In Spirit and in Truth

I imagine that most of you who are reading this right now are familiar with the above phrase. It is used by Jesus in chapter 4 of John's gospel when he says:

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."  23-24

One part of living in Ecuador and serving in Ecuador is obviously the Spanish language. I still remember my first Sundays in Ecuador, when my Spanish was still relatively limited, and finding it ever so hard to sit and listen and try to translate the hour-long sermons in my head. I'm sure I can still hear how the cogs in my brain whirred, like I was decoding some secret message. Needless to say I couldn't keep it up for the whole hour so I did tune-out a few times to let my brain rest! The other part of not yet being fluent in Spanish, with respect to church, was not always understanding exactly what I was singing during the worship. However, between the fact I didn't understand everything and that most of the songs were new to me, it forced me to really examine the words.

A lot of Christians, including myself, can be very guilty of simply singing songs instead of actually worshipping God. We become so familiar with the melodies and the words that we don't actually think about what we're singing -- whether what we're singing is actually the Truth.

I think this element of Truth in worship plays out in two parts: primarily, whether we actually mean what we're singing and secondly whether it is in accordance with the Truth shown in God's Word.

The first part is what I think a lot of us, especially those of us who grew up in the church, are guilty of. Going to church and singing become so normal to us, that sometimes that is all it is - custom and tradition. It is no longer coming in humility before God, in fellowship with our family and Christ, to worship our God and Father who sent His beloved Son to redeem us from the clutches of sin and death, but a traditional weekly sing-song that we participate in. The devotional that I use, and have used for the last four years, is My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (I highly recommend it to anyone, but especially to those with a calling to ministry) and today's portion was simply titled "Worship" and opened with these words.

"Worship is giving God the best that He has given you." 

So many of us approach God with such a state of apathy. Real and True worship is when we humble ourselves before God, in perfect submission to Him and His will for us, and bring our best before Him, willing to give it all back, knowing that actually the best thing God has ever given us was Himself. We see this act of submission so many times in the Psalms as these people often struggle with real and deep issues, but always return to praising God and declaring who He is, submitting to His lordship and sovereignty. 

I'm currently reading a book by Elisabeth Elliot in which is mentioned the hymn "Beneath the Cross of Jesus", a hauntingly beautiful hymn which I think perfectly demonstrates the attitude we should have in worship:

1. Beneath the cross of Jesus 

I fain would take my stand, 

the shadow of a mighty rock 

within a weary land; 

a home within the wilderness, 

a rest upon the way, 

from the burning of the noontide heat, 

and the burden of the day. 

2. Upon that cross of Jesus 

mine eye at times can see 

the very dying form of One 

who suffered there for me; 

and from my stricken heart with tears 

two wonders I confess: 

the wonders of redeeming love 

and my unworthiness. 

3. I take, O cross, thy shadow 

for my abiding place; 

I ask no other sunshine than 

the sunshine of his face; 

content to let the world go by, 

to know no gain nor loss, 

my sinful self my only shame, 

my glory all the cross. 

Lets examine the words a little. The first verse first mentions taking our stand beneath the cross of Jesus, and the comfort we can find there. Are we really willing to identify ourselves with the cross, a place of suffering and shame that is offensive to so many, and in return find the rest that it offers us?

The second verse speaks about what happened on that cross and demonstrates the humility of repentance. Are we really willing to look upon Jesus on the cross and accept that it was our sin that required such agonising punishment? Are we willing to accept and confess our unworthiness of such love?

The third verse -- do we really ask no "sunshine" in this life other than the presence of Jesus in it?

"Christians don't sing lies - they just go to church and sing them." A. W Tozer

The second part, one could argue is just as, if not more, important. In fact, I'm tempted to say it's definitely more important. Is our worship, are the words in our "worship songs" biblical? Why does it matter as long as our desire is to worship God? Firstly, because if we scroll back up to read John 4:23-24 again, it's what God requires if we are to truly worship Him. I find it interesting upon reading that verse that it says "and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." That implies, if we really want to be worshipping the God of the Bible, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the only one and True God YAHWEH, we must do so in spirit and truth - the Truth revealed to us in His Word. Could it be that if we're not worshipping in spirit and truth that we are worshipping something or someone else? I'll leave that for you to decide. In any case, if we really do love God, don't we want to be obeying Him and keeping His commandments anyway? Also, if we look at the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis, or the story of Aaron's two sons, Nahab and Abihu in Leviticus, it's clear that we can't just offer any old thing to God.

