WORSHIP
We are to worship God in our spirit, as well as according to His Word, “in truth”; not our opinions, which may be wrong or change. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). There are two rails on this track of worship; one is truth and one spirit, and if we emphasize one over the other, the train of worship will jump the track. There are some whole denominations that have so emphasized right doctrine that they have become cold and put little faith in God’s Spirit to work. On the other hand, there are those who avoid sound teaching and only speak about the Spirit, love, or being sincere. The Bible says we “must” (it is not optional) worship Him with both “spirit” and “truth.”
If we do not read and go by what is in the Bible, how can we know for sure we are pleasing God? “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9). If someone says, “We all have to worship God in our own way,” tell him our ways are not God’s ways and His ways are found in the Bible.
The word “worship” in the Hebrew is “to bow down” (Strong’s), and in the Greek, Strong’s has “meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand.” I was fortunate to live in the mountains and always had a couple of big dogs around, and from time to time they would come up to me and lick my hand, and get it wet, the meaning of worship. Though it was not something I liked, I took it as their way of saying, “Thank you for feeding us and taking care of us.” As much difference as there is between a dog and a man, far greater is the difference between man and our Creator.
The devil wants worship also, but Christ rebuked him: “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:9–10). Jesus received worship from men (Matthew 2:2,11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9,17; and many other verses), and God commanded all the angels to worship Christ (Hebrews 1:6). But angels are not to be worshiped (Colossians 2:18, Revelation 22:8–9), and the apostles refused worship (Acts 14:13–18).
We are to worship God in our spirit, as well as according to His Word, “in truth”; not our opinions, which may be wrong or change. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). There are two rails on this track of worship; one is truth and one spirit, and if we emphasize one over the other, the train of worship will jump the track. There are some whole denominations that have so emphasized right doctrine that they have become cold and put little faith in God’s Spirit to work. On the other hand, there are those who avoid sound teaching and only speak about the Spirit, love, or being sincere. The Bible says we “must” (it is not optional) worship Him with both “spirit” and “truth.”
If we do not read and go by what is in the Bible, how can we know for sure we are pleasing God? “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9). If someone says, “We all have to worship God in our own way,” tell him our ways are not God’s ways and His ways are found in the Bible.
The word “worship” in the Hebrew is “to bow down” (Strong’s), and in the Greek, Strong’s has “meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand.” I was fortunate to live in the mountains and always had a couple of big dogs around, and from time to time they would come up to me and lick my hand, and get it wet, the meaning of worship. Though it was not something I liked, I took it as their way of saying, “Thank you for feeding us and taking care of us.” As much difference as there is between a dog and a man, far greater is the difference between man and our Creator.
The devil wants worship also, but Christ rebuked him: “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:9–10). Jesus received worship from men (Matthew 2:2,11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9,17; and many other verses), and God commanded all the angels to worship Christ (Hebrews 1:6). But angels are not to be worshiped (Colossians 2:18, Revelation 22:8–9), and the apostles refused worship (Acts 14:13–18).
