Jesus and His servants had left Judea and were traveling through Samaria on their way back to Galilee. Around noon, in the heat of the day, while His disciples went into the nearby town to buy food, Jesus sat by the well Jacob had dug centuries earlier. It was then that a Samaritan woman came to get some water. Jesus asked her to draw some water for Him, which led to an enlightening conversation revealing powerful lessons for us today.
Who was this woman? We read of God using Assyrian king Shalmaneser to defeat and exile the Israelites who made up the northern ten tribes—the house of Israel. Shalmaneser brought “people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities” (2 Kings 17:24). These are the ancestors of the Samaritans found in the New Testament, including the woman Jesus spoke to at the well.
The Samaritans saw themselves as the spiritual children of the patriarch Jacob, if not literally his children. Notice the woman’s question: “Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” (John 4:12).
A Different Spirit
Correcting the Corinthian brethren, Paul listed three errors: accepting those who came preaching another Jesus, receiving a different spirit, and tolerating a different gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4). But he did not elaborate on these errors, stating only that those who promote them are ministers of Satan. Today, we easily see that modern mainstream “Christianity” preaches a very different Jesus—and that the message He proclaimed has been replaced by a different one exclusively about His person. But what about a different spirit? We generally expound upon the first and last of the three errors, but we rarely talk about this middle one. This brings us back to Jesus’ conversation at the well.
The Samaritan woman confidently placed her relationship with God in her people’s perceived—or contrived—heritage. She also felt assured that the Samaritans worshiped at the right location—much as the Jews, in like manner, placed their confidence in Jerusalem. “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship” (John 4:20). Furthermore, she put confidence in the Samaritans’ syncretistic doctrines (see 2 Kings 17:33–34). After hearing her, Jesus set the record straight that she had no idea what the Samaritans were worshiping, and He explained that salvation was of the Jews. He also set the record straight about location. “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father” (John 4:21).
It is human nature to hold confidence in heritage, doctrines, and location while missing the big picture. Not only were the Samaritans in error—so were the Jews in placing too much confidence in the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. The Jews also showed confidence in their heritage when proclaiming Moses as their spiritual father. Jesus told them, “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust” (John 5:45). Moses is truly a giant figure in the biblical narrative, but the Jews missed the big picture of who was behind Moses.
Notice their boast in Moses when seeking a sign from Jesus: “Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (John 6:31). But Jesus reminded them of what should have been obvious—that it was not Moses who saved the children of Israel, but the Rock, who followed Israel in the wilderness, who gave them manna. Further, it was God the Father—not Moses—who was giving them Christ as the true source of life. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world’” (vv. 32–33). The Jews also placed their confidence in many humanly devised doctrines (Mark 7:6–9). It is sad that, even today, some who consider themselves Christians are still drawn to various Jewish rituals that Christ condemned.
We see that both the Jews and the Samaritans of Jesus’ day looked to heritage, location, and doctrine as their ways to connect with God. But Christ taught a lesson for all time and for all people. We do not need to go far in today’s world to see parallels. I was once asked to speak with the parents of some young people attending with us. The parents knew little about the Bible and could not defend what they believed, but neither were they ready to admit that they were in error, so they kept coming back to their confidence: We can trace our church back to Peter through a continuous line of popes. Why can’t you do the same? My reply was that we can trace the Church and its doctrines through history, but their leaders had killed ours. They were shocked, and I had to explain to them the Inquisition and other aspects of their church’s history. Nevertheless, they kept confidence in their “heritage,” even though they were only nominal members of their church.
Back at the Well
Jesus explained to the Samaritan woman that “the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23–24). What did Christ mean by this?
The mainstream “Christian” denominations accept many humanly devised doctrines—some coming directly from pagan philosophical roots but with the name “Christian” slapped on them. But when Jesus told us to worship God in truth, He left no room for lying doctrines such as Christmas, Easter, the immortal soul, common misconceptions of heaven and hell, and Sunday as a substitute for the biblical Sabbath. Our doctrine must be found in the truth of Scripture. So, what about spirit?
The word spirit in 2 Corinthians 11:4 and John 4:24 is from the Greek pneuma and is generally understood to mean “air” or “wind”—though it has broad applications. We must be careful not to pick and choose meanings from Strong’s Concordance, thinking we are Greek or Hebrew experts when we do not understand the nuances of the languages. While linguists can sometimes give helpful guidance, even they do not always agree on a meaning. Regarding these verses, pneuma is almost always translated as spirit and does not give us understanding beyond that. However, let us consider an instructive passage:
Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? (1 Corinthians 10:18–22).
If we extrapolate this to so-called “Christianity,” we see that there are different spirits behind the different denominations. Jesus warned that many would come claiming His authority, declaring that He is the Christ, and will deceive many (Matthew 24:4–5). And God depicts mainstream Christianity as a great harlot with harlot daughters (Revelation 17:1–5). So, what then is the right spirit?
Two Spirits
Paul explains that there are two very different spirits at work in the world. There is “the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” That spirit directs “the course of this world,” and it is evidenced by “the lusts of our flesh” and in “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Ephesians 2:2–3).
