Jesus calls us to something deeper than we have often grasped. In this second teaching we press further into His words about true worship. The revelation is fresh for me even now, and I believe it will open new doors for you as well.
The Hour Is Coming and Now Is
As it is written in John 4:23-24, “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.”
Jesus used this phrase more than once. The hour is coming, and now is. He spoke the same way about the kingdom of God. We live in the tension between what is already true and what is still unfolding. Our past has been dealt with at the cross. It no longer belongs to us. The present and the future are ours in Christ. We are tomorrow people, citizens of heaven who live fully in the now. This same reality shapes how we worship.
True Worshipers and False Worshipers
If there are true worshipers, then there are also false ones. I do not mean people deliberately worshiping idols or demonic powers. I mean something more subtle that touches every one of us. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warned against performing for the praise of men. In corporate gatherings most of us walk in a mixture. We love the Lord and we genuinely worship Him, yet part of our soul remains aware of the room, the people, the atmosphere, and how we appear.
When I lead worship I am thinking about chords, lyrics, the team, the congregation, the sound, the flow. All of that is necessary. Yet at times my focus drifts. I suspect the same is true for many. We offer real worship from the heart while another part of us plays to the crowd, wanting to be seen as spiritual. This is not hypocrisy in the worst sense. It is the soul intruding where the spirit alone should lead. True worshipers are those who become so lost in the Lord that only He matters. Most of us live somewhere in the middle, and it helps to recognise that.
Spirit, Soul, and Body
I have come to see that nearly all the worship we practice stays in the soulish realm. This does not make it wrong. The Bible encourages us to worship with our bodies, to clap, shout, dance, and lift our hands. Our emotions and minds should rejoice in God our Saviour. Yet the Father seeks worship that rises from our spirit.
We are three-part beings: spirit, soul, and body. I am a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body. My spirit is the new creation. It is seated in heavenly places, joined to the Lord as one spirit. My soul and body are not yet fully redeemed in the same way. This distinction has changed everything for me. I no longer try to get into the Spirit. I am already in the Spirit. Paul writes in Romans 8:9, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” We do not have to work it up or wait for a feeling. The work is finished.
Worship from Your Spirit Man
Many of us, especially in charismatic circles, have thought worshiping in spirit means singing in tongues or stirring ourselves up emotionally. Speaking in tongues can be worship in the Spirit, but it is possible to speak or sing in tongues from the soul. The difference is simple. Does it flow from the innermost being, the spirit man?
Imagine me sitting here repeating “Jesus I love You” like a recording. The words are correct but there is no heart behind them. A parrot or an AI could do the same. Now imagine those same words rising from deep love in my heart. That is spirit. The same principle applies in English or in a heavenly language. The Father is not listening to sound waves. He communes spirit to spirit.
This truth has brought me great freedom. I am learning to worship from who I already am in Christ rather than trying to feel my way into His presence. My spirit is always joined to Him. When I rest in that reality, worship becomes natural and continual.
Tomorrow we will look at practical ways to walk this out day by day.
Selah.
Scriptures for Study:
John 4:23, John 4:24, John 17:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Romans 8:9, Romans 8:16, 1 Corinthians 6:17, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:6, Galatians 5:16, Galatians 5:25, Romans 12:1, Psalm 103:1, Psalm 51:17, Hebrews 10:19-22, John 7:38-39, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:18-19, Matthew 6:1-6, Psalm 29:2, 1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 95:6, Isaiah 66:1-2, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Revelation 4:11.
10 Questions for Reflection:
- In my worship, how much is truly from my spirit and how much from my soul?
- When do I notice myself performing for others rather than for the Lord alone?
- Do I still try to “get into the Spirit,” or am I learning to rest in the fact that I am already in Him?
- How often does my worship depend on feelings or atmosphere?
- What would change if I worshipped primarily from my spirit man?
- In what ways have I confused singing in tongues with worshiping in spirit?
- How can I guard against the soul’s desire to be seen as spiritual?
- Am I living as a citizen of heaven while fully engaged in the present?
- Where in my daily life can I practise spirit-to-Spirit communion?
- What practical step will I take today to worship more from my recreated spirit?
