John 4:23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
Jesus told her that the time had come for true worshipers to worship the Father in spirit and truth. The term true worshipers created a contrast between true and false worshipers. False worshipers focus on the physical realm, tradition, and appearances. The woman had spoken of this kind of worshiper when she said, “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus didn’t suggest that those who worshiped God in Jerusalem were true worshipers in contrast to the Samaritans. Jesus’ coming changed everything when it came to worship.
First, let’s notice the worship is not of Jehovah, the covenant keeper. The worship is of the Father. Jesus came to reveal that the covenant-keeping God is primarily a father. Three times Jesus calls God, the Father. Everyone in the world needs the Father. Jesus came to show us the love of His Father by bringing us to Him through His substitutionary death and His righteousness given. The new time that came with Jesus and now is, is a new worship of the Father.
Second, the new worship isn’t a matter of where, but of how. Two characteristics of this new worship are mentioned. The first is that it is in spirit as opposed to in the physical realm, which broadens the scope of where this worship takes place. Before, worshipers had to physically come to the temple in Jerusalem. Now, since worship is in spirit, anyone, anyplace, at any time may worship the Father. For the Samaritan woman it meant that she could worship the Father at any moment there at the well. For us, it means we have 24/7/365 access to the Father’s Holy of Holies, so our entire lives become our service of worship as Paul wrote in Romans 12:1. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
Third, the second characteristic of the new worship is truth. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). Truth is therefore what Jesus does, says, and sees. Whatever He does in us is worship of the Father. When we do what Jesus says, believe what He believes, let His words abide in us, we bear much fruit, proving that we are His worshipers (John 15:8-9). We are worshiping with Jesus as we live to love with Him. If He’s loving through us, that is worshiping in spirit and truth. That’s what God sees, and it is pleasing in His sight.
The time has come and now is for true worship of the Father—worship that is in spirit and truth. Living to love with Jesus is how we present our bodies, a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to the Father. As we renew our minds with His purpose—to glorify God by living to love with Him, His worldview—there’s only one God from whom all things come whose love is enough to satisfy our souls so we can reveal Christ in this world, and truth—what Jesus does and says is revealed in us, we prove that God’s will is that Jesus be first place in all things—in our thinking, in our living, and in our worship.
I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
