What does it mean to worship in spirit? The first interpretive decision to make is to determine whether Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit or the human spirit. The context seems to reveal that the word “spirit” in John 4:23–24 is referring to spiritual worship in response to the question of the place of worship (see John 4:21–24).
This kind of worship is in response to the Holy Spirit. It is the filling of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) that results in true worship (Ephesians 5:19–20). To worship in spirit is to worship from our heart or inner being.
To “worship in spirit” is to let the true you speak to the true God. It is the awesome privilege of coming to Him with your fears (Psalm 34:4), anxieties (Philippians 4:6–7), need for cleansing (1 John 1:7–9), true desires (Psalm 37:4), and temptations (Hebrews 4:15–16). God’s people were not to let their true lives hide behind their external worship.
When we worship in spirit, God tells us that these are appropriate sacrifices that the believer can offer.
- A broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:16–17)
- The presentation of our bodies (Romans 12:1)
- The fruit of our ministry (Romans 15:16)
- Financial gifts to God’s servants (Philippians 4:18)
- Praise and thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15)
- Doing good and sharing (Hebrews 13:16)
- Prayer (Revelation 5:8; 8:3–4)
The Father is seeking worshipers who respond to the Holy Spirit and offer such sacrifices.
To worship in spirit is to worship with “complete sincerity,” and to worship in truth is to worship in “complete reality.”
An idol is that which a person looks to in order to meet the thirst of their heart. If one rejects God, we will look to an idol and in so doing “[exchange] the truth of God for a lie” (Romans 1:25). To worship in truth is to worship the one “true God” (John 17:3) in line with God’s first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).
There is no truth in the Devil, who is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
He lusts for worship and one day will empower the antichrist, who will demand that people worship Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:4). Even now the Devil sows lies to distract you from the worship of the true God.
Because truth is in Jesus (John 1:14; 14:6), worshiping in truth will always lead you to Him. We can depend upon the “Spirit of truth” to guide us into the worship of Christ (John 16:13–15). His truth sets one free (John 8:32), and worshiping in truth will set us free to worship God as He has revealed Himself.
God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
Do I belong to Jesus Christ? As a Christian, that question determines everything. “You were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s,” 1 Corinthians 6:20 tells us.
Glorifying God takes on new meaning in the details of life. How should I live? How should I live differently because Jesus has saved me? Paul said he was “separated to the gospel of God” (1:1). What does it mean to be separated?
The Bible teaches right and wrong on some things, but what should our behavior be in questionable matters? How should a Christian live in the grey areas? God’s Word lays out three guiding principles for living a separated, joyful life unto God.
Principle #1: Conviction
Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.-Romans 14:5
Conviction means you are “fully persuaded in your own mind” that you can give yourself entirely to it without reserve. If you can participate in something and maintain a close relationship with Christ, it’s not wrong for you. Our hearts determine our conduct.
One day we’ll give an account of our lives—every word, every choice (see 2 Corinthians 5:10). Too often, we try to straddle the fence, trying to go with the world and with God.
We also need to invest our energy and thinking to help us get along with each other. God is at work in each of our lives, though on His timetable. Respect what God is doing in others’ lives. Avoid what offends another Christian and focus instead on what builds up fellow believers. You don’t know how God is working in another’s heart. Don’t get in His way to exercise your freedom.
When you live with conviction, be convinced this is what God is pleased you do. Is this right for me to do? Can I do it with excitement, anticipation, and joy?
Principle #2: Conscience
When God’s Word hasn’t spoken to an issue, invite your conscience to evaluate it as right or wrong to do. Your conscience helps you act in a way consistent with what you believe. If the way you live isn’t compatible with what you believe, then it’s wrong. Listen to the Holy Spirit prompt you about the grey areas and how to walk by faith.
