The Fundamentals of True Worship
This is how Jesus described the fundamental elements of true worship: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24.)
Worship in spirit
You can be completely orthodox in your beliefs, yet fail to express your praise toward a God this wonderful. Yes, our worship of God should be based upon truth, and it should engage the mind and intellect. Yet, worship also engages the affections, the heart, and the emotions. That does not mean that worship will always be an emotional experience.
Think about it: people express their emotions at weddings, football and baseball games, and political rallies. But if they do it at church, they are branded as fanatics! Yet, the Bible encourages us to openly express our praise to God.
“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name” (Psalm 63:3–4).
Worship in truth
Bible study and worship go hand in hand. When the two are separated, problems begin.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
Worshipping in truth means that we will avoid that which is unbiblical. If we cannot say, like Peter, “This is that which is spoken of,” we should not engage in it. We should worship the God of Scripture, the God of holiness, righteousness, love and mercy—not a God of our own making.
God is looking for true worshippers today—
- True worshippers who will worship God not necessarily because they feel like it, but because God is more than worthy.
- True worshippers who will sing their songs in the night.
- True worshippers who will worship in song, service and giving.
- True worshippers who will worship in spirit and in truth.
May we be those true worshippers today!
