Glory be to God Salt and Light Commissioners! We have heard it before, worshiping God in spirit and truth. But what does it mean? How do we do it? In this post I’ll will be talking about that and the benefits to you that comes from that type of worship.
But before we get into Spirit and Truth we must recognize the difference between praise and worship. Often times these terms are used interchangeably, but this is not so.
PRAISE is merely the truthful acknowledgment of the righteous acts of another. Since God has done many wonderful deeds, He is worthy of praise. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, (Psalm 18:3). It is closely intertwined with thanksgiving as we offer back to God appreciation for His mighty works on our behalf.
WORSHIP is a willingness to humble ourselves before God, surrender every part of our lives to His control, and adore Him for who He is, not just what He has done. Worship is a lifestyle, not just an occasional activity.
So praise is given to God for what He has done. Worship is given to God just because of who He is. Praise also can be given to anyone, whereas worship can only be given to God.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, (Exodus 20:4-5).
So how do we worship God in Spirit?
Spirit:
First, we must be born again. Without the Holy Spirit residing within us, after we accept Jesus as Lord of our lives, we cannot respond to God in worship because we do not know Him. The Holy Spirit makes God known to us, through our relationship with Jesus Christ.
To expand on that read my post on God’s salvation plan. It will teach you why it’s important to be born again. To read it click HERE!
Second, worshiping in spirit requires a mind centered on God and renewing your thinking. Paul implores us to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God,” (Romans 12:1-2). Only when our minds are changed from being centered on worldly things to being centered on God can we worship in spirit.
Third, we can only worship in spirit by having a pure heart, open and repentant. Praise and worship toward God cannot come from hearts filled with unconfessed sin. Confess your sins and give to God any area that you have not surrendered under His control.
So how do we worship God in Truth?
Truth:
To truly worship God, we must understand who He is and what He has done, and the only place He has fully revealed Himself is in the Bible. Jesus stated that God’s word is true. “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). If we do not have the truth of the Bible or we don’t accept it as true, we do not know God and we cannot be truly worship.
Furthermore, knowing Jesus as Lord would also be truth, because He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life…” (John 14:6).
The most important thing is that we worship God in spirit (in our hearts) and in truth (in our minds.) It is through worship like this where the Holy Spirit dwells. The Holy Spirit allows us to place God in His rightful place as first in our lives. When we place God back on the throne we align ourselves for blessing that only God can produce. Now isn’t that amazing!
If this post has been a blessing to you, like, comment and share! Remember when you worship God in Spirit and in Truth you truly become the salt and light of the world!