(Article for publication week of 6-2-2010 AD)
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). “The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of Himself, infinite in being, and perfection, whose Essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions…” (London Confession II:1).
The God of the Bible is pure spirit. Since he is uncreated, He cannot be composed of created matter. Since He is omnipresent, He cannot be confined to any particular place. The God of the Bible is everywhere present and nowhere absent. Since God has not a material body He is able to inhabit eternity. There is nowhere in the universe that you may go to escape Him.
Since God is pure spirit He is also invisible (I Timothy 1:17). He dwells in the light that no man can approach unto. Many children have asked the question, “Why can’t I see God?” (And many of us adults have also pondered the question.) Well, here is the answer- God is a spirit. He is invisible and he cannot be seen by men’s created eyes.
It is true that the scriptures often speak of God as having eyes, ears, hands, and so forth. These are manners of speaking whereby God accommodates Himself to our finiteness that we may learn of His greatness. But such expressions in no way contradict the truth that God is pure spirit.
This Great and Almighty God Who is pure Spirit and invisible to us created mortals, has condescended to us by becoming a Man. The Second person of the Holy Trinity, according to Covenant promise, came down from heaven and joined His blessed Deity to sinless humanity that He would be the Redeemer of His people. The fullness of the infinite God Who is pure Spirit dwells bodily in the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:9). The Eternal Son of God, Who is co-equal with the Father, and is verily God, was made Flesh so that he could die for the sins of His people and rise bodily from the grave and ascend back to heaven in that same body. One day we shall see Him Who died for us with our very eyes (I John 3:2). Our Lord Jesus Christ is both God and Man. In His Deity He is pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions. In His humanity, He is a Real Man. He is the most wonderful person in the universe!
Such a God can only be worshipped by those who are given a spiritual nature like His. “They that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.” The only way we can be the true worshippers of God is to be given a spiritual nature through regeneration. (John 3:3-6). “That which is born of the flesh is flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” May God bless you all and give you spiritual capacity to worship Him in spirit and in truth.