Principle #3: Consideration
Be thoughtful of others—it’s that simple. You might feel free in your convictions to do something, but how might it affect someone else? Consider how to live best in front of those who are spiritually weaker. Use your liberty, but don’t abuse it. Jesus was willing to die for that weak brother, and we certainly ought to be willing to refrain from doing something that would hurt him in his Christian walk.
As a Christian, your goal is to please the Lord. It’s not a question of whether it’s right or wrong. The real issue is, are you walking in the light? Don’t walk the thin line with the world and try to maintain a Christian testimony. To live like this is only to know a shabby, shoddy Christian life.
When you walk in the light, you show others the way to Jesus.
If Romans 1-8 describes the faith in which we now stand, and Romans 9-11 gives Israel hope for the future, then Romans 12-16 pictures what love looks like in a Christian’s life. We study now what a Christian does with the salvation God has given to us.
To live the life He’s intended for you when He saved you, present your total personality to God. God created us to be relational, with a responsibility to each other.
Your relationship to God. Because you are now rich in God’s tender compassion, yield your whole person as a living sacrifice to Him. Put yourself at His service. Live what you believe. The minute you pretend to be something you’re not, you give up your discernment of God’s will in your life. But when you yield to His Spirit, God’s will shapes your life perfectly.
Your relationship to God’s Spirit. The church is like a body—with many members doing different things well. God gives us a unique ability to serve His body when He saves us. When you contribute your gift, you confirm His Spirit is alive in you.
Your relationship with other Christians. Through the Spirit’s power, we can live distinctly godly lives yet interact with each other. We need to love each other the best we know how and be eager and enthusiastic to join with each other in serving the Lord. We share what we have with others in need and enter into each other’s joys and sorrows. And together, we follow Jesus.
Your relationship with people who don’t yet know Jesus Christ. We live in a world of unbelievers, and eventually, we will be hurt by them. Turn that over to God. Live so no one could accuse you of anything—not laziness, not debts, not pride, or pettiness. Don’t let evil get the best of you. Keep doing good and walk in the power of His Spirit.
Your relationship to government. As a believer, your citizenship is in heaven, but you’re also a citizen in this world. God appointed government as our authority to maintain law and order. When it doesn’t do that, it fails. As Christians, we should respect our rulers who enforce the law. Although the kingdoms of this world belong to Satan and injustice and corruption flourish in all governments, God still has control. He raises kings and presidents, and He puts them down. He has not abdicated His throne; neither is He disturbed about what is happening in politics. Christianity is not a movement to help society clean up the town. We are to preach a gospel that is the power of God to bring salvation to anyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian should be the best citizen on earth, although our true citizenship is in heaven.
Your relationship with your neighbors. Our love for our neighbor is best seen in what we do rather than what we say. Time is short. You have a small window to share the Lord with your neighbor. Live as children of light, Paul said. This challenge is like an alarm clock to wake us up to why we should yield our whole lives to God. Yield all you are and all you have to Him. This is rational. This is reasonable. This is what we are supposed to be doing—living like God’s representatives in a lost generation.
Look for Jesus Christ’s return, too. It could be any day. This alone will help you live a pure life (1 John 3:3). Let’s live for God in our generation! Leave not a space for worldly living, but make room for God’s presence in your life every day.
In Romans 7, we felt the frustration of failing at the Christian life. Now here’s the victory.
Romans 8 is the high-water mark in Romans. Many call it the greatest chapter in the Bible. No other chapter more deeply and fully describes the hope and tender mercies we have in God’s love or the full Trinity of God working for us. All these truths linked together give us a great sense of security and the opportunity for a life like God intends for us. We must come to this study like Moses standing at the burning bush, with our feet unshod and our heads uncovered, not fully realizing or recognizing the glory and wonder.
Romans 8 promises power for an exhausted, frustrated, defeated Christian. How? God’s Spirit does it in us! A life that pleases God must be lived in His power. The Holy Spirit’s job is to deliver us from frustration and failure.