The evidence of that spirit is “the works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19–21), and Paul contrasts those works with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Paul faulted the brethren for accepting a different spirit, the focus of which was radically different from the Spirit of Christ. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (vv. 22–23).
The emphasis of our Sabbath services is on growing “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). And, as Paul did, we declare “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). We receive instruction not only on the person of Christ, but on how we can change our behavior to be more like His and can better follow His example of doing the Work of God (John 4:34).
In our sermons, we open the Bible and present a learning environment that is missing in worldly churches. Paul explained the purpose of this to Timothy, writing, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
The spirit of our worship is different from that of the denominations of this world. Some denominations are very formal and filled with an abundance of elaborate rituals with little biblical instruction. Charismatics have lively emotional services as they attempt to “stir up the spirit”—either humanly worked up or otherwise—so they can speak in gibberish. Others focus on entertainment, with bands playing “Christian Contemporary” or “Christian Rock” music. There are also the happy, clappy services with arms waving, “Amen” echoing, and tears flowing. There is something for everyone, and they all display a different spirit. If you have never been part of a mainstream denomination, you likely cannot fully appreciate the difference between these denominations and the Church of God.
Yes, there are Bible study groups that gather to study Scripture, but these are often gatherings where participants express personal opinions with little or no leadership or guidance—and that is a problem. People in such groups are often very familiar with the Bible but miss the mark of truth.
Sincerity and Truth
Writing about the Days of Unleavened Bread, Paul admonished the Corinthian brethren to “keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). Many individuals in mainstream denominations are deeply sincere, but they lack truth. And this brings me to the matter of God’s Church.
It can be easy for us to focus and rely upon our own heritage, location, and doctrines. Following the apostasy of the Worldwide Church of God—now ancient history for many—some members refused to leave that organization even though they could recognize doctrinal apostasy. Why? “Because this is where God called me”—trusting in heritage. Some believe that their ticket into the Kingdom, or at least into a place of safety, is being in the “right Church of God”—trusting in location. However, the more prevalent error we can make is trusting in doctrine: the Sabbath, the Holy Days, clean and unclean meats, the purpose for our existence, heaven and hell, law and grace, and more. For far too many, keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days is the only criterion for a true Christian.
Please do not misunderstand me. The heritage of God’s Church is important. Location is also important, as different groups have very different focuses—those who say “we are all the same” must consider why they have chosen to be where they are. That choice is not insignificant—is it just based on friends and family, or on something more?
Finally, doctrine is vitally important, as we must worship God in truth. But merely “having” the right doctrine is not the whole story. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus focused His comments on what is most important: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” And He continued with this vital point: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). This passage inspired our hymn entitled “By This Shall All Men Know,” for though Jesus’ command to love one another was not new (Leviticus 19:18), to love one another as Jesus has loved us takes the command to a new level. We must live not only by the letter of the law, but also by its spiritual intent—which is not easy (Matthew 5:20–48).
What Do People See in Us?
What spirit do people encounter when they walk into Living Church of God services? Do they hear members gossiping about one another? Or do they find genuine love, affection, and support among us? Do they find us warm and friendly, or cold and standoffish? Each congregation is different, just as the seven churches of Revelation each had their own personalities, but their examples indicate that there were challenges and problems to overcome. Nevertheless, Jesus’ words still stand: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” So, we must ask, Is love what people see in me and in the congregation I attend? If not, why not?
Many years ago, I knew a family that was just quietly serving in the way they could. When their name would come up in casual conversation, you often heard something like, “They were the first people in the Church to invite us to their home for dinner.” They were not seeking recognition—just living the fruits of the Spirit, obeying one of the last instructions Jesus gave His disciples: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:12–13).
Brethren, love is more than a feeling—it is an action that may or may not be accompanied by feelings. It is often what we do when it is not convenient or pleasant. This is laying down our life—putting others’ needs ahead of our personal desires. Paul wrote, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:25–26). And he explained that “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). This is key—yielding to the Spirit of Christ living in us.
The Corinthian brethren had many problems, as we see in Paul’s letters. There was drunkenness and gluttony at the Passover, infighting over whom to follow, a lack of financial support, sexual immorality, and a lack of respectful appreciation for the man whom God used to bring the Gospel to them. Paul was noticeably unsure about some of the Corinthians. Perhaps the Jews there were relying too much on their heritage. Others may have put their confidence in having one of the larger congregations—location. Still others may have trusted in having doctrines based in truth. Whatever the case, they no doubt saw themselves as secure in their calling, though some were clearly in great peril. That is why Paul warned, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
A most insightful lesson is found in the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31–46). What is most profound is that neither group sees itself as it truly is. The goats think they are fine, but they are not—because they think of those beneath them as unimportant. The sheep, by contrast, see everyone as worthy of their time, effort, and concern. But whether people are sheep or goats, the grandiose things they do are not what distinguish them, but rather the little ways they treat others. May we all take time—indeed, make time—to love one another in word and in deed.