Introduction: Building Right Begins with Knowing Who God Is
Before we talk about what God has done, we must understand what God is. Our doctrine can’t be built on emotion, tradition, or imagination—it must be built on revelation from the Word of God.
One of the first blueprints of the Doctrine of God is this:
“God is a Spirit.”
This isn’t just a poetic phrase—it’s a foundational truth that destroys false worship, rebukes dead ritual, and reveals how we must approach God. If we don’t get this doctrine right, every brick we lay will be crooked.
I. God Is Spirit – The Nature Of The Invisible God
John 4:23-24
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Jesus didn’t say God has a spirit—He said God is a spirit. His nature is spiritual, not physical. We must ALWAYS keep this in mind. He is not physical as we are physical.
This is not just a lesson in worship—it is a revelation of God’s being.
What Does It Mean That “God Is a Spirit”?
To say God is a Spirit means:
- He is not physical—He has no body made of flesh, blood, or bone.
- He is not limited by space, time, or dimension.
- He is immaterial and infinite in being.
- He is not composed of parts or matter like the created world.
God is not in a body. He is not contained in any space. He is Spirit in totality—self-existent, self-sufficient, and all-present.
Deep Doctrine: God’s Invisibility and Simplicity
1 Timothy 1:17
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Colossians 1:15
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
God’s invisibility doesn’t mean He’s hiding—it means His essence transcends our senses. No microscope, telescope, or physical search can find God, because He is not out there in creation—He exists apart from it, yet fills creation completely.
God doesn’t occupy space. He contains it. He is everywhere, not by extension, but by nature.
This also ties into the doctrine of divine simplicity—God is not made up of parts. He is love. He is light. He is spirit. He does not change, shift, or move through space—He simply is.
Warning Against Physicalizing God
Exodus 33:20
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Why? Because no human eye can behold pure, unfiltered glory. God, as He is, is too holy, too radiant, too beyond us.
When the Bible speaks of:
- God’s hands (Psalm 19:1)
- God’s eyes (2 Chronicles 16:9)
- God’s mouth (Isaiah 1:20)
These are human terms used to help us understand God, not because He actually has a physical body—because He doesn’t.
If God were physical, He would be finite. If God could be seen in essence, He would be limited. But God is Spirit—unbounded, unseen, eternal.
True Worship Must Match God’s Nature
If God were a statue, we could bow before wood. If God were confined to a building, we could visit Him. But because God is Spirit—we must approach Him with spirit and truth.
Jesus uses the word must:
“…they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
God doesn’t accept fake worship. He wants the real thing—not empty rituals, cold routines, or religion with no heart behind it.
Your body can kneel, but your spirit must bow. Your mouth can sing, but your heart must mean it. You can show up, but if your soul isn’t engaged, God is not honored.
The Father Is Seeking True Worshippers
Did you catch that?
John 4:23
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
He is not seeking talent. He is not seeking emotional highs. He is not seeking religious activity.
He is seeking truth-filled, spirit-led worship—from the inner man.
God Dwells Not in Temples Made with Hands – He is not Physical
Acts 7:48
Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Because God is a Spirit, He can dwell in you, with you, and among you—not in brick and stone, but in brokenness and truth.
Summary of Deep Truths:
- God is a Spirit — not physical, not visible, not limited
- He is eternal, immortal, and invisible — beyond comprehension
- He cannot be represented by image, ritual, or shrine
- Anthropomorphic language or body parts like hands, eyes, and face is symbolic so we can better understand, not literal
- True worship is spiritual, truthful, and internal
- The Father is actively seeking hearts that worship rightly
When we seek God and want to better understand God, He will help us. We want to worship God correctly. This is why we will study the deep things of God here at this church.
II. This Doctrine Of God Is A Spirit Destroys All Idolatry
Deuteronomy 4:12
And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
No similitude is a visible likeness, form, or physical appearance. You didn’t see anything. No shape, no face, no figure. Why? God is a Spirit. No physical form that can be copied. Any attempt to create a visual image of Him is false and corrupt. God is saying I didn’t show you any image so don’t make one.
Deuteronomy 4:16
Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
At Mount Sinai, God intentionally gave no visible form. The people heard His voice, but saw no shape—no outline, no image, no figure. Why? Because God is a Spirit, and spirits cannot be carved, captured, or crafted. You need to listen closely to this sermon and better understand God today. For example, the Chosen series is an abomination for this reason alone. There are no pictures of Jesus.
To reduce God to an image is to lie about His nature. That’s why idolatry is not just false worship—it’s false doctrine. It misrepresents the invisible, holy, infinite God as something physical, limited, and created. God has no limits. He is infinite and eternal.
