John 4:23-24 But a time is coming — and now is here — when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. (24) God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” NET
These are two very important verses in the Bible. A time has arrived upon the earth when there are two types of worshipers (implied by text):
1) There are worshipers
2) There are true worshipers
The startling fact is that God does not seek after worshipers. He is seeking after those who worship him in spirit and in truth! In other words, there is a ‘worship’ that does not truly bring the glory God seeks. Man may try to give him glory through word and deed–but what really matters is that it is in spirit and in truth! Verse 24 goes further and tells us that those who worship God must worship him in spirit and truth. There is no other option that is pleasing to God.
And I have to stop and ask myself a serious question: Do I worship in spirit and in truth?
And do you?
What does this verse mean when it talks about worshiping in spirit and in truth?
I suppose one could spend hours and hours studying the different faucets of this question. One could argue a thousand different ways. But look at the verse objectively and there really is simplicity.
“In spirit and in truth”
These two verses are centered in the conversation between Christ and the woman at the well, just after she had ‘asked’ where the true place of worship was. Christ answered that a time was coming when one would neither worship in Jerusalem nor on a mountain top, but instead one would worship in ‘spirit’. In other words, people would worship from their ‘rational and immortal souls’[i] . And they would worship in ‘truth’ or with meaning. It would not be an act. It comes from deep inside us, wells up, and bubbles over.
Are you acting when you sit there on the church bench? So many boring hymns? So many drawn out sermons? So many things to think about instead? You’d better ask yourself one last question…
Am I a true worshiper? A worshiper that God seeks after?
These verses have challenged me greatly. My worship should hardly qualify for the King of Kings. But I have experienced that ‘true’ worship, and it’s a wonderful thing because it’s something that springs from the very core of my being –from my very rational and immortal soul. If only to make this my ‘norm’ and not just a passing fragrance of the true essence of worship.
That’s my desire. Is it yours?
~
[i] Strong’s Greek Dictionary