-STEEMCHURCH- What does it mean to worship "in spirit and in truth?

f you are a Christian, you have certainly heard the phrase "we must worship God in spirit and in truth." It sounds beautiful and is an excellent exhortation - until we realize that, in general, no one explains it! They tell us that we should worship God in spirit and truth, but they do not tell us what it means or how to do it.

What is worship in spirit and truth? How do I worship God in spirit and truth?

• Where does the idea of ​​worshiping in spirit and truth come from?

This idea that we worship God in "spirit and truth" comes out of the conversation that Jesus had with a Samaritan woman in John 4: 6-30. In this conversation, the woman discussed the places of worship with Jesus; she asked why the Jews wanted God to be worshiped in Jerusalem, but the Samaritans said on Mount Gerizim (v. 19-20).

Jesus then reveals something very important:

But the time is near in fact, it has already arrived when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father seeks people who adore him in that way. For God is a Spirit, so all who worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth. (John 4: 23-24)

• In Context: What did Jesus mean?

The lesson that Jesus brought to the Samaritan woman was simple: the worship of God should not be limited to a geographical location or necessarily regulated by the temporary provisions of the laws of the Old Testament. When Jesus arrived, the separation between Jew and Gentile was not relevant - nor was it central to the temple of worship. Christ gained equal access for all through Him.

Therefore, worship became a matter of the heart (not external actions), directed by the truth, not the ceremony.

• What is our "spirit"?

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind". This is the first and most important commandment.

To be able to worship God in spirit and truth necessarily includes loving Him with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind.

• Why?

Because our spirit is all we are: our heart, our soul and our mind.

That immaterial part of us that covers our emotions, our character and our thoughts (in the previously linked article there is a little more in-depth description of what our heart is, what our soul is and what our mind is). Therefore, an adoration as Jesus described it requires a attunement and harmonization of everything that is directed to a single purpose: to please Him with all aspects of who we are.

• What is "really"?

The fact that our worship must also be "in truth" means that our worship is properly informed. That is, unless we have a knowledge about the God we worship (His attributes, His works and His promises), we can not worship "in truth."

An adoration of God "in truth" is different from "really" or "really." The sincerity of our worship has nothing to do with God or His attributes. When we truly worship, we place ourselves at the center of reality about who He is, the knowledge of what He has done and the confidence of what He has said.

• Worshiping "in spirit and truth"

Both our spirit and the truth and reality of who God is must be present for our worship to honor God.

The spirit without the truth leads to a flat, over-emotional and euphoric experience. Once the emotion ceases - when the time is right - also our adoration. On the other hand, The truth without spirit can lead us to a certain kind of legalism, without joy and without passion.

The combination of both aspects of worship leads to a joyful appreciation of God, in light of the Scriptures. The more we know about God, the more aspects of His greatness we can worship. The more we know, the deeper our worship will be. The deeper our worship, the more glorified God is.

It is the truth, and only the truth, that can appropriately influence our emotions in such a way that they honor God. The truth of God, being of infinite value, deserves infinite passion. The fact that worship is something so integral and comprehensive of our being, is not limited - as Jesus said - to a place, but we worship God with how we live. Therefore, although our expression of worship may vary (it may be more passive or expressive), what matters is who you worship and what you worship "in spirit and truth."