Joh_4:23 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.
Joh_4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh_14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
So tell me, how much of what Christians learn from all the teaching and preaching they hear, books they read, "worship" songs they sing and Bibles they study has to do with really being a spiritual person. I have only met a handful of Christians that can tell me what it means to be a spiritual Christian. The rest of them think it's about all the outside stuff they do like Bible study, praying, healing, preaching, knowing their theology, etc. But these are not spiritual people.
How are we supposed to worship in spirit and in truth?
What does it really mean to be "in the Spirit" or to "walk in the Spirit"?
How does what Jesus showed us in His life reflect how we might follow Him in His spiritual life?
I'd like to hear how what you think about how Christians can become spiritually enlightened to the truth. (besides participating in the aforementioned "spiritual" activities.)
How are we supposed to worship in spirit and in truth?
Only those with a renewed heart and mind can do so.
What does it really mean to be "in the Spirit" or to "walk in the Spirit"?
It means a person is born again, and has a changed mind/heart.
How does what Jesus showed us in His life reflect how we might follow Him in His spiritual life?
We're supposed to follow Him in everything, He was acting out and teaching what it was like to be "spiritual". In the context of Christianity, it means to let the principles of God be your guide, and not follow whatever we want. To be spiritually minded is to be a new creature, to have the mind/heart of Christ and not let your flesh control your "spirit"(heart/mind=equals motives/character). Simply put, follow all of God's ways, summarized by "love God with your whole being, and love your neighbor as yourself". And not only follow them, but let them become your character so that instead of following the natural man, your new nature desires only to follow God.
I'd like to hear how what you think about how Christians can become spiritually enlightened to the truth. (besides participating in the aforementioned "spiritual" activities.)
It must be a realization in the mind of the individual person. I was a "christian" my whole life. I should say I "thought" I was a christian. I didn't get it though, like the Israelites, I thought Christianity was about obeying the laws of God and denying lusts to please God, kind of like what you were describing. It wasn't until I was around 22 that I understood that Christianity was about changing your heart/mind. It was very liberating, like being let out of prison. The bars were the legalistic trappings of Christianity, the "law was a schoolmaster". From that side of the bars, it looked like God was just keeping me from doing the things that I naturally wanted to do, and while I did recognize and appreciate the protection from sin and it's effects, I just felt imprisoned, like someone who willingly imprisons themselves so they won't hurt anyone. My "conversion" was complicated, but realizing that Christ literally CHANGES us was an amazing and liberating experience. I was no longer imprisoned by the law, I was an entirely new being with new desires. I realized what the bible meant when God said He was going to write the law on our hearts and minds, and why James calls it the "law of Liberty". Jesus changed me and set me free, my mind is no longer clouded with the weight of sin or under the weight of the law(even though I do "naturally" desire to follow the law now, like Christ accomplished).
Scientifically speaking, I think the conversion experience is like a Christian version of acknowledging our mental state and wresting control back from our "ego" and "sub-conscious". Many religions have also discovered this secret, but it's only in the context of Christianity that it makes sense, which, for me at least, is more evidence that Christianity is the truth. There is no logical or worldly explanation as to why a person would choose to become "righteous" and selfless(like the bible prescribes), in a world dominated by evil and selfishness. I think that is what Paul means when He says that without the hope in Christ and the resurrection, we are of all men "most miserable". Our lives of suffering persecution and living in self-denial were fruitless, and we missed out on all the "fun" that selfish people have for a lifetime.
How are we supposed to worship in spirit and in truth?
Only those with a renewed heart and mind can do so.
What does it really mean to be "in the Spirit" or to "walk in the Spirit"?
It means a person is born again, and has a changed mind/heart.
How does what Jesus showed us in His life reflect how we might follow Him in His spiritual life?
