Worship God in The Spirit and The Truth

Introduction

Today’s message is important so that all believers in Jesus Christ may understand, receive, and apply what God loves, so that our relationship with Him may remain simple, direct, full, sincere, and above all truly biblical, and not an automatic routine without foundation, whose only purpose would be to justify ourselves through works of piety.

These works of piety may appear good in the eyes of people, but they can become deceptive when they replace simple faith in Christ and place us in a position of thinking ourselves righteous before God.

Human beings have always tended to do what seems, or what they think is, good, especially what is visible to others. This reassures, it gives the impression of being spiritual, but it closes us into rituals or ceremonial commitments. Yet many of these practices have no biblical root, remain purely external, and sow doubt and confusion, and this since the fall of Adam and Eve.

Let us remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes: “Hypocrites, Isaiah prophesied well about you, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You abandon the commandment of God, and you hold to the tradition of men. You set aside very well the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.” Mark 7:6–9 NASB

So then, are celebrations or traditions forbidden? Not necessarily. But it is our responsibility to discern, through the Holy Spirit, whether they are pleasing to God or not, in the light of His Word, which is true, unchanging, and endures forever.

Let’s now read the main  passage of Scripture of the day, from the Gospel of John, Chapter four, from verse twenty to twenty four.

“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one have to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him have to worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:20-24 NASB

Here Jesus is speaking with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, a return to the origins, located between two mountains: Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. In the biblical narrative, these mountains highlight themes of blessing and curse, of choices and consequences, which lie at the heart of God’s covenant relationship with His people.

The division between Samaritans and Jews was ancient, rooted in disagreements about the proper place of worship and other theological matters. The Jews considered themselves more honorable, because their Temple in Jerusalem was greater and recognized as the place where all nations would come to worship God, according to the prophets.

Worship is an attitude of the heart, a continual acknowledgment of our being; it is not only musical exaltation, singing, and rejoicing in a place, but the fragrance expressed in all our actions, giving glory to God for all His benefits, past, present, and future.

The first part of the passage says: “Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”

By addressing this woman, Jesus revealed His mission and challenged cultural norms, breaking ethnic and religious barriers. He shows that the Gospel transcends social and cultural boundaries, inviting all human beings to enter into a true and direct relationship with God the heavenly Father, in every place and in every circumstance.

The act of “believing” is emphasized here by Jesus, because it is the very foundation of the Gospel of salvation. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, and the Son of God, who came to reconcile us with the Father, will be saved.

The entire strength of the Gospel rests on believing, and not on accepting or doing something to obtain it, but on believing that He is the Redeemer of our souls, for we were separated from God through our disobedience. And He is able to do all things, in all things and in us, so that He may glorify Himself in us in the world.

To worship God on a mountain remains earthly. A mountain is indeed a high and imposing place, and from a human perspective it seems closest to God. But our perception is limited, we even need glasses to see clearly!

How could we reach or compare ourselves to the majesty of God? God is the Creator of the universe; His plan is perfect and goes far beyond what human beings can imagine. As He declares in His Word: “My thoughts are not your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8 NASB

The second part of the passage says: “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.”

Worshiping God is one thing, but knowing Jesus Christ and belonging to Him is another. The Samaritans could not fully understand what the Messiah came to accomplish; and even today, speaking about God without recognizing Jesus Christ as the Savior and the Lord does nothing to make our worship pleasing to God.

Yes, salvation comes from the Jews, as Jesus said, not because the Jewish people are the source of salvation, but because God chose to accomplish His eternal plan through them.

The Messiah had to be born in Israel according to the Scriptures. We can therefore say that salvation has come through the Jews, for Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, was born from the lineage of David according to the flesh and accomplished the work of salvation for all who believe, without exception. It is not “the Jews” who save, but the Messiah who came from among them.

The last part of the passage says: “But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him have to worship in spirit and truth.”

We are those worshipers, because we are born of the Holy Spirit, we know Jesus Christ personally, and we are justified before the heavenly Father.

So why “in truth”? Truth means “truly,” “with sincerity of heart,” and in agreement with His Word. Truth means praising God in Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. It also refers to the truth of the Gospel of salvation, given by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

But how do we know this truth? This knowledge is spiritual, not material or physical. It comes from God Himself through the action of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. If we want to know the truth, Jesus tells us that He stands at the door and knocks; if someone hears His voice and opens the door, He will enter and make His home in him.

We need a clarification about the end-of-year celebrations season.

At this time of year, there is an event that many nations around the world celebrate, believers and unbelievers alike, without truly knowing what it means, understanding its significance, or considering its lack of biblical support. It’s called Christmas.

