“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” – John 4:24 (KJV)
Upon bothered with trifling mandates of the carnally informed mind on worshiping God, came this response, wherein Jesus says, “God is a Spirit”. The discourse beforehand with the Samaritan woman, was not of spiritual matters, but what one assumed, what pleases God.1 Herein lies the essence of Jesus’ seemingly odd reply: He is not pleased with your carnal means of adoration, that idolizes self – the affect of one’s cerebral speculations, made sensed with tradition and culture. Therefore, by saying God is a Spirit, He is saying, what pleases God is not the carnally informed mandates of worshiping God, but the submission of the inner-man – the soul, the spirit of a being.
The
scripture then further tells us that Jesus Christ, puts these words
into action when He searches the depth of the woman’s heart, way
passed the facade of her religious ardor, and convicts her of her
sins. This conviction opens up her eyes to the reality of Christ; she
is made new, and she departs with joy, evangelizing her testimony. We
can very well imagine, and infer, that perhaps, from that day
onwards, that Samaritan woman might have no longer bothered about
place or time to worship her God. Rather, her worship would have been
simultaneous to her breathing – a way of life.
In
these words, for anyone who inquires the true nature of worship, lies
its finitude. How blessed we are of the Samaritan woman to have
meddled with the notion of worship, but more so, how blessed
we are that Christ went out on a limb, to deliver this message.
We
shall now here begin by dwelling briefly on what not is worship
John
Calvin aptly answers: everything of the
flesh. And I quote: “Since men are flesh, we ought not to
wonder, if they take delight in those things which correspond to
their own disposition. Hence it arises, that they contrive
many things in the worship of God which are full of display, but have
no solidity. But they ought first of all to consider that they have
to do with God, who can no more agree with the flesh than fire with
water“i.
We see
instances of carnally informed notions of worship being responded
with great disapproval; or even with a punishment in the Bible. We
see such instances in the account of Cain, Nadab and Abihu, and
Ananias and Sapphira. Because, as Calvin further writes, “God
is so far from being like us, that those things which please us most
are the objects of his loathing and abhorrence“ii.
In other words, the scriptures are very strict on how one ought to
worship God; and delivers quite a stern warning to not meddle with
it. James B. Coffman dwelling on this writes, “God has
revealed the manner in which he should be worshiped, and those who
hope to have their worship accepted should heed the restrictions. The
verse (John 4:24) before us is a powerful prohibition. Also,
Jesus said, ‘In vain do
they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men’
(Mark 7:7). An apostle declared that ‘God
… dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped
with men’s hands, as though he needed anything’
(Acts 17:24,25). The author of this gospel wrote, ‘Testify
unto every man that heareth the prophecy of this book, if any man
shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that
are written in this book’
(Revelation 22:18). And also, ‘Whosoever
transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not
God’ (2 John 1:1:9). Jesus
said of the Pharisees, ‘Ye
have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition’
(Matthew 15:6). Paul warned the Corinthians, ‘Now
these things, brethren, I have in a figure, transferred to myself and
Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond
the things which are written’
(1 Corinthians 4:6). From these specific prohibitions, as
well as from the spirit and tenor of the entire Bible, it is clearly
impossible for man to approach his Creator in worship, except as God
has directed. This was true in the days of Cain and Abel, of Nadab
and Abihu, of David and Uzzah, and of the Lord Jesus Christ and ever
afterward. It is true now and always.”iii
So what
not is worship? It is not the act of displaying imitations of what
divinity might be. It is not the act of gathering in a scheduled
church service once a week. It is not about where you meet. It is not
about singing in unison, or even melodiously. It is not about how you
bow down, to the east or west. Everything that is of the flesh is not
worship. Everything that is carnally informed,
is not worship. For the things of the carnal world has no unity with
the spiritual world.
The
only acceptable form of worship: Worship Him in
Spirit and in Truth
True
worship has to be foremost in the spirit, or more appropriately, true
worship is initiated by the Spirit of God, in the regenerated hearts
of men. A person who is still dead in sin, a person who is dead
spiritually, a person who is yet to receive salvation cannot give an
acceptable form of worship. Because, he has no spirit in him that
would long to worship the Spirit of God. He does not know God,
he is not known to God as His own. Note how the Samaritan woman was
bothered about carnal means of worshiping, for she was spiritually
dead, and knew nothing about what pleases God.
Secondly,
once the correct channel of worshiping is formed, comes the subject
of worship, i.e. Truth. What is the Truth?
