Worship In Spirit and Truth

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In the beginning, God created mankind and initiated communication with him. However, this communication isn’t just dialog or an exchange of information, it is also a connection, an understanding and a meaningful relationship. Therefore, this Almighty, Omnipotent, Transcendent God created us with the ability to have a meaningful relationship with Himself, by breathing into man the “breath of life” and giving us a spirit. Our spirit causes a desire for fellowship with God and we strive to make that connection. But since Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, we have the problem of sin. Sin corrupts everything, especially our communication with God. Consequently, the unseen spiritual realm is occupied not only by angels, who are God’s ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14), but also fallen angels or demons with Satan, their leader. Nevertheless, above all stands the Creator, our Triune God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Since our spirit makes communication with God and the spiritual realm possible, how can we be sure we are communicating with Almighty God and not demons impersonating Him? The answer is found in John 4:24 which says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth”. The limitation for communication in the spirit is truth.


Truth is our constraint for worshiping God, Who is Spirit, in spirit. Why, because if truth is absent or diminished, we are not communicating with the one true and living God, but with the ruler or prince of this world, who comes as an angel of light (John 16:11; II Cor. 11:14). Satan and his minions are very accommodating and their goal is to deceive.

In John 18:38, Pilate asked Jesus the question, “What is truth?” but never let Him answer.

Is there absolute truth? Absolutely, Jesus Christ, God the Son, is “…the TRUTH…” (John 14:6) and no one comes to the Father but by Him. Jesus also said God’s word is truth (John 17:17). The 39 books of the Jewish Scriptures, aka Old Testament and the 27 books of the Christian Scriptures known as the New Testament, combine to complete our Bible. II Tim. 3:16 tells us all scripture is God-breathed or exhaled out from God. Jesus is the Living Word and our Bible, the written Word. The two cannot be separated. (John 1:1, 14; I John 1:2; John 17:5; I Peter 1:23)

Therefore, the key to worshipping God in spirit is the truth of His Word.  We must stay within these confines and not transcend scripture, because our sin nature makes it easy for us to be deceived. So, always remember to put on that first piece of God’s armor, the belt of truth. (Eph. 6:12-18)
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