I remember the last night of my time in Cuba in 2012, having a conversation with the youth pastor and his wife about a certain worship song and whether it was biblical in what it said or not. The song in question was "Come, now is the time to worship" and the particular line we were discussing was "Come, just as you are to worship". Yan, the youth pastor, was questioning whether this encouraged a lack of repentance or a loose attitude with regard to sin. I think I suggested it was referring to the fact that we don't have to try and perfect ourselves before coming before God, it's Him that does the perfecting, He already knows our problems and imperfections (which we are repenting for!). However, it was a very good question and demonstrates the kind of thinking with which we should approach prospective worship songs. Another example of this type of discussion that I've had with people before is from the song "In Christ Alone", a church favourite in recent years. In the second verse it says "Till on that cross as Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied." The discussion was around the fact that God's wrath has not yet been fully satisfied, as He will pour out His wrath upon humanity at the end of the 7 year tribulation period described in Revelation. However, we as Christians, those who have accepted Christ's payment for our sins, have been saved from the wrath of God. These are two good examples of the kind of "critical thinking" we should apply to spiritual things in general, not just in worship songs, but I think we're more prone to let lyrics slip past us more than we are sermons. These are also two fairly "trivial" examples, however as much of the church is slipping into emergent tendencies and doctrines, with less respect for the authority of God's Word, there are much more worrying patterns in worship songs that are beginning to emerge, not least a tendency to self-focused lyrics, but more worryingly a focus on a desire of the experiential (not simply the desire to worship) and with it, a lyric that is directed, not to the Father or to Jesus (we see examples of both in Revelation 4 & 5), but to the Holy Spirit. I'm sure most of you can think of at least one example of this. Not only is this completely unbiblical - I challenge anyone to find a scripture which encourages or justifies this - but it actually puts us at spiritual vulnerability to other spirits who may be listening. The same goes for prayer directed to the Holy Spirit - in the Bible we only ever find examples of prayer directed to the Father. We are told that the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus (John 16:14) and He helps us to pray (Romans 8:26) - He never demands any attention towards Himself, always pointing us instead to Jesus or to the Father. These practices, combined with a desire for the experiential rather than just a desire for God Himself, puts us in a very risky position spiritually. 

Right now, if you begin to search "Holy Spirit" in YouTube, the first and only results that will immediately flash up in the automatic fill in, are all references to a worship song written by Katie and Brian Torwalt. Here's the chorus:

Holy Spirit, You are welcome here

Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere

Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for

To be overcome by your presence, Lord

Your presence, Lord

I've highlighted some words in particular to help you grasp just what exactly this song, and we in turn as we sing it, is saying. Instead of the redemptive work of Christ or God's love for us, the chorus - and indeed the rest of the song- is totally focused on the Holy Spirit and the presence of God - not God, just His presence. My heart doesn't long for the glory of God, it simply longs for Him. This song does not glorify God in the least, instead it is full of selfish desire for spiritual experiences.

Please, people who love God, worship leaders, do not sing worship songs based on a pretty melody or nice sounding lyrics. Worship God with songs that glorify Him and demonstrate an attitude that glorfies and submits to Him. And once you've done that, ask yourself if you're really being honest by singing those lyrics. Is that really what you believe in your heart of hearts? Are you really bringing God your best and humiliating yourself before Him when you come before Him in worship?

Some people may point out that I haven't talked at all about the need to worship in the spirit. As I think about it now, I think the first part is actually talking about that - if we truly mean what we sing as we worship God, coming before Him with an attitude of humility, wonder and thankfulness, and showing that as the Spirit leads, then we are worshipping in the spirit. I do however want to point out something very important before I finish. In John 14:17, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth. It is impossible to worship in spirit without first worshipping in Truth. It also follows that it is impossible to truly worship in Truth without worshipping in spirit.

God has shown us, and continues to show us, such incredible grace and mercy and love. He is the Almighty Creator, Perfect and Just, who is worthy to be worshipped in the splendour of holiness (Psalm 96:9). May He grant us wisdom and guide us with His Holy Spirit as we seek to live lives of continual praise and worship.

"I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and by glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!" 

Psalm 34:1-3