An idol says: “This is what God looks like.” But God says: “You saw no similitude—worship Me without images.” No images within a church. No pictures of Jesus. Nothing represents God Almighty.
This is why no cross, no painting of Jesus, no crucifix, no statue, no stained-glass depiction belongs in Biblical worship. Even with good intentions, a man-made image tells a false story about who God is.
Isaiah 40:18
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Acts 17:29
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
God is not physical, so He must be approached spiritually. Idolatry begins when we forget this.
Idolatry doesn’t start with your hands—it starts with a wrong idea about God.
And this doctrine—God is a Spirit—is the hammer that smashes every false image.
You don’t need to see God with your eyes. You need to know Him with your spirit. That’s the worship He’s seeking.
III. A Spirit Fills All Space — God Is Omnipresent
Omnipresent means: God is everywhere at the same time—fully present, fully aware, in every place at once.
In simple terms: There’s no place you can go where God isn’t already there. He’s not limited to a church building, a city, or even heaven—He fills all of creation and is closer than the air you breathe.
Psalm 139:7-8
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
You can’t hide from a Spirit. He fills heaven, earth, and hell. There’s no temple big enough, no mountain high enough, and no darkness deep enough to escape His presence.
Jeremiah 23:24
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
This is not just poetic—it’s doctrinal truth. God is Spirit, so He doesn’t travel from place to place. He is already there, everywhere.
A child might sneak behind a closed door to hide something from their parents. You might lie to your manager, cheat on your taxes, or hide sin in the dark—thinking no one saw it.
But God is already in the room. He sees what no one else sees. You’re never truly alone—not in secret, not in sin, and not in suffering.
His presence is inescapable in sin and unshakable in sorrow. That’s both a warning and a comfort.
If you’re in rebellion—you can’t run from Him. If you’re in despair—you’re not abandoned. God is everywhere because God is a Spirit.
IV. A Spirit Can Dwell Within — He Indwells Believers
1 Corinthians 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Because God is a Spirit, He is not confined to temples, cathedrals, or sanctuaries. In the Old Testament, God’s presence dwelled in the tabernacle and the temple. But now, through the new covenant, His dwelling place is the believer.
God no longer chooses bricks and stones—He chooses hearts and souls.
This is only possible because God is Spirit. He doesn’t need walls or rituals to be near. He lives inside every saved person—guiding, convicting, comforting, and empowering.
John 14:17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
This is not metaphorical—it is literal. The invisible God makes His home in you. You are the living temple where God’s Spirit resides—not part-time, not conditionally—but permanently.
That’s why sin grieves Him. That’s why worship must come from within. That’s why your body matters—it’s sacred ground now.
God is not far off. He is in you.
V. True Worship Must Be Spiritual And Truthful
John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Worship isn’t about form, feelings, or rituals—it’s about truth and spiritual sincerity. God is not impressed by rehearsed prayers, choreographed ceremony, or emotional hype.
That’s why false churches—with their candles, icons, chants, robes, and incense—can be full of activity and completely empty of God’s presence.
God is Spirit, so true worship must come from the inner man, not outward motions.
It must be grounded in truth, not tradition.
Worship isn’t a performance—it’s a response to the real, living God. It flows from a heart that knows Him, a spirit that trusts Him, and a mind grounded in His Word.
If it’s not spiritual and it’s not true—God will not receive it.
VI. But Didn’t People See God In The Old Testament?
Yes—but never in His full essence.
John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Who did they see? The Son—Jesus Christ, before His incarnation—making appearances in visible form. These are known as Christophanies. These are times when Jesus appeared in the Old Testament before He was born in the flesh in Bethlehem.
In simple terms:
It’s when Jesus showed up in visible form—like as a man or the Angel of the LORD—before He became flesh.
These weren’t dreams or visions—He really appeared, but not yet in a permanent body. He wasn’t able to be killed. He wasn’t flesh and blood when he appeared prior to being born in a flesh and blood body.
VII. Jesus Is The Image Of The Invisible God
Hebrews 1:3
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
John 14:9
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Jesus Christ is not just a reflection of God—He is the exact image, the visible and physical expression of the invisible Father. He is not a shadow, a symbol, or a lesser being. He is the full and perfect revelation of the Godhead in bodily form.
He is not “another god.” He is not a created messenger. He is not a part of God. He is God in the flesh.
Colossians 2:9
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Jesus doesn’t just point us to God—He is God. The brightness of His glory means Jesus shines with the full radiance of the divine nature. The express image of His person means He is an exact imprint—like the seal of the King pressed into wax, leaving no difference in shape or essence.
This is why:
- The invisible God can now be known.
- The untouchable God can now be embraced.
- The unapproachable light can now be walked with, talked with, and worshiped face-to-face.