We're supposed to follow Him in everything, He was acting out and teaching what it was like to be "spiritual". In the context of Christianity, it means to let the principles of God be your guide, and not follow whatever we want. To be spiritually minded is to be a new creature, to have the mind/heart of Christ and not let your flesh control your "spirit"(heart/mind=equals motives/character). Simply put, follow all of God's ways, summarized by "love God with your whole being, and love your neighbor as yourself". And not only follow them, but let them become your character so that instead of following the natural man, your new nature desires only to follow God.
I'd like to hear how what you think about how Christians can become spiritually enlightened to the truth. (besides participating in the aforementioned "spiritual" activities.)
It must be a realization in the mind of the individual person. I was a "christian" my whole life. I should say I "thought" I was a christian. I didn't get it though, like the Israelites, I thought Christianity was about obeying the laws of God and denying lusts to please God, kind of like what you were describing. It wasn't until I was around 22 that I understood that Christianity was about changing your heart/mind. It was very liberating, like being let out of prison. The bars were the legalistic trappings of Christianity, the "law was a schoolmaster". From that side of the bars, it looked like God was just keeping me from doing the things that I naturally wanted to do, and while I did recognize and appreciate the protection from sin and it's effects, I just felt imprisoned, like someone who willingly imprisons themselves so they won't hurt anyone. My "conversion" was complicated, but realizing that Christ literally CHANGES us was an amazing and liberating experience. I was no longer imprisoned by the law, I was an entirely new being with new desires. I realized what the bible meant when God said He was going to write the law on our hearts and minds, and why James calls it the "law of Liberty". Jesus changed me and set me free, my mind is no longer clouded with the weight of sin or under the weight of the law(even though I do "naturally" desire to follow the law now, like Christ accomplished).
Scientifically speaking, I think the conversion experience is like a Christian version of acknowledging our mental state and wresting control back from our "ego" and "sub-conscious". Many religions have also discovered this secret, but it's only in the context of Christianity that it makes sense, which, for me at least, is more evidence that Christianity is the truth. There is no logical or worldly explanation as to why a person would choose to become "righteous" and selfless(like the bible prescribes), in a world dominated by evil and selfishness. I think that is what Paul means when He says that without the hope in Christ and the resurrection, we are of all men "most miserable". Our lives of suffering persecution and living in self-denial were fruitless, and we missed out on all the "fun" that selfish people have for a lifetime.
Ephesians 6:17: "The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God!!"
John 14:25: Jesus says, "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things {Inspires men to write the Word of God and teaches them what it really means} and will REMIND YOU OF EVERTHING I HAVE SAID TO YOU !"
John 14:23: Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, He will OBEY MY TEACHING. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him!"
I John 2:3-5: We know that we have come to know Him {Jesus} **IF** we obey His commands. The man who says , "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the *TRUTH* is not in him, But if anyone OBEYS HIS WORD, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him!!
John 8:31,32: Jesus says, "*IF* you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the **TRUTH** and the **TRUTH** will set you free!!"
I Peter 1:22-25: Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the *TRUTH* so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart. For you have been born again throught the living and enduring Word of God....The Word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the Word that was preached to you.
What is it to be a spiritual Christian? My intellect first wanted to say follow His commands , and I mean Torah, but in my personal life I have had G-d tell me to do this or that for a person when I was not exactly �kosher� at that time with Him. And it was a question where does my heart really lie. The truth that normally brings me back to Torah� Him� may be He just knows how to get me�. When I worship Him, I mean literally mean in worship, I know the difference between paying my does and real worship� I don�t know If I can explain it� I guess I can yes there is a feeling and a gift comes forth most of the time. But there are times when I feel nothing and after the fact I see G-d move. I can honestly say I usually start out in the flesh when I worship but it happens the laying down of one�s self and you go from the outer court, to the inner court, into the Holy of Holies�.
But I think this is beyond the scripture where Y-shua is talking to the woman at the well and He said on day you will worship on this mountain in spirit and in truth. See may people worship god but they do not know the god they are worshiping� my personal opinion is Y-shua is talking about Him and Him alone� not a bunch of gods that will get us to heaven, but 1 G-d� Y-shua, that is reviled by the Spirit of Truth�..
