Floods of Joy

How is God glorified in a life? He is glorified when the life is lived for His glory and not
the glory of self.

Then how is a life lived for God’s glory? Is it a life lived in surrender? Is it a life lived in true worship of God, like Jesus spoke of to the woman at the well? What does that kind of worship look like, feel like, taste like? In Spirit and Truth.

I don’t think Jesus was one to waste words. If He spoke it, it means something. Even the sequence here is important. Worship in Spirit and in truth. The “S” in spirit is capitalized in these verses which means it is referring to the Spirit of God. We must worship in the Spirit of God and let Him take the lead in our worship. Jesus called the promised Holy Spirit the “Spirit of truth” and that when He comes he will lead and guide us into all truth. (John 16:13)

John Piper expounds on Jonathan Edwards view of God’s glory, God’s joy and God’s truth, “The truth that God’s glory and our joy in God are one radically undermines modern views of self-centered love… Edwards observes…

“True saints have their minds, in the first place, inexpressibly pleased and delighted with… the things of God.”

Jonathan Edwards

Further still, Pastor Frank Bailey has this to say about worshiping in Spirit and truth, “Jonathan Edwards shows that owing to the very nature of God as one who is knowable and enjoyable – the very nature of God as knowable with the mind and enjoyable with the heart – demands that worship be shaped in those two ways. There must be, in worship a seeing of God for who he really is through the mind and the exercise of understanding…

Then, if worship is to be worship, there must be a savoring, a tasting and enjoying of God with the heart.”

Pastor Frank bailey

It is way beyond just singing songs together in church on a Sunday. The true worshipper sees God for who He is and their heart bursts in the revealed glory of God to the heart of man. The veil parts and we behold his glory. Joy floods the heart, praise fills our mouth and pours forth from our lips. Faith fills us, knowing that we are kissing the Heavenly Father and His Spirit is bending low to place His glorious lips to ours.