01/02/2021
How do we worship God? Is it by chanting, and singing certain hymns and songs? Is it by placing ourselves in a particular posture? Do we worship by reciting ritual creeds and prayers, or perhaps by performing certain ceremonies and liturgical acts? No, although these things might help us reach a state of worship they are not worship in themselves. Jesus tells us in scripture what it means to worship God... we must do so in Spirit and truth.
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.””
John 4:24 ESV
This does not mean we should abandon liturgy, singing, and these other things that prepare our hearts and spirits for worship because it is important to arouse our spirit and give it freely, and fully, into worship.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Colossians 3:16 ESV
Worshiping in spirit is yielding to our deep seated love for God which emanates from our most intimate recesses... giving voice to our spirits, which manifest the essence of our hearts.
Under the law believers worshipped God in truth by reading, studying, and obeying His Word, and this remains truth for us today, but through Jesus Christ the law has been fulfilled so our worship has also been changed, or fulfilled, as well.
““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Matthew 5:17 ESV
In this way we are reintroduced to a very important ingredient of worship that had been all but lost in Eden... the spirit. In the sin that erupted, man’s spirit became overshadowed by obedience, and only a few were blessed by receiving guidance from God’s Spirit. However, all this changed when God sent His Son to redeem us...
“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.”
John 4:23 ESV
Beginning with His first breath, Jesus brought the hope of eternal life back to man’s spirit, and to receive it, all we had to do was believe.
““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 ESV
and to do so we were further instructed to take His Spirit and Flesh into ourselves... this is not the physical act of communion, but the belief in what we are told to remember as we take it. We are told to remember that Jesus is the bread, and the wine.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.””
John 6:51 ESV
So our worship is in spirit and truth. The truth by studying and obeying the Gospel of Jesus along with the Word of God, and through the spirit by revealing our open heart to God through our spirit, by the outpouring of our all-consuming love towards God. These two elements meet with God himself, who is Spirit, and this to us becomes our reverent adoration... our loving worship.
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.””
John 4:24 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for teaching us to worship you in Spirit and Truth, and for fulfilling our worship through Jesus. Spirit and Truth... the two elements by which we come in loving worship to you; then Body and Blood... the two elements of remembrance, and communion, with your Son Jesus Christ. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who loves us and desires us to worship you just as we love you; with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We praise you in spirit, for that is who you are, and we bring forth this fullness of love for you in worship because that is your desire, and our greatest act of adoration towards you. Hear our chants and songs; watch us prostrate ourselves before you, and see our liturgy performed as we work to awaken our spirits and prepare them to release our love for you, our worship, but never let us confuse these physical acts for worship itself. Have mercy on us Father, and forgive our sins through Jesus so that we can love and worship you without hindrance, and be pure as we reach out in spirit to you. Feel our worship as we open our hearts (by our spirits) and minds (the seekers of truth) to you, and find us to be in the likeness of Jesus... acceptable, and pleasing to you.
“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”
Psalm 95:6 ESV
Rich Forbes