Worshiping God in Spirit and Truth

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

Many today have accepted the philosophy that any religion is okay, as long as a person is sincere. However, the Word of God does not teach such an idea. With all the different religions in the world, it makes it difficult to know who or what to believe. Therefore, to know the mind of God, we must know His book, the Bible. No other book has such accuracy and validity as the Bible. And when I say Bible, I mean the King James Bible. Our modern day translations are filled with error and false teaching. Even the New King James changed too many words.

Many religions outside of Christianity worship some dead man. But Christianity serves a risen Savior. Sad to say many who claim Christianity have set up a system of works for salvation, but God says it is a free gift.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)

True we are to work after salvation, but not to obtain heaven.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

Therefore, before a person can worship God, he must be saved and that is accomplished by faith in Jesus Christ.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Christ has done all that needs to be done to save you, therefore, all you must do is repent of your sin and place your faith and trust in Him.

Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Acts 20:21)

Some lay claim to worshiping God in their own way. If this were possible, then everyone would go to heaven. God will not accept you on your own terms, it His way or no way.

I. GOD IS A SPIRIT.

God is a Spirit: (John 4:24a)

1. God is a Trinity.
   God the Father.
   God the Son.
   God the Holy Spirit.
2. These three are one.
   

   For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (I John 5:7)

3. There are two invisible or spiritual aspects of God and one bodily manifestation.
4. Christ is the bodily manifestation.
   

   God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:1-3)

5. We understand the concept of the Holy Spirit in the God-head.
   

   Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. (Exodus 24:9-11)

6. Here our Lord, Himself, tells us that the Father is also a spirit, not a physical manifestation.
7. I do not have the words to explain to you the Trinity, but I believe it, for the Word of God teaches it.
8. Man was made in the likeness of God, not physically, but morally, intellectually and spiritually.
9. Man is also a triune being in that he is body, soul and spirit.
10. I am greatly aware of my body for I can see it, but I am also conscience of an enter existence within this body that makes up the real me.
    

    And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)

11. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they died spiritually instantly.
12. We come to the Father through the Son by the work of the Holy Spirit.
    

    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
    (John 14:6)

    But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

13. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us, draws us to God and makes us spiritually alive at the instant of salvation.
    

    Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:7-13)

    And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1)

II. WE MUST WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT.

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. (John 4:23)

1. The world says let me entertain you.
2. Many have become like the Pharisees, trying to worship God in the physical realm rather than the spiritual.
   

   This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
   (Matthew 15:8-9)

3. God would have us serve Him from the depth of our whole being.
   

   But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:34-40)

4. We can only approach God on a spiritual level, for from there God requires we worship Him, not just in word but in reality.
   

   But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:22, 25)

III. WE MUST WORSHIP GOD IN TRUTH.

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. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
(John 4:23-24)

1. It is not enough to be saved and worship God in spirit; we must also worship Him in truth!
2. The Word of God is truth.
   

   Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)

3. Therefore, we must know His Word.
   

   Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15)

4. It is not enough just to hear the Word of God taught.
   

   These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)

5. Our Lord Himself instructs us to search the Scriptures.
   

   Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (John 5:39)

6. In truth there is liberty.
   

   And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

7. It is the Holy Spirit that guides us into truth.
   

   Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 16:13; 14:6)

CONCLUSION: Are you worshiping God in spirit and truth? If not, you need to be. I do my best to declare the truth every time I preach or teach the Word of God. Will you commit yourself to worshiping God in spirit and truth?