How do we worship the Lord in spirit and truth? The bible gives us an example of how to live this and who the spirit of truth is.
What Is True Worship Of Spirit and Truth?
This bible study started out with me learning about hostility and humility. But after studying, I found myself at worship. Then I learned that worship defined by scripture is very different from man’s view of worship. I learned that worship is humility and pride is false worship.
So, false worship is hostile to God and worship in spirit and truth comes from a humbled heart before God.
In John 4, Jesus says, God is looking for worshippers who worship in “spirit and truth.” Jesus takes it a step further, God is looking for worshippers who must worship Him in spirit and truth because God is spirit. As a believer it is vitally important to understand worship God accepts. This is a subject as magnanimous as God.
Exodus 20:3 KJV Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
God commands, believers are to worship God alone. We are to have nothing above or before Him. God has not changed His view on this.
Attitude Of Worship
The attitude of worship is I MUST decrease and Christ JesusMUST increase. We see this in John the Baptist. He is an example of humility worshipping in spirit and truth. The believer in Christ has been given a new heart that says, I must become less and Christ must become more.
John 3:27 KJV Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Believers receive from heaven. God-the Father, gave the gift of His Son, Who came from heaven. God-the Son gives the Holy Spirit, Who is from heaven. We give God nothing from heaven because we are earthly minded with a heart of pride (I) and rebellion (will) toward God. Why?
In Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Isaiah 14:13-14, we find the first of God’s creation choosing I must increase and God must decrease, hostility toward God. Satan came to believe that his looks and abilities gave him the right to be worshipped above God. In fact, he desired to be God because pride was found in his heart. His attitude of pride lead him to sin against God and challenge His sovereignty. Satan was cast out of heaven along with one third of the angels who choose him.
Where do we find Satan? In Genesis 3, we find him in Eden, the Garden of God. What is he doing? He is peddling his lies of pride (I)and rebellion (will) . Adam and Eve choose to disobey God and find themselves cursed and cast out of the Garden of Eden.
God’s relationship toward them has drastically changed. From that time forward everyone is infected with Satan’s view of God. Why is this important?
Worshipping Jesus Only
John 3: 22 KJV After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison. 25 Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
Once we receive salvation or saving faith in Jesus Christ, we are not to exalt anyone including ourself. When we make comparisons we step into envy and jealousy which is idolatry. This makes our worship hostile and prideful to God.
John 3:27 KJV John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
Leading Others To Christ
The believer is the bride of Christ, the bridegroom. Our job as believers is to guide those God brings into our life to the bridegroom, not ourself. How?
1 Corinthians 1:21 KJV For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
The cross of Christ is the center of a believers life. It is not that nothing else is to be known but everything is centered around Christ and His crucifixion on the cross. Without the cross of Christ nothing else would exist and we all deserve eternal death.
Philippians 2:3-11 tell us;
1. Do nothing with our interests, our ambitions, and our recognition as the motive
2. We are not to seek or boast concerning ourselves
The cross makes all equal because we have nothing to offer God except what He gives us. This is worship in spirit and truth, humility.
Worshipping In Spirit and Truth
John 4:23 KJV 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. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
No one worships God acceptably without saving faith in Christ Jesus.
Worship– I go down on my knees to worship (Strong’s Concordance)
Obeisance– click to know
Worship is not how you feel, though emotions may be involved, it is exalting the Lord God above all.
Philippians 2:5 KJV Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.