Worship In Spirit And Truth

Be careful to worship the Lord in Spirit and truth, not just observe special days, weeks, holidays, feasts, or religious rites, rules, or occasions. God is seeking those who seek after Him to worship Him with a pure heart. Not merely going through the motions but serving and worshipping Him out of reverence and honor to the King of Heaven, Jesus Christ.

Through Paul, the Holy Spirit warned the Galatians about merely observing special days and doing what was required religiously or because it was a popular action in their community. Righteous worshippers of God do so because they love Him. Because they genuinely seek to honor Him with what they do. It comes from the pureness of the heart and a genuine desire to walk in His righteousness.

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.” Galatians 4:8-10

Jesus scornfully rebuked the Pharisees for serving God from a religious mandate or duty. It was not from the heart that they performed their actions, neither were they truly following the Spirit of the Law. But they believe that through their works, God would be pleased. So they completely ignored what God desired for them to strive for, to seek true justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They forgot that God is pleased when you follow Him with faith and a pure, humble heart.

Do not be like them. But be like true sons of God, who seek to worship Him with goodness, righteousness, and holiness to follow Him according to His Spirit and will. Listen to Jesus’ warning and do not be like the Pharisees but do what is right, with the right motivation of your heart. Walk in His Spirit and do as He commands in truth, for He sees into the hearts of man.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside, they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First, clean the inside of the cup and the plate so that the outside also may be clean.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within, you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:23-28

Seek to walk in the fruits of the Spirit. Do not be like the rigid religious man who merely worships God to appear holy on the outside, for purity starts on the inside. Instead, be like true sons of God, seeking to do the goodness of His commandments and will. These are the fruits He desires; love, compassion, truth, patience, holiness, righteousness, and mercy. Follow the example He has laid out for you to worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things, there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-24

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8