2 Cor 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Eph 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
For the past several blogs I have been teaching and exhorting you to put on the new man [spiritual man]. This is the same new man who was created after God in righteousness and true holiness.
What a truly awesome revelation this is to the child of God who longs to be free from all human effort; to let God do for his children the things which they are unable to do by themselves.
The truths I’ve been bringing to you are revelations, directly from the word of God. You need to understand that the revelations I’ve been bringing to you are not my interpretation of what I think scripture is saying, rather it is the very word itself which is corroborated by countless other scriptures; so there is neither doubt or confusion about what God has done and desires for each of us to know concerning him. The word of God states clearly that knowledge builds the [spiritual] house, but it’s our understanding that establishes [makes sure] the house – Proverbs 24:3 KJV.
God has a profound desire for us to have clear understanding in this matter so that we’ll become partakers of this new nature.
Remember this…
It’s only in the new [spirit] man where we are able to approach the Lord for the purpose of worshipping him. Any other method that man devises to worship God is done in their flesh, or carnal man. These efforts have no value to God, nor will he bless it.
John 4:23-24
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Question…
What does it mean when this scripture says that believers who worship the Lord must worship him in spirit and truth, and that the Father specifically seeks these people out?
The answer is quite simple. You are unable, in your humanity, of having access to the Lord. Human emotions and our intellect, which we favor, and are taught to be so necessary and essential for proper and effective worship, are actually the very things which hinder that worship. Most Christians seem put-off when this truth is revealed. They’ve been convinced that human effort pleases God. But that is far from the truth. The things in your humanity that you believe are such a benefit to worship are actually huge distractions when you desire to worship God. They cause a communication failure with him on every conceivable level. God knows this of course and is willing to instruct us by his word. Since he loves us so deeply, he actually gives us the needed direction and instruction so that this blessed event [true worship] isn’t compromised by the flesh.
The flesh, referenced here in scripture, refers to the two parts of our humanity which were not regenerated at the time of salvation; the soul [intellect; mind] and your body [emotions and five senses].
Both of these areas of your flesh are great inhibitors to true worship of the Godhead. In the realm of your humanity, it is impossible to approach God in the areas of boldness, confidence, assurance, and purity, which are achieved when we know truth.
Take a moment to think of what I’ve just said. Surely you can see how much of a conflict it would be to drag all of your unnecessary ‘human baggage’ into worship. Most Christians believe these things couldn’t possibly be a distraction or hinder their worship of Almighty God.
Example…
On purely a human level, we have all experienced this very thing. You’re out doing things and unexpectedly stumble upon a good friend you haven’t seen in quite some time. You’re anxious to spend some quality time with them, so you invite them for coffee and eagerly get down to some serious social interaction. Everything seems to go well until you ask them how they’ve been doing. Then it begins. A torrent of personal troubles and woes come spewing out of their mouths, and you think to yourself, what have I done to deserve this. Soon, you’re looking for the exit door, wondering how to escape. What otherwise was an expectation of joy, turned sour because of their baggage.
Your efforts to achieve intimacy it seems was purely one sided. The cares of the world choked out the intimacy you wanted so desperately. What they unloaded on you dramatically influenced the otherwise peaceful and pleasant interaction you had hoped to have achieved with them.
God the Father wants uninterrupted quality time with his family [you]. The baggage you bring to the meeting influences how you’ll worship God. You may think your Heavenly Father doesn’t care what you bring, but I tell you he does.
God doesn’t want anything to disrupt this precious time with his child, so we should always endeavor to honor him by leaving our flesh outside the door when we enter. It must be through the spirit only [your regenerated spirit] that you come worshipping him.
Let’s read this portion of scripture one more time.
God is spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4: 24
There are specific conditions under which God allows the worship of his saints, so the phrase …“must worship him” is a directive, which must be followed precisely in order for the event to be meaningful to both parties. Remember, God never let the Old Testament priests come into his presence with any excess baggage.
The churches have taught their members for years that the only way to ever have a meaningful relationship, or intimacy with God, is through their personal [human] effort, or sanctification through works and obedience to church doctrine. This is absolutely untrue and not supported anywhere in scripture. No amount of obeying, submitting, or surrendering of yourself to any denomination will ever give you clout with God.
If you approach God in any of these areas, you can be assured that there will be no intimacy.
1) By any human effort that involves your emotions or five senses.
2) Through human achievements that your feel merits God’s approval or acceptance, i.e. educational accomplishments – degrees, intellectual pursuits at understanding God; theology, etc.
3) By your perceived goodness as defined by religious dogma, or denominational standards; i.e. by praying, giving finances, through church attendance, or services rendered as a condition of membership, or because of any positions of leadership that you hold within the church.
4) By attempting to walk in self-proclaimed holiness, thinking that your relationship with God is guaranteed/ assured.
