God is Spirit, and those who worship Him

..... must worship in spirit and truth. The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (John 4:24, 23). Jesus was speaking to the woman at the well, and this part of the conversation was something of a rabbit trail, but it enabled Jesus to speak these profound truths. God the Father is Spirit, Jesus is Spirit and tautologically the Spirit is Spirit. Jesus is Logos, the Word, and the Word became flesh (John 1:14). It is mystery! If we understood God (Trinity) we would be God. Likely the closest we can get to understand this, is that mankind, made in the image of the God, is a triune (three in one) being. In particular, we are body, soul and spirit. There is a real sense however, in which the spirit is dead before conversion, dead in trespasses and sins, but made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5). And thus, as He spoke, because these things were about to be revealed, the time when mankind could worship spirit to Spirit was at hand.

The gospel is so simple a little child (or an uneducated Samaritan woman) can grasp what is needed in order to respond. But it is also so profound theologians and philosophers can never grasp its depth. God speaks and has spoken, in parables and shadows, to help those who truly seek Him to at least start to tap into these mysteries. He hides for us, not from us in order that we might search for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us (Acts 17:27). The sacrificial system, the food laws and festivals etc., these things, together with our modern ceremonies and rituals, are all shadows of a deeper reality whose substance is Christ (Colossians 2:16,17). A shadow is an image cast by an object and representing the form of that object, but it's not the thing itself.

Worship with just the form of these things is what it means negatively to worship in spirit. What it means positively is harder to grasp. But it certainly includes spirit to Spirit adoration, thanksgiving, and the presentation of our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1, 2 NIV) etc. It also includes what David counselled himself to do to “Bless the Lord o my soul, and all that is within me bless His Holy Name” (Psalm 103:1). To worship in truth is easier to grasp. It is to walk in the light, in the truth and in the Spirit, being sanctified by the Word and, by the Spirit putting to death the deeds and the passion of the flesh.

Father, the wonder of it all is that You are seeking those, the little old me's, to worship You in spirit and truth. To this end we were made, and in this we find our purpose, our destiny and our fulfillment. So we worship You this morning Lord. Help us to delight in You, as You delight in us. Thank You Lord that in Christ You have made us worthy to do this. We are accepted in the beloved, and having been adopted we are Your beloved sons and daughters in whom You are well pleased. We praise and bless You Lord, in Jesus precious Name Amen