Or more appropriate to the scriptures, who is the Truth? Jesus Christ
answers this directly when He says, “I am the way, the truth,
and the life (John 14:6). One might here, further inquire, how
one might worship in Truth? What does it mean on practical terms? The
answer to which lies in how Jesus Christ has been referred in the
scriptures: i.e. the WORD.
The
Apostle John writes, “In the beginning was the word, and the
word was with God, and the word was God (John 1:1)… The word
became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14). And
also, in Revelation, he writes, “He is dressed in a robe
dipped in blood, and his name is the word of God (Revelation
19:13).” So, the answer to the question, how should we worship
God in Truth lies in studying the Word of God. For Hebrews (4:12)
says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than
any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of
the heart“. Also, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy
3:16-17).” In other words, the once regenerated heart that longs
to adore and submit to the one who regenerated it, needs to be
informed, the truth of the subject of its adoration and submission.
Hence, the only reasonable follow-up to worshiping God in Spirit,
eventually is worshiping God in Truth. We should also not forget,
that there are many instances, when one might on a sentimental whim
cry out the name of the Lord, and believe in himself that he worships
the one true living God. But to keep safe, one needs to be confronted
by the Word to rectify one’s erroneous believes. Also, for the
regenerated souls, the rationale of worshiping in Truth lies in
keeping such saints to persevere through the work of redemption.
Truly, Christ says, “Blessed rather are those who hear the
word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28).
A
Conclusive description of Worship
Finally,
as a way of concluding let us measure these words, one last time
against the scriptures. And what more appropriate on the subject of
worship than the account of God revealing His majestic
Holiness to Isaiah (in Isaiah 6:1-9). These nine verses, when
analyzed, gives us the true nature of worship. Coffman puts it in the
following four points:
- an
awareness of the presence of God, (Isaiah 6:1-4)
- a
consciousness of sin and unworthiness on the part of the worshipper,
(Isaiah 6:5)
- a
sense of cleansing and forgiveness, (Isaiah 6:6-7) and
- a
response of the soul with reference to doing God’s will: “Here
am I, send me!”. (Isaiah 6:8-9)
Consider
the similarities with the account of the Samaritan woman. Jesus makes
Himself known to her (John 4:14), she is convicted of her sins (John
4:18), and made known, the hope of redemption
(4:25). She then finally departs to speak of Him (John 4:28-29). This
my fellow brethren, and dear readers, is what conclusively means, to
worship God in Spirit and Truth. It is not the songs we sing. It is
also not the Church services we attend. Although, both of these be
part of it. But in all honest measures, worshiping God is a never
ceasing phenomenon, for it is a way of life. It is the humble
submission of the inner-man, the soul, the spirit, to the Sovereign
Will and authority of the one who saved us, and gave us this heart of
worship. It is a response, an involuntary response2
of the spirit upon the anointing of the Holy Spirit, when one
receives the Salvation of one’s soul that God freely gives in His
Grace. It is the imitation on one’s part to persevere in the Truth,
in the Word of God, to continue in reverence of His divinity, (upon
the reception of the Holy Spirit). This is
what it means to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. But
unfortunately, this also means, one who is not yet regenerated, one
who is yet to be saved, one who is yet to receive salvation, knows
nothing of this. For that person is still dead in his sins. A
non-regenerated soul will only think of the carnal means to worship
Him; for only carnal things appeal to him, for he knows not of the
spirit to know what the spirit desires. And since,
so is the case, there is no union between such personhood and Christ,
and all means of such worship only remains a meaningless clamor, an
object of loathing to God, completely
unacceptable.
But dear reader, if you so find yourself, roughen-up by these words, do not despair. For although, our God is just, He is also merciful. And if your soul is roughen-up enough to thirst for Him, don’t be frail, for He makes it accessible His throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16) to all His chosen ones, to come and ask Him (Matthew 7:7) of the Spirit, the heart of repentance, the salvation of your soul, and your body.
1
The Samaritan woman, in greater part of her conversation with Christ
was more concerned in the legality of the religion of her time. Her
concerns were not spiritual, but worldly, more driven by social
maxims and traditions of her time. She was more occupied with what
mere mortal men speculated about what pleases God.
2
The phrase “involuntary response” implies, the nature of the
regenerated heart that seeks godliness. The word spirit (with
lowercase “s”) implies the regenerated individual, that now
seeks the supplication of the Holy Spirit.
i
https://www.studylight.org/commentary/john/4-24.html#cal
ii
Ibid.
iii
Ibid.
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