Once sin controlled us and, even as Christians, it cut off our fellowship with God. Only a higher authority and power can put us back in fellowship with God—only the Holy Spirit, who is our new life, can connect us to the living Christ Jesus. He sets us free from sin’s control and death’s power.
This ongoing relationship with God is because His Spirit lives in us. He offers us a life full of satisfaction and the exercise of our total God-given abilities. Many people think they are living today, but it is a cheap substitute for the life God wants to provide.
To “hope to do better” misses the whole point, too. If you are in Christ, you have God’s Spirit, and only when He moves through you can you accomplish that lifestyle you hear about in His Word. Stop believing in yourself, and believe instead that the Spirit of God can enable you through your new nature to live for God—today.
If you’re discouraged, that means you don’t believe God. He has a purpose, plan, and blessing for you. Trust Him and lay hold of life His way. By the way, nothing you get from God comes from how devoted you are to Him. You don’t need to dedicate yourself to Him—you need to believe Him. You can’t do anything, but God can do it all.
Are you willing to turn the control over to the Holy Spirit and quit trusting your weak, sinful nature? Tell Him, “I can’t do it, Lord, but You can do it through me.”
The Holy Spirit will help you deal with your struggle if you confess it to Him. Only Christ can remove the burden—”Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,” Jesus said,“and I will rest you.” (see Matthew11:28). You will know what it feels like to have sins forgiven.
When you have a new relationship with God, He leads you in paths of righteousness (Psalm 23), and you can leave your insecurity behind. You don’t doubt anymore if you are saved. Instead, you’ve got His joy down in your heart, and His Spirit wells up within you, saying, “Abba, Father.”
Abba is an untranslated Aramaic word; its closest meaning is “My Daddy”—a heart cry for when you’re in trouble. Picture a young child with arms wide, begging for comfort. The Spirit confirms that you have that kind of access to God in your spirit.
This sweet Father relationship continues from child to heir, to joint-heirs with Christ. We’re in the family. Whatever it is that’s hard for you today, you can be sure that as a joint heir, Christ will redeem it someday. It will someday seem light compared to the “eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17) we will be enjoying with Him.
All this is ours in Christ when the Spirit of God is in control. And there’s even more to come.
We’ve traveled a heavy road so far in Romans, but the sin question has been settled now. We will not come before God for judgment because of the redemption Jesus Christ purchased for us at a tremendous price on the cross. What He did for us delivers us from the penalty of sin. An eternal home with Jesus waits for all who trust Him.
But what about here and now?
What good comes to us today in our new life in Christ? God has put these on the table for you, and all you have to do is reach over and take them (see Ephesians1:3).
What does it mean to me to be saved by faith? Here are just eight of the wonderful results of our salvation.
- Peace with God (v.1)—When you are certain your sins are forgiven, and everything is right between you and God, you feel an unexplainable, real peace. (See Philippians 4:7.)
- Access to God (v.2a)—As God’s child, your heavenly Father listens to you pray. He always hears and answers according to His wisdom.
- Hope (v.2b)—As God’s children, we look forward to Jesus coming back to this earth (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) to take His church out of this world. This hope means we have a future with God.
- Triumph in trouble (vv. 3, 4)—It sometimes takes trouble to bring out the best in the believer’s life. God can only get fruit out of our lives by pruning the branches.
- Love (v.5)—This love poured in us is the assurance that God loves us. What’s more, you can’t keep God from loving you. You can put up an umbrella to block His love, but He will never stop loving you.
- The Holy Spirit (v. 5)—The Holy Spirit makes God’s love real in your heart. You’ll hear the Holy Spirit tell you how much He loves you if you listen. Go ahead, ask Him.
- Deliverance from wrath (v.9)—Jesus constantly saves you from the power of sin, and He will save you in the future from the presence of sin.
- Joy (v.11)—We joy in God. Right now, whatever your problems are, you can have joy in God. God has worked out a plan to save us because He loves us.
