We Should Worship God in Spirit and in Truth

Holy Worship

The people of God are to follow all of God’s commands, however, we should do so with reverence not habitually. Amongst the commands of God is the Sabbath day, the day in which God’s people may carry out their holy duty. If someone does not offer worship then how can they say they live a true life of faith? How does a child show respect to a parent? Is it not by obeying the rules that have been set to keep them from harm? In the same way, God has set aside a day for those who love Him. The virtue of the true people of God is worship, therefore it can never be abolished. We can learn about this through the example of Daniel.

Daniel 6:1-4 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.

The satraps envied Daniel’s position and tried to attack him through his faith. They deployed a scheme to cause him to lose his position. However, after hearing the decree, Daniel continued to pray to the Living God. Daniel did not change the way he worshiped God and did not compromise a new way to do so. Even after being taken captive and getting thrown into the lion’s den he still kept his faith.

In All Circumstances

Daniel 6:10-23  Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.” So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

He miraculously survived the lion’s den without receiving a single scratch. He trusted God and continued to carry out his holy duty in the most unfavorable circumstance without any hesitation or wavering in faith. His reverence to God touched the heart of King Darius and even caused him great distress as he worried about Daniel being harmed through the night. King Darius praised the living God and threw Daniel’s accusers into the lion’s den along with the rest of their family. What does this story have to do with the people of God who live in this present time?

Let Us Inscribe the Sabbath on our Hearts

John 4:20-23 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet 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.

We are those who are to worship God in spirit and in truth through observing the Sabbath of the New Covenant. Where in the bible does it say to cease keeping the Sabbath day holy? Did Jesus say to stop keeping the Sabbath day holy?

Matthew 24:20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

On the contrary, the bible says to keep the Sabbath day until the last day. Meaning, until the end of time. Those who have true faith in the God of the Bible should carry out the holy duty entrusted to them. Let’s keep the Sabbath day holy with all our hearts, souls, and minds so that we may receive blessings from the Almighty God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.