Your Answer:  In Spirit & Truth

   However | In Spirit & Truth | In Spirit Only
   | More Info

Correct. Keep up the good work!

Jesus said in John 4:23-24: "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (NAS)

Worshiping in spirit and truth is not just a suggestion.  John 4:24 says "those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

In Spirit...

Do you think that it is important that our heart and spirit be focused on God when we worship?

...And in Truth:

Is it also important to worship God with our minds and according to His truth?

Understandable?

What if we worship in a way where the hearer doesn't understand the prayers or word being sung...or doesn't hear any words from our lips?

1 Corinthians 14:15-16 "What is the outcome then? I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?" (NAS)

1 Corinthians 14:19-20 "...in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind, that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue*. Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature." (NAS)

* from the Greek word "glossa" meaning a foreign language.

Truthful?

What if the words we are saying or praying are not the truth? Do we sing songs that teach God's truth from the Bible, or do we sing songs that teach the commandments of men?

"And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. 'But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." He was also saying to them, "You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition." Mark 7:6-9 (NAS)

"'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. 'But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'" And after He called the multitude to Him, He said to them, "Hear, and understand. "Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man." Matthew 15:8-11 (NAS)

God wants us to worship both in Spirit and in Truth:

"We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." I John 4:6 (NAS)

Jesus said to his apostles in John 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you* into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." John 16:13 (NAS)

*Note: this was spoken to Jesus' apostles during the last supper which is recorded beginning in John 13:1 and ending at John 18:1.

The Holy Spirit would guide the apostles into all truth, but the Holy Spirit would not speak on His own initiative:

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." John 16:13 (NAS)

"And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth." 1 John 5:6 (NAS)

What other instructions are there for the worship of the church (New Testament worship)?

Click on the next question to continue...

Question 32

   BibleABC.net