The absolute biblical truth is that no one is able to approach God from the realm of the flesh, or any part thereof. No one is holy enough – pure enough – or righteous enough to ascend to God from the realm of their humanity.
Rom 3:9-10
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
At the time of the last judgment, many will see just how valuable their efforts in the flesh have really been. Scripture tells us that everything will be tried by fire and only those things which are pure will come through untouched. This is the true testimony of your worth.
Man has always thought he was able to approach God on his terms. But that doesn’t line up with scripture. We think we meet the standard of holiness because we’re church members, or attend a certain denomination, but rest assured, this isn’t God’s standard. Why do you think that is? Do you honestly think God will lower his standards for worship? Absolutely not, and he never will. To meet his standards requires that you rise to a different level, but not through your flesh. You’ll never be able to achieve sufficient human status where you can boldly enter into God’s presence. Frankly, that’s precisely why mankind created religion. It was their tool/ tower to reach Almighty God by their own efforts. Man simply got tired of God’s standards for worship. They liked their standards more, but in the end, they always fell short.
In a brilliant move, that ultimately affected most all of creation, mankind tried another way – through their flesh [self-effort; religion]. Cain did exactly the same thing when he offered up another sacrifice, as found in the book of Genesis 1: 3-7. God had set the standard for worship, and Able gladly met the standard. Cain didn’t want God, or anyone else telling him how to worship, so he created his own way, but God rejected his offering. Cain was beside himself with anger, and this anger was later vented on his brother Able when he killed him.
Instead of offering up the required sacrifice of a lamb, he offered up grain and vegetables, and then was upset when it was not accepted as a legitimate sacrifice [worship].
That is the purpose of salvation and corresponding worship – relationship with the Godhead.
Your spirit was created after God in righteousness and true holiness, which is what, allows us to boldly approach God and worship him.
That’s the reason why John 4:24 specifically tells us “that they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”.
Your relationship with God is based on who you now are in your new spirit man, not the old or carnal man [flesh]. Our identity is now with Christ, which makes all things new. It’s no longer our human mind or intellect, but rather our renewed mind, which is the mind of Christ. Our emotions no longer govern how we act, but rather that we govern all things of the flesh because of intimacy with Christ and the Godhead.
Your relationship with God is based on who you are in the inner man – your brand new spirit.
Someone might surely ask, “since our relationship with God is now based on who we are in the spirit, what does it matter what we do in the flesh”?
This is a very good question, but the answer should be obvious. It is through your flesh that Satan gains inroads into your life, to destroy it.
Rom 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Remember, Satan cannot affect your new, born again spirit, since it was sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13 KJV
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Your relationship with God can only be through your born again spirit, not by anything to do with your flesh; any goodness you perceive you have through works, your religious actions, human merit(s), or good heartedness.
Please allow this to sink in…
Whenever you enter into prayer and you begin your worship with God by saying anything like the following…
1) “Oh Lord I humbly come unto thee”
2) “I am not worthy to enter into your presence”
3) “Lord I have failed you so completely”
4) “Have mercy on me, since I am are so unworthy”
…then you are not approaching God from a position of boldness.
Another example to remember is when Jehovah God told the Children of Israel to boldly enter into the Promised Land that he had prepared for them; they did not, since they could only see themselves as grasshoppers in their own eyes, not as the conquerors God proclaimed them to be. Read it for yourself in Numbers 13 KJV (vs 33 : and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers).
We are not to be as grasshoppers, but emboldened by the words of God, according to scripture, that we are overcomers/ conquers through Christ in all things, and that we have access to boldly enter into his presence – to worship him.
Those that approach God in the spirit have the revelation of what has been done for them in Christ, and that their new spirit and the spirit of God are one and the same.
Heb 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Heb 13:6
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
I Jn 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Eph 3:12
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Heb 10:19-20
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Eph 2:18
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Rom 5:2
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
I Jn 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Most denominations feel that it is arrogant to approach God outside of religion, but that isn’t what God says. He desire intimacy with his children apart from religion. Religion is the law, but intimacy is through grace by faith. It was freely given, so freely receive it to the glory of God.
When I approach the Lord in spirit, it is through the spirit that I worship him in truth. John 4:23-24 KJV But the hour cometh, and now is,
One last time…
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is,
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
In closing…
If you approach God in your flesh, you are trying to enter worship through human weakness, which cannot please God.
Let me tell you who I am.
1) I am a blood bought child of the living God.
2) I am a son and joint heir with Christ.
3) I am an overcomer and conquer through Christ who strengthens me.
4) I am victorious in all areas of life because Christ has risen.
5) I have total and unrestricted access to God at any time of the day or night, through boldness and with confidence by the faith of him [Christ].
6) I please God!!!!!!!
That’s who I am! Who are you?