessity or compulsion’ in an event” (Kittel, TDWNT; NT: 1163). Since Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18), when He says it is both necessary and compulsory to worship in spirit and truth we would be wise to comply. When He goes on to say that those who worship in spirit and truth are the only ones God is seeks to be His worshipers, it is sheer folly to ignore “spirit and truth” in our worship.
SPIRIT
How do we worship in spirit? There are two possible ways to understand this word. Since Jesus prefaced it with “God is spirit” He is either referring to the Holy Spirit or to the spirit God gave us (Ecc. 12:7) when we were created in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-17). If it is the Holy Spirit, then we must worship through the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit guided us into all truth (Jn. 16:13), our worship must be directed by the Spirit who gave us truth.
The second possibility is our own spirit. We must use our spirit in every act of worship. Hence each act of worship is done outwardly according to truth and inwardly by using our spirit. After looking at all the commands concerning worship, I believe Jesus spoke of our own spirit. As we worship by faith with emotion, desire and zeal within our spirit, we fulfill this first “duty and necessity.” For “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise. Ps 51:17
TRUTH
There are two passages in John that clearly reveal what Jesus means by truth. In the first, Jesus revealed that God’s word is truth: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17-18). In the second, Jesus defined genuine disciples as those who abide in His word and thus, by abiding in His word, know the truth: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). Hence if we want to worship God in truth, we must worship him only as He directs in His word. Since it was faith that made Abel’s sacrifice more excellent and that faith comes from hearing the truth in God’s word (Rom. 10:17). Every act of worship must be found in God’s word and done exactly as directed in that truth.
TRUE
Only when we have a full understanding of these terms can we intelligently and purposely worship. The goal is to give God respect, honor, love, and gratitude. This is the real point of the term “true” which is defined: “that which has not only the name and semblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name; in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name: real and true, genuine” (Thayer, NT:228). Thus the distinction between the genuine and the counterfeit is based on the “spirit” and “truth” found in our worship. If our worship is guided by the truth and submitted to in our spirit, then our worship not only has “the name and semblance,” but also the “real nature corresponding to” a worship pleasing in the sight of God. Just as there are genuine and counterfeit $100 bills, there is also genuine and counterfeit worship.
Acts of Worship. The worship revealed in God’s word centers on five acts.
| Acts of Worship 1. Giving 2. Praying 3. Singing 4. Hearing 5. Communion (e.g., "Lord's Supper") | In Spirit 1. Not grudgingly or of necessity. 2 Cor. 9:7 God loves a cheerful giver. Mk. 12:41-44 2. Be not as the hypocrites. Mt. 6:5-16 3. Sing with the understanding. I Cor. 14:14-17 4. Tremble at His word. Ecc. 5:1; Isa 66:1-2 5. Remember. I Cor. 11:26-30 | In Truth 1. Upon first day of week let each one lay by in store as prospered. I Cor. 16:1-2 2. Men lifting up holy hands. I Tim. 2:8 3. Singing & making melody in heart. Eph. 5:19 4. Swift to hear. Acts 20:7; 17:11 Jas. 1:19-25 5. Unleavened bread & fruit of vine. I Cor. 11:23-25; Acts 20:7 |
Conclusion. If we want to worship in spirit and truth, God has shown us the way. All we must do is comply.
- "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. 1Sam. 15:22-23