Be happy today in God for these wonderful benefits of salvation. And God wants to do even more for His children …
When Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, that one transgression plunged the human race into sin; but Jesus’ one act of obedience and His death on the cross made it possible for a lost man to be saved.
And we have so much more in Jesus than we lost in Adam. Today we look forward to something more wonderful than the Garden of Eden. Jesus provides a breathtaking life ahead for those who receive His gift of life.
God’s work in our hearts makes it possible for us to grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus.
Religious people, self-righteous people, and so-called good people all need a Savior. You may be someone who tries hard to be good, and you’re likely very nice. Or maybe you’re religious and follow a strict code of behavior and requirements. You can be kind and religious, but if you don’t know Jesus Christ, you‘re lost.
Wait! What about “God is love”?
That’s the God I follow. Yes, you’re right. God is love, but until you do something with the love He offers you in Jesus Christ, His position toward you is one of wrath toward your sin (see Romans 5:8).
If you reject God’s way through Jesus Christ, the only option you have is to pay for your salvation yourself. If you do that, God will apply these six principles when He judges you:
#1: God knows the real you (2:2). He will judge according to the facts.
#2: Our lives will be scrutinized (2:6). At the Great White Throne, God will judge people according to their actions.
#3: We’re all judged by the same standard (2:11).
#4: Our best will not be good enough (2:13).
#5: We all fall short; we miss the mark (2:15).
#6: There will be no secrets at the judgment (2:16). That part of your life you have kept hidden, God will bring it out—provided you do not come and accept His salvation now.
Wouldn’t you rather Jesus stand up for you in court, offer His nail-printed hands, and say, “These debts have been paid. I died in your place.”
If you’re not conscious of sin in your life, you are in a dangerous place. You’re like a man in an ice storm who thinks he’s comfortable but is freezing to death. He wants to lie down in the snow and sleep, but if he does, he will die. Many people today live like this—numb, unconscious that they are sinners in God’s sight.
Some may ask, “Well, doesn’t my church, creed, membership, baptism help toward my salvation?” The answer is no. You need to trust Jesus Christ alone for your salvation.
The Bible holds up a mirror to people who think they know God. Some realize they are sinners lost before God, turn to Him, and are rescued. Others turn away from God but still claim to be religious. But all of us, even if we shake our fists at God, believe some people ought to be judged.
Few sounds are more ominous than a judge striking his gavel, announcing the verdict of “guilty.” Mankind stands before the judge of all the earth, all guilty before Him.
Had enough of the bad news?
Between Romans 3:20 and Romans 3:21, there is a “Grand Canyon” division. When we have all the talk of sin that we can take, God will tell us what it means to be saved by faith.
By Mirely Maldonado
“Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”—Philippians 4:17–20 (NKJV)
In his letter to the Philippian congregation, Paul gives thanks for the generosity of the Philippian believers who supported him financially at various times of need. He also mentions how he’s learned to be content regardless of circumstances, whether to be in want or having more than enough, because he knows he can do all things through Him who gives him strength (Philippians 4:12–13). However, because the Philippians were thoughtful and mindful of tangible needs, they sent him gifts, which is a beautiful display of how the body of Christ is to work.
He calls these gifts “a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16 (NKJV) says, “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Proverbs 19:17 (ESV) says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” And Jesus Himself said, “Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:33–34). So, we can see our Lord is well pleased when we love one another (John 13:34), we bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and we look to the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).
Today’s passage reads, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” We can be generous and freely give because we have the Lord Himself as our source for all things, and His resources are endless!
The Lord wants us to live in community with others. He has created us all with different strengths, talents, and gifts. Inevitably, we’ll have times of need, and others will help us. Other times, we’ll help others with their needs. Paul often referred to believers and followers of Christ as a body: “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:4–5 NKJV)
If you feel alone, ask the Lord to guide you where you can find and build a healthy community with others. If it doesn’t happen quickly, stay strong and keep holding on, as some of the most beautiful things the Lord puts together take time. And if you’re in need but don’t like to ask for help, ask the Lord to help you take that step of faith! He meets us right where we are and brings the right people on our paths, all in His perfect timing, just as He did for Paul.
