“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 4:23-24).
We are frequently warned in God’s word to follow the commandments of God because through obedience we demonstrate our love for Him. The verse above teaches us to worship God in spirit and in truth. We are given many warnings in the Bible against following the traditions of men as shown in the verses below:
- “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt.15:9).
- “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Col.2:8).
- “Thus says the LORD: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple.” (Jer.10:2-4).
- “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” (Rom.10:1-3).
- “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch - which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.” (Col.2:21-23).
Today the challenge for all of us is to consider whether we are worshipping God in spirit and in truth. Is our zeal for God according to knowledge of the truth or is it according to mere traditions that we have inherited from our fathers? Let us not say like those that Jeremiah is writing about: “O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: Our ancestors have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit.” (Jer.16:19).
There are two simple steps to ensure our worship of God is according to knowledge.
- Let us review our practices, beliefs and rules and research the origin of it and where it is recorded in the Word of God.
- Let us review the scriptures to understand those things God prescribed for us to do for all generations and consider whether they form part of our worship of God today.
My experience is that appointed feasts which God instructed us to observe for all generations, as recorded in Leviticus 23 are not being observed in most Christian churches today. Instead, these feasts have been substituted by celebrations of the gentiles, something we are strongly warned against in the Word. As a follower of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, it is our duty to be obedient to His commandments. If we don’t, can we say that we truly love Him? The Words states: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” (John 14:21).
To move forward from where we are today, let us recommit ourselves to studying the Word of God, and pray for revelation as we read the Bible from cover to cover so that we can gain understanding of the commandments of God. “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar”. (Prov.30:5-6). Let us embrace the truth and worship our Redeemer because He is worthy.
My Prayer
Thank you Father AhaYah, for Your Word. Father, please forgive us for following the traditions of man and not that which you commanded us to do. Father, please quicken our spirits and give us a hunger for Your Word. Please instruct us and teach us to worship You in spirit and in truth. We pray in the name of Holy YahshaYah. Aman.