In English | WORSHIPING GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

God is worshiped not by our mood when its good, but through sincere actions, in real
life.

However, even if our actions are sincere, we may easily slide down into the path of self-
justifcation and self-righteousness. Then, even sincerity in worshiping can turn into
self-exaltation and temptation if it doesnt result from actions that perceive themselves
as fruit of Grace.
Unless we are fully conscious that even the sincerity in our actions is a gift of God, we
wont be able to live in sincerity without sincerity becoming a virtue of our own, which
leads us into the belief that God feels compelled to acknowledge us as true
worshipers.
For that reason, such actions of sincerity should not be performed as if we were doing
the work of God; otherwise, we will soon be worshiping our work to God, not God any
longer.
Therefore, my actions towards God should not be actions for the Cause of God, but be-
Cause of God.
Our worship to God, therefore, doesnt consist of actions for the divine Cause; it arises
from our love of God as The Cause of our existence and its Purpose as well. So, the
worship in spirit and in truth isnt done at a given fxed placeneither in Jerusalem
nor on Mount Gerizim, but in life, in the open air, as we go on, live and exist on the
Way.

Its this way because the kind of worship that Jesus seeks doesnt happen as a religious
rite, but in a living that expresses the joy of being reconciled to God and men.
Aware of this, see to it that your worship to God is actually worship to God, not a
religious expression of self-worshiping narcissism, though performed, supposedly, in
Gods name.
Caio
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From the original: CULTUANDO A DEUS EM ESPRITO E EM VERDADE
Translated by F. R. Castelo Branco | November 2006
Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New
International Version.