Pause: List five gifts or talents you have.
Practice: Think about a friend, or stranger, that could use your help. Resolve to serve them, expecting nothing in return.
Pray: Father, in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, I come to you and ask that You lead me on when and where to serve others and have the humility to receive in times of need. Help me be a cheerful giver, expecting nothing in return but the joy and satisfaction of obeying Your Word. Amen.
By Kristen Hollis
“Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”—Philippians 4:21–23 (NIV)
Closing arguments always matter the most in a court setting. It allows the lawyers to remind the jury of the facts and the most important case information to make the right decision. Paul does something similar here at the close of his letter to the church of Philippi. He makes a point to emphasize brotherhood and the grace of God. This makes a lot of sense because who better to speak on receiving the grace of God than a Christian hunter turned foundational spiritual leader?
What can we learn from Paul here? Always emphasize grace. We’re listening to a man who had his life radically transformed by grace and wants the same for others. Paul’s life mission just a few years before this was to hunt and kill Christians who were following and preaching the gospel. Then, because God decided to give Paul the gift of His grace, his life was radically transformed, and he became new. God’s grace is a gift to all of us—and it is freely given, so we also are called to give it freely! Paul is reminding us that we have the opportunity to grow in spiritual strength and have our lives changed not because of our human accomplishments but because of the true source of grace in our lives through Jesus.
How can this transform how we live our lives? To emphasize grace is to put others before ourselves. This doesn’t mean handing out a free pass to someone unwilling to accept accountability or repent. Still, it means we can grow better together by not holding wrongdoings and mess-ups over the heads of our brothers and sisters. Living a grace-filled life is to live a life rooted in humility. You wouldn’t want your mistakes to define the trajectory of your life if you were repentant and seeking to change, would you?
Emphasizing grace can always change not only your life but the lives of those around you. By emphasizing grace in your workplace, you create a trust-filled environment. By raising your children with grace, you’re teaching them compassion and setting a Christ-like example as they hopefully follow in your footsteps. So, friends, follow God and Paul’s example and offer grace as freely as it has been given to you.
Pause: When was the last time you were in a situation where you didn’t show grace but should have? If you could go back and change how you approached it, how would you do it differently?
Practice: The next time you find yourself in a situation where you’ve been hurt or have the power to give grace, do so! You’d be shocked at how it can change a relationship.
Pray: Lord, thank You for Your never-ending grace. It’s not through my works but Your grace that I can be on this journey of sanctification. Please fill me with a grace-filled spirit so I may walk through life-giving grace as freely as You give. Amen.
Sometimes, faith in God isn’t easy! In difficult times, it’s like walking a dark path with a flashlight. We may not know the way ahead, but we can walk in confidence because the flashlight shows us the way forward. We can keep walking in faith.
The theologian J.I. Packer once said, “The Christian motto should not be ‘let go and let God’ but trust God and get going.”
One of the best examples of “trust God and get going” is how Paul continued to minister and encourage others during his imprisonment. He didn’t allow his circumstances to hinder or dampen his ministry. Paul’s life shows us that situations can seem completely hopeless and out of our hands, but we can trust God is still active and working all things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
Practice: Trusting God is hard work. Consider praying the prayer below with your hands out and palms up, demonstrating that you’re humbly surrendering all your circumstances to the Lord. Only when we come to God with open hands can He fill them.
Pray: Gracious God, I want to trust You above all things. Often, problems steal my attention and rob me of my joy. Today, I surrender them to you. I want you to take __. You can do more with it than I can. You are sovereign, I am not. You are in control, I am not. I eagerly expect Your healing hand and Your faithful provision. Fill me with your Spirit and help me walk in your ways. Amen.