The woman at the well is probably one of the most familiar stories in the New Testament. I don't know how many sermons I've heard on John 4:1-45, so as I read over it, I looked for something maybe a little out of the ordinary to think about, and I landed on verses 23-24. In these verses Jesus tells the woman that "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth." Then He goes on to say, "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." Now I've seen that phrasing "worshiping in spirit and truth" other places too.
So what exactly is worshiping in spirit and truth? What does, or should, it look like in our lives? Tami W.
P.S. I'd love to see your thoughts on this. Even if you're not sure, think about it and send in a comment. That's what Powered by 4 is here for--to help all of us grow together. And part of growing is thinking about, maybe in a different way, what you're reading in your Bible and then discussing it. So no matter where you're at--a regular blogger or you've never commented--give it a try!
I think this means for one thing that we must worship through the leading of the Holy Spirit which means obviously that we must be born again. It should not be a show as the Pharisees and others who are not truly saved; and in truth means it should be done for the glory of our Lord and Savior.
Standing in worship, feeling God's Holy Spirit move over you...at that moment, in that light, there is no room for anything other than truth.
Good morning, Tami -
My first thought when I read these two verses was that worship in Spirit means we have been Baptised in the Holy Spirit and worship in truth - that is Jesus. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. When we read God's Word it always comes with a new revelation.
Tina
Most of us relate to Christ being a man, although He is fully man and fully GOD all at the same time. However, Jesus points to the truth about the Father in that he is Spirit, and not like mankind with a physical body. He is Spirit and we can worship Him only through our spirit (which GOD gave us when we became born-again) and in the truth that we have come to know ~ that He is our Creator and Finisher of life. This is an awesome concept, but one worthy of understanding. On the other hand, non-believers do not have this understanding,for they cannot worship GOD in spirit or in truth because they have not been endowed with the Spirit of GOD to worship Him.
Jesus invites us to fellowship with the Father through these verses. "There will come a time when people will not worship GOD in the temple or on a mountain... but will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him".
To worship is to give God praise and if we are going to praise God we must first be clean as in sanctified and be true we have to let self be slain put away self and worship him and not think about the other person beside you just concentrate on him and let the Holy Spirit take over.
I love all the comments. I was thinking about Nicodemas and when Jesus told him he must be born again. We must be born again by God's spirit, and that how we can worship him in spirit and in truth.
Also, I love this story because it shows God's acceptance of everyone since it was a woman from Samaria.
Matthew 7:22-23
Many will say to Me in that day,'Lord,Lord have we not prophesied in Your name,cast out demons in Your name,and done many wonders in Your name?'23 "And then I will declare to them,'I never knew you;depart from Me,you who practice lawlessness!'
There are false teachers and false converts. They may be able to fool some of us but no one can fool God for God knows what's in our hearts.
My thoughts of the words "spirit and truth" is that once we accept Jesus as our personnel savior, God's spirit through the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with a willingness to learn and understand his true word. As we are able to understand God's word, more is revealed to us through Jesus' teachings and his love for us through his and our heavenly Father.
I think that in order to "worship in spirit and in truth," we must be willing to turn over our innermost self (our spirit) to God's grace. We must be honest with ourselves and with God about where we are in our walk - the good, the bad, and the ugly - in order to grow as Christians and be capable of letting his light shine through us and in us. We've all heard it said that the truth shall set you free - no where is that more correct than in our faith walk.
Blessings,
Rebecca
Thanks to you all for your thoughts. To pray without the spirit is like driving a car without the engine running. No hope, no power, no drive. To pray without truth is like praying without God's word. Like a conversation with a complete stranger and not being able to hear what they have to say. We continue to pray in spirit and truth for you, Tami and your mother. God bless you and your family.
I align this verse with Hebrews Chapt. 10 verse 22 " let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" These are true worshipers.