Jesus very clearly defined who God is, as we are to worship and relate to and in spite of that, most people don't obey. He said "God is a Spirit", (Jo. 4:23-24). That is the Holy Spirit. Those who worship God must worship Him, on this earth, in this day, must do so in spirit and in truth (reality). Isn't it amazing that this is so frequently ignored by the church? And, one way of escape for those who choose to do so is to declare "we are not supposed to worship the Holy Spirit". Of course, that is precisely the opposite of what the Bible says, but it does not seem to matter to some. It is equally amazing to watch religious people choose to worship God in almost any form, rather than Spirit form. Well-meaning folks by the million are still worshipping Jesus, God in flesh form, even though the Bible says we can no longer know Him that way. If this was because of ignorance, it matters little, but if this is because men don't want to approach God as He is, it matters greatly. God isn't manifesting to us as God in the flesh. He isn't manifesting as God Almighty, God the creator, God the Judge, etc. He is manifesting as God the Spirit.
The limitations, the weaknesses, the powerlessness of the church has to do with little else except our refusal to embrace the HOly Ghost the way He will be embraced. Oh, we will let Him do a work in us (the new birth) or rescue us, but we won't embrace Him as one to fellowship with and worship. It is not God, off in heaven, that we are to commune with on earth. It is with the Holy Ghost. The deception that has worked for the devil, so far, is to keep men focused on God as He is not (among us) while ignoring Him as He is (among us). The Pharisees of old were dedicated to the same error. They wanted to worship God as He formerly manifested or as they imagined He might some day,while steadfastly refusing to accept Him as He was.
It is a fact that Jesus dying on the cross worked to remove our sins and redeem us but many miss the true purpose of the work of the cross. Jesus went died and went away in order to give us the Holy Ghost. All the other stuff was done in order to do that. People everywhere will accept the work of the cross and miss the purpose and remain far away from their full salvation. The HOly Ghost is our salvation. He is the beginning, the "earnest" of all God has for us. And, He is here now, to enjoy now, to worship now, to enjoy now, to be empowered by now, to commune with now!
We are not only to worship God the Spirit we are to do it in "truth", meaning "reality". We are to really do what we say we are doing. And, we are to worship in the spirit. That means we have come to such a condition that our spirit, as well as the rest of us is empowered by the Holy Spirit, to express worship. That means we have been baptized and repeatedly filled with the Holy Ghost, until our spirit (not our natural man) gains a language of praise. And then, just as the early disciples did, we use this power to speak from our spirit directly unto God, our praise. This is otherwise known as speaking in tongues. This is God's chosen mark upon us. It is a particular sign promised to follow us everywhere and one even unbelievers are to see us doing. In fact, according to the Bible "we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit".
A lot of folks wandering around the church who have yet to be circumcized of the spirit. Before Israel could cross into the promised land, every man had to be circumcized. You better believe the flesh of those involved resisted that circumcision but there was no crossing over without it. It pretty much works the same way now. There is a promised realm of God, available to born again believers, but entering in requires circumcision of the heart and tongue. Yes - flesh will argue, pride will resist, religion will deny but God requires. No, not to be saved, but to worship in spirit and in truth.
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