As many Christians celebrate it today, does not come from the Bible. Yes, the Bible announces the coming of the Messiah, and it is true that this event is historical and glorious. But does this make it a subject of special or superior attention? Does it change our way of worshiping, praising, or establishing our faith?

The date of the celebration of the miraculous birth of Jesus was introduced later, in the 4th century, by the Roman Catholic Church to replace a pagan feast. Many other traditions come from culture or from men, and not from Scripture.

Jesus never asked us to commemorate His birth, the apostles did not institute it, and the early church did not observe it during the first three centuries.

Our attention has to rest on Christ as a whole, and not on one part, even an important one, of His complete and redemptive work, lest we make of it a carved image or an idol. For if God is Spirit, why seek to make a representation of Him?

Our true worship is not limited to a period or a season. If we belong to Christ, we have died and risen with Him; therefore our worship embraces His whole life and His whole work, and not one part or one moment of it.

Scripture does not call us to celebrate a particular day, but to worship God in spirit and in truth every day, celebrating our Lord in His prophecy, His coming, His life, His ministry, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His teachings, and His glorious return.

A child of God, a disciple of Jesus Christ, may choose to celebrate the birth of Christ, as long as it is done for Christ only. But this celebration has no biblical foundation as an ordinance.

As the apostle Paul says: “All things are permitted,” but not all things are beneficial.” 1 Corinthians 10:23 NASB

Therefore, we have to ask for discernment regarding what is desired, wanted, and pleasing to God. Each one is free before the Lord, but called to examine his or her motivations sincerely. 

Paul also adds: “One person considers one day above another; another considers all days the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who regards a day, regards it for the Lord… and the one who regards none, regards it also for the Lord.” Romans 14:5–6 NASB

But freedom in Christ has also its limits

The new birth sets us free from the power of sin in our lives and reconciles us to God, who no longer sees us as separated from Him but as people justified and washed from all condemnation, so that we may belong entirely and fully to Him as servants, for His glory. However, this freedom also calls us to sanctify ourselves and to grow toward the perfect stature of Christ.

The Apostle Paul says: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  2 Corinthians 3:17 NASB

When the Master goes on a journey, it is the servant who manages all His affairs and His goods; he becomes the trusted person who carries in his heart the laws, the commandments, and the will of his Lord, like an ambassador representing his homeland.

If we embrace the Kingdom of God, then we are responsible, individually and collectively, for applying its principles rightly.

The limits are set by God through His Word, and they are given for the benefit of every believer: for edification, sanctification, and above all, for honoring and glorifying God.

Our testimony will have an impact on those around us: on what we do, what we say, and the attachments we still keep to this earth. Our obedience to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is the expression of a sincere love for Him alone.

A simple and concrete example: if a child says to his parents that he loves them, but does the opposite of what they say, he has to be corrected, guided, and disciplined so that the parents are honored for who they are.

The Ordinances Given by Jesus

During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ established ordinances as lasting memorials, intended to strengthen His Church, remind us of our identity in Him, confirm our hope, and call us to walk in holiness until His return.

According to Scripture, He entrusted two ordinances to His Church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Baptism: The word means “to plunge, to immerse”; it represents an act of purification and identification. Through immersion, immediately after believing, the believer publicly identifies with the death and resurrection of Christ, repents, receives forgiveness, and enters into a new life. It is the abandonment of the former life and the beginning of true fellowship with Christ.

The Lord’s Supper: Intended for those who already belong to Christ, it reminds us of our former condition, separated from God and guilty, and the grace through which we were forgiven and reconciled. This meal commemorates the sacrifice of Jesus: the bread represents His broken body, and the cup His blood poured out for the atonement of sins. Instituted by Jesus on the night He was betrayed, during the preparation for the Passover, this ordinance is a perpetual memorial and a living proclamation of His work on the cross, the perfect and unique offering for forgiveness, and the hope of His soon return.

By sharing this holy meal, the disciples were united in the same communion, while Christ, in obedience, fulfilled the will of the Father. 

These are not simple human rites, but acts established by the Lord Himself, filled with deep spiritual and prophetic meaning.

Conclusion

Living in the world, but being detached from it, brings us into communion with God, not in a spirit of error or in a religious spirit governed by rites and traditions not founded on the commandments of Jesus.

Jesus died and rose again to bring an end to the old religious system founded on an earthly and temporary temple, in order to establish a direct and living relationship with God.

He ended the temple made by human hands to establish a spiritual temple, formed by the Holy Spirit and founded on His death and His resurrection as the firstfruits of many.

To conclude, it is important to understand that faith is based on what is unseen, on the firm assurance of what we hope for, as Scripture says:

« Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. For by it the people of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts; and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up. For before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God have to believe that He exists, and that He proves to be the One who rewards those who seek Him. » Hebrews 11:1–6 NASB