What Does It Mean to “Worship God in Spirit and in Truth”?

The Lord said to the Samaritan woman at the well:

22“You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:22-24

There’s a simple way to take verse 24 and a deeper way. Let’s first consider the simple way. To worship God in spirit means that genuine worship — i.e. adoration of God — requires more than merely “going through the motions.” For instance, David praised the LORD “with all his heart” (Psalm 86:12).

To worship God in truth means to worship according to the truth revealed in the God-breathed Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16). ‘Truth’ is alétheia (ah-LAY-thee-ah) in the Greek, which means “reality; the way it really is.” In other words, we are to worship the right God, Yahweh, in the proper way as opposed to worshipping a false god in a perverse manner. For instance, some pagan religions required their worshippers to engage in sexual immorality at their temples.

This is why the Bible says “Do not go beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6). It’s why, after salvation, believers are to be “transformed by the renewing of their mind” (Romans 12:2). This is a growth process that purges out false ideas and doctrines, including perverse methods of worship.

The Deeper Sense of Worshipping God “In Spirit”

Verse 23 shows that Christ was speaking of “a time that is coming,” which was a reference to the era of the New Covenant — the new contract with God — which is superior to the Old Covenant for several reasons (Hebrews 8:6).

For one, New Covenant believers are justified in God’s sight by faith and thus we are no longer under the supervision of the Law (Galatians 3:24-25). ‘Supervision’ or ‘guardian’ is translated as “schoolmaster” in the King James Version, as observed here. The original Greek word refers to a domestic servant or slave whose business was to train and oversee male youngsters until they came of age at which point the sons took on the duties and liberties of maturity. You can look up this term here.

I’m sure you get the point: Believers are no longer under the supervision of Old Testament Law (Romans 7:6). Since we are spiritually regenerated and have the Holy Spirit we are liberated to operate in the responsibilities and freedoms of spiritual adulthood, keeping in mind that the Bible shows three basic stages of Christian growth, which you can read about here.

‘Gospel’ literally means “good news.” The good news of the message of Christ isn’t just that we escape the penalty of eternal death (Romans 6:23 & Matthew 10:28), but that we escape the power of sin through spiritual regeneration (Titus 3:5 & 1 Peter 1:3) and the ensuing renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2).

Along with spiritual rebirth, believers receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is our Helper, teacher and advocate (2 Timothy 1:14 & John 14:26).

On top of all of this, the LORD has provided believers with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the benefits that come with this awesome gift, which you can read about here (shh, Christians aren’t supposed to talk about spiritual gifts these days).

On a side note, if you’re struggling with some kind of life-dominating sin — whether it’s something sexual, or drugs, alcohol or whatever — I understand; freedom is available for you through Christ and the benefits of the gospel. To walk free of any sin bondage simply put into practice the 3-point plan revealed in this article and corresponding video.

Getting back to our topic, all of this reveals the differences between godliness and religion:

The Greek word for godliness in the Bible is eusebeia (yoo-SEB-ee-ah), which relates to a real and vital relationship with the Almighty.
The Greek word for religion is thréskeia (thrays-KIH-ah), which refers to the outward acts of religious works and ceremonies.

Religious works can be performed by the flesh without knowing God at all, which is why legalists make it their focus whereas godliness—having a relationship with God—requires the human spirit. Jesus said, “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). ‘Spirit’ here technically refers to the human spirit. The point being that true worship is not merely a matter of outward conformity to religious rules, ceremonies, works and places. Authentic worship springs from a regenerated spirit that’s connected with the LORD and involves communion between the individual and the indwelling Holy Spirit, who guides/helps us. This is relationship.

‘Godliness’ means to be like God and stems from this relationship since we become like those we spend time with the most. In other words, a relationship with God produces godliness. ‘Religion’ by contrast doesn’t refer to godliness, but to outward forms of devotion.

What Does “Do Not Go Beyond What is Written” Mean in 1 Corinthians 4:6?

What are the Sources of Truth (Reality)?

Godliness and Religion—What’s the Difference?

The Basics of Christianity

Altars & Altar Calls and how they’re Relevant

Human Nature — Spirit, Mind & Body