Tuesday: In Spirit and in Truth
One of the most wonderful accounts in the New Testament of how Jesus ministered to broken souls is found in the story of Jesus and the woman at the well.
Read John 4:7-26. What does Jesus say to her about worship? In fact, how did they get on the topic of worship to begin with?
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Though she tried to change the subject by talking about worship, Jesus used her tactic to give us some profound truths about worship and what worship involves. Perhaps most important for our immediate purposes is what He said in John 4:24: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (NKJV).
True worship of the Lord must be “in spirit,” that is, it must stem from love of God, from the experience of knowing Him personally. “The religion that comes from God is the only religion that will lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship. It is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 189.
At the same time, worship must be “in truth.” We must have some correct knowledge of God, of who He is and what He requires of us. In other words, doctrine is involved, as well. (How meaningful it is, for example, to know that we worship a God who does not burn people in hell for eternity.)
Thus, we see here two elements in worship: the experience that comes from knowing and obeying God, and the objective truths revealed to us about God. Spirit without truth can lead to a shallow sentimentalism that’s built more on fickle emotion than on anything else. In contrast, truth without spirit can lead to a lifeless formalism. Hence, we need both.
How would you seek to teach someone to worship “in spirit and truth”? In what cases might someone need an emphasis more on one than on the other?
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The Samaritans and the Jews despised one another. Both claimed to have the original pure Torah and the other side had a corrupt version. The Samaritans claimed that their Mount Gerizim was to be the place of the temple while the Jews claimed the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Samaritans claimed to be the descendants of the northern tribes of Israel and had kept the pure faith, whereas the Jews had been corrupted by the Babylonian captivity. The Jews considered the Samaritans as fools
It was against this background that Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well. And had the discussion about the place of worship. As always, Jesus looked beyond the liturgy and location to let the woman know that those issues were not really important.
Jesus then pointed to himself as the Messiah, and in so doing revealed the Father who is beyond liturgy and location. That is what it means to worship him in Spirit and Truth.
Big Picture Stuff: How often do we get ourselves bogged down about the nature of the Godhead and our pictures of salvation in our arguments with one another? We think that our argument and interpretation of Scripture is bigger and better than those of the others. In all of this, have we become like the Samaritans and the Jews, arguing over the place of worship and who has the best Torah? Do we need to be pointed to the Messiah who reveals a God that is to be worshiped in “Spirit and Truth”?
So far I have discovered that worship includes (1) acknowledging the LORD's power and authority over me, (2) praising Him as the Creator and for His goodness to His people and the third element is to come into His presence and offer incense - our prayers.
The LORD instructed Moses Let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them however as Jesus said to the woman at the well things are different now, His presence is no longer in a place but in our heart which is the temple, the dwelling place, of God through the Holy Spirit. 1Cor 3:16, 2Cor 6:16, 1Cor 6:19, Eph 2:18-22, John 14:17, 2Tim 1:14
It is the Holy Spirit who helps us communicate with the LORD in prayer. Rom 8:26-27
So the third element of worship is to come into His presence through prayer.
It can be more efficient to teach something when we experience it first! We can worship in spirit and truth prior to teach others. If our daily lives become a constant worship service, perhaps this way we may involve those around us also to worship in spirit and truth.
What does Jesus mean when saying we must worship God in "spirit and truth"? Perhaps we need to understand the reason He states when saying "God (is) a Spirit". If we read the original it would say: "Spirit the God"(Pneuma ho Theos). What do we derive from this statement? Is God spirit, or breath, or wind? Given the context, I see "breath" as the logical meaning due to how God created man in the beginning. God is the Source of breath, or "God is breath", or "breath(life), the God", as the Source of it.
This would make a lot of sense to the woman and us wouldn't it? Jesus is saying that our very life, all life, is from God, and He is worthy of our worship, which resonates with Revelation 4:11 doesn't it?
So we must worship with our very life according to His Truth. Many worship traditions, or their own ideas, reason, science(so called), etc. But only in Truth can we worship God who gives us life as our Creator. This thought takes worship to an all-encompassing priority in all that we do. Worship is life, and according to scripture, a holy life(Ps 29:2).
