“But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

The implication is clear. The redeemed spirit can now enjoy a union with God that is close and intimate. It is the spirit alone, however—not the soul or the body—that can experience this direct, intimate union with God.

It is primarily through the act of worship that our spirits enter into this union with God. In John 4:23–24, Jesus said:

“The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.… God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Jesus made it clear that true worship must be an activity of our spirits.

In the contemporary church, there is little understanding of the nature of worship, mainly because we do not discern the difference between the spirit and the soul. Worship is not entertainment—that belongs in the theater, not the church. Nor is worship the same as praise. We praise God with our souls, and it is right to do so. Through our praise we have access to God’s presence. But once we are in His presence, it is through worship that we enjoy true spiritual union with Him. To be able to worship God in this way is the goal of salvation—first on earth, then later in heaven. It is the highest and holiest activity of which a human being is capable. Worship, however, is possible only when the soul and the body come into submission to the spirit and in harmony with it. Such worship is often too profound for words. It becomes an intense and silent union with God.

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What is the difference between obeying God under the law and obeying God under grace? The ultimate purpose of both is obedience to God, but this obedience is accomplished in different ways. To illustrate this point, let’s look at a simple commandment given in both the Old Testament, under the law of Moses, and the New Testament, in one of the epistles. The exact words are used, and they apply whether we are under the law or under grace.

In the Old Testament, God was speaking through Moses to Israel, and He said:

“For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45)

In context, “being holy” means that you have to keep a set of extremely complicated rules, which are delineated in great detail throughout the remainder of the book of Leviticus. In this case, holiness is attained by the methods of legalism: “Do this. Don’t do that.”

The New Testament passage is addressed to Christians who have accepted Jesus’ redemption on their behalf:

“As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14–16)

The quotation is taken from Leviticus, so does that mean Peter was telling us that we must observe all the Old Testament rules about animal sacrifices and mildews and bodily fluids? Obviously not. So, he must expect something different. The holiness of the law says, “I have to keep all these rules.” The alter

Declaring God's Word

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