In His encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, Jesus made the following statement in verses 23 and 24 [RSV]:
23. "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him. 24. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
It is easy to look at this passage and conclude that the meaning of spirit and truth means one should have the proper attitude (spirit) and worship God as He would have us worship Him (truth). I agree this is correct, but I also believe this interpretation falls far short of the deeper significance of Jesus' words. If this is all that Jesus meant, then what was revealed to this woman? Absolutely nothing. In fact, if this is all Jesus had meant, then His statement would be erroneous, for God has always demanded that those who seek to worship Him do so with the right heart attitude (spirit) and in the way He prescribes (truth). But Jesus said "the hour is coming, and now is," which means that something was changing, and that something is more than simply the place of worship no longer holding the significance it did under the Law of Moses. I believe the correct understanding of Jesus' words can best be explained by capitalizing the words Spirit and Truth. Jesus was telling this Samaritan woman, and this really seems to come out when you see how He told her earlier that He is the source of the living water (verse 10) and that He is the Messiah (verse 26), that those who are only in Him and have His Spirit can worship the Father.
Many times in Scripture we are told that Jesus is truth (John 14:6), and that when we know the truth the truth will set us free (John 8:32). When we worship God, we come to Him, and Jesus said that we can only come to the Father by Him (John 14:6). Peter said on the Day of Pentecost that when we are baptized we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:11 [RSV], "If the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit which dwells in you." Paul had said earlier in verse 9 [RSV], "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him." Therefore, if you do not have the Spirit of Christ, which you receive at baptism (Acts 2:38), and if you are not in Christ, in which one becomes clothed at baptism (Galatians 3:27), then you are not of Christ. You do not belong to Him. Therefore, only those who have come to the Lord in obedient, saving faith can worship in Spirit and Truth, for we alone have received His Spirit and we alone are in Jesus Christ, Who is Truth. And this, I believe, is the deeper significance of the words "Spirit and Truth" of John 4:24.
May the Lord bless you!
23. "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him. 24. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
It is easy to look at this passage and conclude that the meaning of spirit and truth means one should have the proper attitude (spirit) and worship God as He would have us worship Him (truth). I agree this is correct, but I also believe this interpretation falls far short of the deeper significance of Jesus' words. If this is all that Jesus meant, then what was revealed to this woman? Absolutely nothing. In fact, if this is all Jesus had meant, then His statement would be erroneous, for God has always demanded that those who seek to worship Him do so with the right heart attitude (spirit) and in the way He prescribes (truth). But Jesus said "the hour is coming, and now is," which means that something was changing, and that something is more than simply the place of worship no longer holding the significance it did under the Law of Moses. I believe the correct understanding of Jesus' words can best be explained by capitalizing the words Spirit and Truth. Jesus was telling this Samaritan woman, and this really seems to come out when you see how He told her earlier that He is the source of the living water (verse 10) and that He is the Messiah (verse 26), that those who are only in Him and have His Spirit can worship the Father.
Many times in Scripture we are told that Jesus is truth (John 14:6), and that when we know the truth the truth will set us free (John 8:32). When we worship God, we come to Him, and Jesus said that we can only come to the Father by Him (John 14:6). Peter said on the Day of Pentecost that when we are baptized we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:11 [RSV], "If the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit which dwells in you." Paul had said earlier in verse 9 [RSV], "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him." Therefore, if you do not have the Spirit of Christ, which you receive at baptism (Acts 2:38), and if you are not in Christ, in which one becomes clothed at baptism (Galatians 3:27), then you are not of Christ. You do not belong to Him. Therefore, only those who have come to the Lord in obedient, saving faith can worship in Spirit and Truth, for we alone have received His Spirit and we alone are in Jesus Christ, Who is Truth. And this, I believe, is the deeper significance of the words "Spirit and Truth" of John 4:24.
May the Lord bless you!
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