Worship Him in spirit and truth
- Thread starter Grace
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RJ
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Nope!:thumbsup:
Travis
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God is seeking those who would worship him in spirit and in truth.
If we seem to be worshiping God in spirit, but we are not worshiping him in truth, We are not worshiping him in either.
If we seem to be worshiping God in truth, but we are not worshiping him in spirit, We are not worshiping him in either.
We must worship God in spirit and in truth, both together. It's all or nothing.
To try to worship God in either spirit only, or in truth only, and not the other as well, is to be lukewarm. It would be better to do neither.
Travis
If we seem to be worshiping God in spirit, but we are not worshiping him in truth, We are not worshiping him in either.
If we seem to be worshiping God in truth, but we are not worshiping him in spirit, We are not worshiping him in either.
We must worship God in spirit and in truth, both together. It's all or nothing.
Revelation 3 (KJV)
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
To try to worship God in either spirit only, or in truth only, and not the other as well, is to be lukewarm. It would be better to do neither.
Travis
I envisioned the Luke warm Church as the professing Church, ones that talked it but did not walk it like the people described in Matt 7:22-23
Dovegiven
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Let's look at the scripture reference in more detail. We drop in while the Samaritan woman is speaking to Jesus.
John 4:20-26 (KJV)
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 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.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
The place was the old Jacob's Well. The people there were descendants of Jews of the northern 10 of 12 tribes that were taken into captivity before Judah fell. When they returned to their home areas they married Canaanites that had replaced them, losing their Jewish distinctiveness, but holding onto their history. They resented Jews claiming they couldn't worship God without going to Jerusalem, regarded by Jews as outcasts settling for places and manners of worship no longer assigned by God. Following the Torah made that so, in Solomon's act of building the Temple there. The Samaritans built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim, using the same books of Moses used by the Jews.
Jesus announced that soon neither place would be accepted by the Father for worship of him. From that I conclude that the Samaritans were going to their temple to worship God, but didn't really know what they worshiped. The Jews, however, according to Jesus, did know "what" they worshiped, since they were the ones to whom the oracles were given, retaining the legal place to worship as per the Law. They didn't know "Who" they worshiped, not having a personal relationship with the Father. Their worship was physical work, obedience to commands that directed that activity.
Jesus then offered a major change for both groups, that instead of going to a place to worship, instead of sacrificing at an altar, performing ordinances, attending feasts as part of the original style of worship, true worshipers would then worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Those are the ones the Father was calling for to worship him truly, and the old sanctioned manner had become corrupted and obsolete, to be abolished outright in Christ at the cross.
What then is "in truth"? John 14:6-7 (KJV)
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
True worship is only possible in Christ. None can truly worship the Father apart from Jesus.
By "in Spirit", we worship the living divine spiritual Person of the Father God, knowing him by knowing Jesus, seeing the Father now. He is not a place, an artifact, an ordinance, or a religion, but a Spirit being with all human attributes as he created man to have, plus his own special attributes. He comes to dwell in each believer, by the third Person, the Holy Spirit, who represents both Jesus the Son and God the Father. That makes each believer a mobile temple wherein should remain non-stop worship in all we do and think. We are designed as beings now born from above (born again) to also physically assemble ourselves together for corporate worship anywhere, anytime, where gifts of the Spirit may bless all of the Church.
So that to me is the context of it, influenced by many other scriptures concerning New Covenant worship.
John 4:20-26 (KJV)
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 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.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
The place was the old Jacob's Well. The people there were descendants of Jews of the northern 10 of 12 tribes that were taken into captivity before Judah fell. When they returned to their home areas they married Canaanites that had replaced them, losing their Jewish distinctiveness, but holding onto their history. They resented Jews claiming they couldn't worship God without going to Jerusalem, regarded by Jews as outcasts settling for places and manners of worship no longer assigned by God. Following the Torah made that so, in Solomon's act of building the Temple there. The Samaritans built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim, using the same books of Moses used by the Jews.
Jesus announced that soon neither place would be accepted by the Father for worship of him. From that I conclude that the Samaritans were going to their temple to worship God, but didn't really know what they worshiped. The Jews, however, according to Jesus, did know "what" they worshiped, since they were the ones to whom the oracles were given, retaining the legal place to worship as per the Law. They didn't know "Who" they worshiped, not having a personal relationship with the Father. Their worship was physical work, obedience to commands that directed that activity.
Jesus then offered a major change for both groups, that instead of going to a place to worship, instead of sacrificing at an altar, performing ordinances, attending feasts as part of the original style of worship, true worshipers would then worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Those are the ones the Father was calling for to worship him truly, and the old sanctioned manner had become corrupted and obsolete, to be abolished outright in Christ at the cross.
What then is "in truth"? John 14:6-7 (KJV)
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
True worship is only possible in Christ. None can truly worship the Father apart from Jesus.
By "in Spirit", we worship the living divine spiritual Person of the Father God, knowing him by knowing Jesus, seeing the Father now. He is not a place, an artifact, an ordinance, or a religion, but a Spirit being with all human attributes as he created man to have, plus his own special attributes. He comes to dwell in each believer, by the third Person, the Holy Spirit, who represents both Jesus the Son and God the Father. That makes each believer a mobile temple wherein should remain non-stop worship in all we do and think. We are designed as beings now born from above (born again) to also physically assemble ourselves together for corporate worship anywhere, anytime, where gifts of the Spirit may bless all of the Church.
So that to me is the context of it, influenced by many other scriptures concerning New Covenant worship.
