For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)

Worship And Rejoice

Serving the Lord is more than ritual, sacrifice, and going through the motions. Jesus taught that His Father demanded worship in spirit and in truth. There can be no exclusion from one of the other. Worshipping the Father only in spirit and not according to truth is false religion. Seeking the truth of God without the Spirit is vain worship. Paul explains to the saints at Philippi the importance of worshipping God in the Spirit, and that worship must include rejoicing in Jesus Christ. Worship to the Father excludes the carnal nature and gives no glory to the flesh. These three parts of service to the Lord are a pattern all Christians would do well to imitate in their lives.

Worshipping God in the Spirit reflects the covenant of grace shared between God and man. When a person obeys the gospel of Christ, their sins are washed away, and they are gifted the Holy Spirit. Apart from the joy of knowing sins are washed away, the gift of the Holy Spirit secures a covenant between God and man, allowing sinful man to approach God with holiness and reverence. Spirit worship is how the Holy Spirit manifests Himself to the soul of man. God created man in His image to worship Him in His image. As an eternal being, man comes before a holy God to honor Him in the Spirit. A reverence for the Almighty is found in humble prayers, a devoted heart to the word of God, obedient lives fulfilling the will of the Father, and a spirit-led life honoring God in every way.

Serving God is the daily manifestation of a godly spirit learning ways to show Christ living in them. The Christian devotes his life to finding ways to draw closer to God through the Holy Spirit. As God is one with His Son and the Holy Spirit, the child of God bathes himself in the glory of the Divine to let His light shine in their lives. Worship to God is in the Spirit. Public worship is in the Spirit. Private worship is in the Spirit. Everything about the heart of the Christian is devoted to the worship of God in the Spirit. There is no greater joy than to experience Spirit worship daily, for the Christian who walks in Jesus Christ.

Paul reminds the Philippians of the message of joy. Throughout his letter to the saints, the apostle extols the virtue of joy and rejoicing. Paul is filled with joy when he thinks of his brethren. This joy is tempered by the knowledge that Paul is imprisoned for his faith, and yet he still rejoices in his suffering. He wants nothing more for the saints to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ. Paul faced death often, but he did so with the joy of being in Jesus Christ. His life was filled with heartache, trials, and suffering, and his heart was firmly anchored in the hope found in Christ Jesus. Paul’s life was a testimony to the joy of being saved from his sins. Each day for Paul was a blessing to serve to the glory of the name of Christ. He faced many obstacles with this devoted joy in his Lord and Savior.

The worship and rejoicing of the Christian can never be experienced until the heart has no confidence in the flesh. One of the hindrances to worship is the appeal of the flesh. God cannot be worshipped in the carnal. There is no rejoicing in the carnal. Trusting in the flesh will destroy the worship of the Father and the joy of Jesus Christ. Too often, worship is attempted based on the fleshly. While it may appear to be righteous, it is not. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must do so in spirit and truth. A committed life seeking to worship the one true God will have no confidence in the things of the world and its fleshly appeal.

The appeal of the religious world lies in the carnal. Hearts are moved by the experience of the flesh, rather than the spirit. Worship becomes a concert of carnal appeals that excites the heart and moves the mind. This is not true worship. God demands that worship be according to the Spirit, which will induce the joy of grace through the blood of Jesus Christ. Life for the worshipping child of God will not be putting any security in matters of the flesh. The joy of salvation is the joy of worshipping God with praise and honor. Praise God.