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John 4:23–24
“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Worship ranks among the most important concerns of Christians throughout history. The Protestant Reformation was in many respects born of a conviction that worship had become corrupt and needed to be reformed according to the Word of God. In our day, disagreements regarding the style or form of worship have been quite heated, and there seems to be little hope that these arguments will end anytime soon.
Christians have made worship a central concern because Scripture makes worship a central concern. We see this in various ways. For example, the first two commandments of the Decalogue—the Ten Commandments—address worship by forbidding idolatry and establishing rules for the use of images in worship (Ex. 20:3–6). The old covenant had detailed regulations for worship, as seen in the book of Leviticus and the narratives about the temple building and dedication in 1–2 Chronicles. Moreover, while the New Testament does not have a book like Leviticus that gives a detailed liturgy, the Apostles regularly give instruction on worship that pleases God (e.g., see Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11; 14; Col. 3:16; Heb. 12:18–29).
Today’s passage provides the foundational principles for God-honoring worship, the teaching that provides overarching guidance for worshiping the Lord rightly. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that God is seeking a particular kind of worship and worshiper. Obviously, that should encourage us to pay close attention, because if God wants it, we who are disciples of Christ desire to give it. Jesus tells us that fundamentally, God wants worship that is conducted in spirit and in truth (John 4:23–24).
Worship in truth simply entails worship that is conducted according to what God has revealed in His Word. Christians may not do whatever they think best in worship but must seek to make sure that their worship is agreeable to Scripture and does not include syncretism, false teaching, or practices that the Lord forbids. We are to worship only in the way that God wants us to worship, and He tells us how He wants to be worshiped in His Word.
To worship in spirit is to worship from the heart, with authentic love for God and a true desire to please Him. The old covenant prophets condemned their contemporaries for worship that was externally correct but was not offered with true adoration and affection (e.g., see Isa. 29:13). May we ever seek to be sincere in our worship.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Because sin abides until we are glorified, our worship is never all that it should be. Our minds wander in worship, and sometimes we just go through the motions without truly engaging our hearts. Thankfully, God is gracious and promises forgiveness when we repent (1 John 1:8–9). Let us strive to offer worship with our whole hearts.
for further study
- Deuteronomy 12
- Amos 5:21–24
- Romans 12:1
- 1 Corinthians 14
the bible in a year
- 2 Chronicles 1–3
- John 12:1–19