In the Old Testament, God spoke through fire, clouds, and prophets. But in the New Testament, God came Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:15
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Jesus is not a mirror. He is the manifestation. If you’ve seen Him—you’ve seen the Father.
John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Only the Son can reveal the Father—because only the Son fully manifests the nature and glory of the Father in visible form.
Only the Son can reveal the Father—because He is the perfect, visible expression of the invisible God.
People could look at Jesus because God made Himself approachable. He covered His glory in a body—so instead of dying in His presence, we could live through it.
And even now, He still bears that glorified human body—forever the visible image of the invisible God.
“We couldn’t look at God, so God came in a form we could look at—and that is the Lord Jesus Christ who dwelled among us.”
VIII. The Wrestling God In Genesis 32
Genesis 32:30
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Hosea 12:3-5
He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: 4 Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; 5 Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.
Jacob didn’t wrestle a dream, a spirit, or a vision—he wrestled a man. Yet this man is called both “the Angel” and “God.” Hosea confirms it: Jacob had power with God, and that God is identified as the LORD of hosts.
This wasn’t just any angel—it was the Angel of the LORD, the same one who appeared throughout the Old Testament and spoke as God, received worship as God, and bore the very name of God. This was a Christophany—a visible appearance of Jesus Christ before Bethlehem.
Jesus appeared in a temporary, tangible body, not of flesh and blood, but capable of human interaction—wrestling, touching, speaking. He came in this form for a purpose: to confront, humble, and bless Jacob.
He didn’t yet come through Mary, but He came to Peniel. Not to be born—but to wrestle. Not to dwell—but to reveal.
The same Jesus who would one day sweat blood in Gethsemane was the same one who wrestled a patriarch by the brook Jabbok. Jacob limped away—but he also walked away changed. That’s what happens when you encounter God face to face. And there are more of these appearances of Jesus within the Old Testament.
IX. The Incarnation Was Unique And Permanent
The word incarnation means “in the flesh.” It refers to the moment when the eternal Son of God—who is Spirit and has always existed—took on a real human body.
God didn’t send an angel. He didn’t borrow a man’s body. He became man—without ceasing to be God.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Philippians 2:6-7
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Before Bethlehem, Christ appeared in visible form—like the Angel of the LORD or a man—but those were temporary manifestations, not true humanity. But at Bethlehem, He didn’t just appear—He was born.
He became fully man, with real flesh, real blood, and real humanity—while remaining fully God. And that body didn’t vanish. It wasn’t discarded after the resurrection. It is now glorified and eternal. Jesus arose in that body. You won’t find his bones in the ground. He is risen from the dead.
Colossians 2:9
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
That verse is present tense—“dwelleth”—even after the resurrection. Jesus is still God in the flesh—seated at the right hand of the Father in a glorified, resurrected body.
The incarnation wasn’t a moment—it was a miracle that lasts forever.
He didn’t just come like us—He became one of us, to die for us, rise for us, and reign as the visible image of the invisible God—forever.
X. Application – What This Doctrine of God is a Spirit Demands
- No Images in Worship – If God is Spirit, then no object—no painting, no statue, no symbol—can represent Him. To try is to reduce the infinite to the visible, and that’s idolatry.
- True Holiness – Because God is Spirit, He sees beneath the surface. He’s not fooled by outward appearances, religious talk, or public performances.
- Pure Worship – True worship is not about emotion, tradition, or theatrics. It’s not candles, choirs, or cathedrals. It is spirit and truth—an honest heart responding to a holy God.
- Daily Awareness – If God is Spirit and omnipresent, He is with you at all times—in your home, your thoughts, your phone, your private life. You are never unseen.
- Evangelistic Urgency – People imagine God wrongly—we must preach who He really is. We are responsible to confront idolatrous thinking and preach the true and living God—invisible, eternal, and revealed only through Jesus Christ.
Acts 17:23
Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Knowing God is Spirit means we can’t serve Him on our terms—we must serve Him on His.
- Not by sight, but by faith.
- Not by form, but by fellowship.
- Not with statues, but with spirit.
- Not with man’s imagination, but with God’s truth.
Conclusion: The Invisible God Is Always Present
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
To know God rightly, you must know this:
He is Spirit. He’s not an image to carry. He’s not a man to carve. He’s not a statue to kneel before, or a feeling to chase in the air. He is not confined, not contained, and not created.
He is infinite, invisible, eternal, and everywhere present.
And He is seeking those who will worship Him—not with candles and rituals, but with truth in the heart and spirit on fire.
He doesn’t ask for performance—He asks for reality. He doesn’t dwell in buildings—He dwells in you. So let us fall down—not before images, but before the invisible and living God. Let us worship the One we cannot see—because He sees us completely.
One last time here today:
John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
And He is worthy. God is a Spirit. Let’s pray.
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