In John 4:24 Jesus tells us, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4 is the passage of Scripture in which Jesus is talking with the Samaritan woman at the well. The Samaritan woman had known the Jews’ view on worship, and she made the comment, “Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem” (John 4:20).
Jesus replies to the Samaritan woman that the time is coming and has now come when all believers will worship God in Spirit and in truth.
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, 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, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24).
It is a lovely concept to worship God in both Spirit and in truth, but what exactly does it mean to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth?
What Does it Mean to Worship in Spirit?
When Jesus tells us, we must worship “in Spirit,” He is referring to the fact that our worship needs to come from our hearts. Worship must be genuine. The notion of worshipping in Spirit completely blots out the idea of legalism, rituals, or vain repetition.
The Pharisees and leaders of Jesus’ day never worshipped God in Spirit nor in truth as they were more concerned with appearing “religious” rather than loving God with their entire being. Some Bible theologians, authors, and commentators also believe that when Jesus tells us to worship “in Spirit,” He is referring to the Holy Spirit.
This is certainly plausible as Jesus’ meaning could be two-fold: worshippers must worship with a genuine spirit as well as they must worship in the Holy Spirit. In other words, true worshippers must have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which only occurs when an individual places faith in Christ.
The Holy Spirit indwells all believers as the Apostle Paul tells us, “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Timothy 1:14). Therefore, the criteria of worshipping in Spirit means an individual has to be a born-again believer and worship God genuinely from their heart.
God does not want fake worshippers. He wants worshippers who love Him, follow Him, and obey Him. God has spoken in the past concerning fraudulent worshippers, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught” (Isaiah 29:13).
What Does it Mean to Worship in Truth?
The second facet of Jesus’ statement of worship includes the aspect of worshipping “in truth” (John 4:24). In addition to worshipping God in Spirit, the worshipper must also worship God in truth. This means that worship must be done in accordance with the truths of the Bible.
Worship done in truth cannot be based on false doctrines or erroneous teachings of the Bible. If a church congregation or an individual is singing a worship song with faulty doctrine, then the worship is not true worship. Worship that is approving to God is done in the truth of His Word.
This does not mean believers can only sing worship songs as found in the Book of Psalms; however, it does mean all forms of worship should be in alignment with the truth of God’s Word and contain biblically correct doctrine.
Worshipping in Spirit and in Truth
When believers worship, they must worship in both Spirit and in truth. “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Spirit must not be neglected, and truth must not be neglected.
In order to have true worship, both of these aspects must always be present. As rightly stated by Sam Storms with The Gospel Coalition, “True worship must engage the heart, the affections, the totality of our being.”
Worship that brings God glory comes from the deepest recesses of our hearts. Whether we are joyful, happy, depressed, lonely, or in anguish, we can still worship God. The Lord already knows what is in our hearts, but He wants us to come to Him with our feelings. We can express these emotions in our worship of the Lord.
It is important to mention that while worship is always closely linked with singing and music, worship of God can be done in any area of your life. Believers can worship God in our actions each day. Some different ways to worship God include obeying Him, serving Him, and loving Him. You can worship God today by just silently praising God in your heart.
Corporal worship is important within the physical church; however, God desires for you to worship Him in Spirit and in truth on your own too. Oftentimes, when we are experiencing deep emotions, we do not tell other people, but we do tell God. You can worship God no matter what you are feeling, and you can worship Him anywhere.
Just as the Samaritan woman thought her people could only worship on the special mountain, many people believe you can only worship at church. A believer does not have to be at church in order to worship God as you can worship Him as you walk along the sidewalk, drive to work, or before a staff meeting. There are no geographical confines when you worship God as He can hear your praise wherever you are located.
Why Does the Worship of the Lord in Spirit and in Truth Matter?
God desires for us to worship Him with our entire hearts, souls, and beings. When you worship, remember that God is looking at your heart. Whether you want to lift your hands in public worship or not is completely up to you. What matters to God is the state of your heart and your genuine concern to worship Him in the truth of His Mighty Presence.
Worshipping in Spirit and in truth is the goal for all believers as when we worship God in Spirit and in truth, it brings glory to His Name. The next time you are participating in worship, make sure you are worshipping in Spirit and in truth. May all believers come before the Lord in Spirit and in truth just as the Psalmist says, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6).
For further reading:
Should We Worship the Holy Spirit?
What Is the Difference Between ‘Your Truth’ and The Truth?
What Does it Mean ‘The Spirit of the Lord Is Upon Me’?
What Does it Mean to be Filled with the Spirit?
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