As for truth, I cannot worship God if I don't keep the 7th day because I prefer the 1st or 3rd day. I need the Truth to "walk in", or I will stumble in my effort to obey/worship. The Psalmist states "your Law is the truth"(Ps 119:142), which the "undefiled...walk in"(Ps 119:1). There is no other safe or right path than God's Law/will(Ps 40:8; 119:11,105).
So God who is the source of my life is worthy of my obedient/holy life, which is true worship.
Don't you just love how this Samaritan woman responds?! Doesn't this answer the question of Truth being relevant to those outside(John 10:16)?
I think, if one strips all sentimentality from the core mission of Christ Jesus and breaks it down to its basic facts, His mission is a very practical, simple, straight forward instruction for mankind – believe, apply, or die. We might have placed an aura of sentimental awe around the person of Christ Jesus which potentially can take our eyes of the ‘down-to-earth’ application of His practical message.
I think worship is also one of those areas in mankind’s life which is embellished and becomes decorated like a Christmas tree with ornaments of man’s choosing; man’s mind will think of all types of trimmings for his ‘tree of worship’.
For the believer, Christ Jesus breaks down for us worship into its essence – spirit and truth. We can add all kinds of ‘feel-good’ things to this, but can never take away this basic foundation were true worship takes place. In my opinion, the word ‘worship’ depicts the life of a follower of Christ Jesus walking by Faith the Way of Truth in the Spirit of Love.
God’s restorative influence is directed to the heart and mind to point them to Him and with that change them from focus on self to focus on other.
If Love is the core attribute and context in which God manifests Himself, if man lost ‘contact’ with this essence which identifies him with his Creator, what would be restored first in order to give mankind back that which is needed most? – The capacity/ability to love their Creator and therewith the ability to love their fellow man!
We need to be careful to not allow worship to become *works*. Spirit and Truth is that which God restores insight man to be able to have communion with Him; this is the believer’s new life, they live in and by His Spirit and Truth and so have Life.
By Faith we worship Him as we abide in His Spirit and Truth and so live in the Kingdom of God.
In my understanding, the essence of true worship is in the believer’s state of being - a new disposition, an inert intent of the heart and mind which will express itself in our humble gratefulness toward our Heavenly Father and our Savior Christ Jesus, and loving kindness toward our fellow man.
'True worship of the Lord must be “in spirit,” that is, it must stem from love of God, from the experience of knowing Him personally.'
When children are shown and taught how to worship I am not too sure if they understand the deep meaning of what worship entails. As adults true worship takes on a different meaning. Throughout the bible we read about true and false worship. When Jesus met the woman at the well she was the one who raised the topic about worship. Where is the right place to worship? Here or there. In response to her question, Jesus answered- those who worship must worship in spirit and in truth. Worship is about our heart and not about the place. Jesus can meet anyone anywhere.
He met the Samaritan's at their level and those who believed in him were saved while the Jews who disbelieved in him were lost.
The KJV says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” Yet, what does this actually mean? God urged His children to “be still, and know that I am God.” The psalmist added,”He leads me beside quiet waters,” and Isaiah said, “In quietness and trust is your strength.” In order to worship and perceive the biblical thoughts God may send us, the mind must be quiet enough to hear (as an example) at theta level. God so often tells His children not to fear because fear will drive the mind toward gamma state where it is nearly impossible to understand His communication with us.
When we consistently discipline ourselves in long-term biblical meditation on His word and quieting or minds to the Holy Spirit in focusing our thoughts on His thoughts of love and truth-can result in a stronger connection to God, an increased ability to discern His voice, an to be able to discern and reject satan’s thoughts.
So, worshiping our Father in Heaven is to know and understand the biblical truth He has given us and to recognize His still small voice as if it’s a gentle thought in the morning when your first are waking up. Having that kind of worship brings peace into your life and your relationship with God our Father and His spiritual realm will always be open to you.