by Jonathan Bennett
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who
worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). In this passage Jesus is making a very
distinct point of worship going away from making physical sacrifices and worshipping at specified
locations to worship being spiritual and capable of being offered anywhere. He is also verifying
how crucial it is for those offering worship to God to be conditioning themselves more than ever
before. Yes, under the Old Law it was imperative for those bringing sacrifices to do so in the
prescribed manner for the sacrifice to be acceptable, but now there are no high priests making the
sacrifice on an altar. As New Testament Christians we have a High Priest, Christ Jesus, who made
the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf so that we may have eternal life (Hebrews 4:14-16). We must
ever be mindful of what Jesus taught in Matthew 11:28-30 when He tells those who are His
followers to bring everything to Him and not carry any burden without His assistance. We must
become reliant upon Christ and realize that He is the source of our entire being regardless of how
big or small the circumstance(s) may be. When we devote ourselves to serving Him and devoting
our entire being to His service, we then have the opportunity, and ability, to worship Him in the
manner prescribed in John 4:23-24.
Coming before the throne of Jehovah in worship is a privilege, honor and duty for every soul
who will submit to Him in obedient faith. As we are coming before the throne of the Lord it is
imperative to ensure that we are not embracing, or condoning, false teaching or immorality, just
as Paul warned the Ephesian elders to be vigilant in their lives (Acts 20:29-31; Ephesians 4:17-24;
5:1-4). The manner in which one lives through the week will result in a very similar demeanor
being brought into the worship, thus the danger of potentially offering vain worship (Mark 7:7).
We must remember that worship is not just coming into the assembly and “checking off the boxes”
but is a spiritual mindset of realizing that no one on earth is the audience but rather God is the
audience, and we are the ones who are performing for Him. In order to achieve this level of worship
and living we must ensure our lives are a living sacrifice as mentioned in Romans 12:1-2. Living
a life totally devoted to the Lord takes much work and diligence on our part to ensure our speech
is what it should be (Ephesians 4:6) and we are not allowing our speech to destroy us and the world
with which we come into contact (James 3:1-12). Yes, our daily lives determine whether we are
able to worship the Lord righteously. In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus speaks about coming to the altar
and leaving the gift to resolve an issue before making the offering, which means we are to be
diligent to ensure our affairs are in order so that we may come and worship in compliance with
John 4:23-24. Another aspect that can impact whether an individual’s worship is acceptable
depends upon their relationship with their spouse, if they are married. Peter addresses husbands in
1 Peter 3:7 in regard to having a godly relationship with their wife and not treating them in an
ungodly manner, so that the husband’s prayers are not hindered. Yes, husbands are the ones being
directly addressed in this verse, but it is inferred that in order for a husband to maintain this
demeanor the wife must also be living a godly life and not provoking her husband to behave in an
unbiblical way. Also, parents are to be raising children in the truth and admonition of God’s Word,
and not provoking them to wrath (Ephesians 6:4).
Therefore, when we are preparing ourselves to assemble to worship the Lord may each of
us examine ourselves to ensure that we are spiritually prepared to bow before the throne of Jehovah
God and offer our worship in a manner that is wholly acceptable to Him, and our prayers will be
heard. Remember what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 about the self-examination that is to
take place before partaking of the emblems of the communion. The Lord’s Supper (communion)
is as much a part of the worship as singing, praying, giving and preaching, thus indicating how
important our spiritual health is in everything we do. Let us strive to be living as though we are
going to be in the worship assembly within the hour.
