In spirit and in truth?

[TertiusC]

I've been very preoccupied with how a Christian should live and what right and wrong is.

I'm worshipping God in truth, to the best of my abilities. But am I worshipping Him in spirit?

 

[0n3]

Well, your question is pretty vague, but I try to answer. First of all, whose strength are you depending on? Sometimes, it's easy to get wrapped up in doing the right things, but we forget why we're doing them. We may be trying to make ourselves feel better about ourselves, instead of doing right because we want to obey God and serve Him wholeheartedly simply because we love Him. Remembe that no matter how good we are, we are always wretched, messed up sinners without the blood of Jesus covering our sins. Now I am not saying to give up on doing good.

Gal 6:8-9 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

THe Holy Spirit working in us is what gives us the power to obey God. Just keep up the good work, keep trying to be sensative to the Holy Spirit.

Sorry if this isn't what you were asking. I know you asked about worshiping, so maybe you meant worshiping in spirit as it relates to the singing type of worship. Every aspect of our lives should be part of our worship to God, as we try to give Him all glory and praise. That's what I mean by worship, and I'm guessing that's what you meant, since your first sentence talked about obeying God and doing right things instead of wrong things.

 

[JPPT1974]

It has to be the right kind of thing
Not from a worldly standpoint or for ourselves
But for the will of the Lord most of all!

 

[heymikey80]

I've been very preoccupied with how a Christian should live and what right and wrong is.

I'm worshipping God in truth, to the best of my abilities. But am I worshipping Him in spirit?

Jesus talks about being born of the Spirit and thus needing to be spirit in order to reach the Kingdom of God, at the start of John 3. Other places like 1 Corinthians 3 talk about spiritual sight, spiritual distinguishing of things.

It might be easier to look at worshipping in flesh and comparing that with spirit, since spirit is harder to deal with in a fleshly world. This world system looks for "what's in it for me". It looks for its own pleasure; it doesn't look for the pleasure of God Who so richly deserves it. Flesh looks for itself. Spirit looks for others. Flesh looks for enjoyment. Spirit looks for good. Flesh looks for consensus. Spirit looks to redeem. Flesh looks for acceptibility. Spirit looks for truth.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 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. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Gal 5:19-26

​

 

[CShephard53]

I've been very preoccupied with how a Christian should live and what right and wrong is.

I'm worshipping God in truth, to the best of my abilities. But am I worshipping Him in spirit?

Worry yourself with this:
LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
LOVE your neighbor as yourself.

 

[Johnnz]

Paul said our spiritual worship is to be a living sacrifice ie for the totality o f our lives to be employed in serving God. That encompasses our values, our relationships with others, finance, marriage, parenthood, career, interests, creativity and all that makes us human.

As you can see this is a journey on which we are constantly learning and discovering. It is not an intense moment, ecstatic experience or sudden decision. it is a lifetime of commitment and spiritual development.

John
NZ

 

[sbbqb7n16]

To worship in spirit, don't do what these guys did:

...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.
Mark 7:6-7

Don't just give God "lip service" (Isaiah 29:13), but worship Him from the heart.

 

[sawdust]

I've been very preoccupied with how a Christian should live and what right and wrong is.

I'm worshipping God in truth, to the best of my abilities. But am I worshipping Him in spirit?

To worship God "in spirit and truth" means to live life being controlled by the Spirit of God (ie the filling of the Spirit) according to sound doctrine (truth).

The filling of the Spirit is an absolute. You are either controlled by Him or you are not. If you are not then you are walking according to the flesh. (ie the sin nature is controlling your thinking)

When we sin (knowingly or out of ignorance) we lose the filling of the Spirit. The way to be filled again is to confess our sin.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn.1:9

In this way our fellowship with the Lord is restored and we are controlled by His Spirit once again.

The more we learn and understand the word of God (His word is Truth), the more we are able to walk in the truth and hence not sin. As we grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ our lives begin to reflect the glory that is His. We become more like Him.

Ultimately only you can answer your own question. I can give you the "mechanics" as best I'm able according to what I have been taught, but you must ascertain for yourself as to whether you are indeed "worshipping God in Spirit and truth".

peace

 

[MariaRegina]

Great post.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn.1:9

If we are repentant and acknowledge that we are sinners, then we are set free to worship God "in spirit and in truth." However, it is a daily decision to walk with Christ. We must die to ourselves every day to rise with Him as a new creation in Christ.

To worship God "in spirit and truth" means to live life being controlled by the Spirit of God (ie the filling of the Spirit) according to sound doctrine (truth).

The filling of the Spirit is an absolute. You are either controlled by Him or you are not. If you are not then you are walking according to the flesh. (ie the sin nature is controlling your thinking)

When we sin (knowingly or out of ignorance) we lose the filling of the Spirit. The way to be filled again is to confess our sin.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn.1:9

In this way our fellowship with the Lord is restored and we are controlled by His Spirit once again.

The more we learn and understand the word of God (His word is Truth), the more we are able to walk in the truth and hence not sin. As we grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ our lives begin to reflect the glory that is His. We become more like Him.

Ultimately only you can answer your own question. I can give you the "mechanics" as best I'm able according to what I have been taught, but you must ascertain for yourself as to whether you are indeed "worshipping God in Spirit and truth".

peace