Wells contrasts the Old Covenant's physical elements—the law, tabernacle, priests, and animal sacrifices—with the New Covenant's spiritual reality, arguing that no one was ever saved through physical religious activity or animal blood (Hebrews 10:4). Drawing on Hebrews 12:18-24, he emphasizes that true salvation involves spiritual regeneration by the Holy Spirit, bringing believers to the heavenly Mount Zion and Christ himself, experienced through spiritual eyes and ears rather than fleshly senses. Wells concludes that genuine worship must occur "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24), with the new birth transforming the believer's heart through the Spirit rather than through external religious forms or personal experiential pursuits.
What does the Bible say about physical versus spiritual experiences in faith?
The Bible emphasizes that spiritual experiences, not physical rituals, lead to salvation, as seen in Hebrews 10:4 and John 4:24.
Moreover, Jesus teaches in John 4:24 that God is Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and truth. This highlights the necessity of spiritual rebirth through the Holy Spirit, as seen in John 3:8. Physical experiences are insufficient; it is the inward transformation and understanding of spiritual truths that mark a genuine relationship with God, leading to authentic faith and salvation.
Hebrews 10:4, Hebrews 12:18-24, John 4:24, John 3:8
How do we know that spiritual rebirth is true?
Spiritual rebirth is affirmed by Scripture, particularly in John 3:8, which describes its mysterious yet powerful nature.
Furthermore, when a person experiences regeneration, it is accompanied by a profound awareness of their sinfulness and the all-sufficiency of Christ’s atonement. This inner change brings forth love for God, a desire for holiness, and a commitment to live in accordance with His teachings, which aligns with the transformative power outlined in Romans 8:28-30. Thus, the reality of spiritual rebirth is not merely a theological construct but evidenced through the lives of those who are genuinely redeemed by Christ.
John 3:8, Romans 8:28-30
Why is spiritual worship important for Christians?
Spiritual worship is crucial for Christians as it aligns with God's nature and enables true communion with Him, as stated in John 4:24.
Furthermore, spiritual worship fosters an intimate relationship with the Father, nourishes faith, and cultivates a deeper understanding of His will. It reflects a believer's submission to the lordship of Christ and a reliance on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength. By engaging in spiritual worship, Christians affirm their identity as new creations, experiencing and expressing gratitude for their salvation. This form of worship becomes a source of power and renewal, enabling believers to live out their faith actively and authentically.
John 4:24
"For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)" - Hebrews 12:18-21
What an experience is recorded here, yet all this was physical. The mountain, the law, the tabernacle, the priests, and the sacrifices were all physical. We see all the blood of all the animals, blood on the hands of the priests, blood on the clothes of the priests, blood on the feet of the priests, yet all was physical. Not one person was ever saved by all this physical activity, physical religion, or by all the spilled blood of animals. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). We are never brought to a physical religious experience for our salvation. Most religious experiences begin with "I"; "I" is in the middle; and "I" is at the conclusion.
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things that that of Abel. - Hebrews 12:22-24
When the Lord is pleased to cause His lost sheep to hear the glorious gospel of the Son of God, and the Spirit is pleased to regenerate them, they are brought to a spiritual place - Mt. Zion, to Christ. Not one of these items listed can be taken physically. They are all spiritual, intangible to the flesh, understood only in the Spirit. They are not seen by physical eyes, but by spiritual eyes; not heard with the physical ears, but heard with spiritual ears; not by the natural heart we are born with, but with a new heart given by the Spirit. Not to a physical law, but the spiritual -- written on our hearts. Not by a physical experience, but a new birth from the Spirit of God.
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. - John 3:8
The elect are not brought to a physical form or formality, but to a Spiritual God. God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). They are not brought to a fleshly experience, but a spiritual birth. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63). The testimony of a believer, one whom God has blessed with the new birth, is "It was all of Him!"
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