Spirituality vs Religion: What Jesus Really Meant in John 4
Many believers still confuse religious performance with spiritual connection. We go to church, we pray, we serve—yet feel dry, disconnected, and unseen. But in John 4, Jesus offers us a revelation that disrupts every religious box we've been taught to stay in. This isn’t about which denomination is right. It’s about what God is actually seeking. Here's what I discovered while studying Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman—and how it redefined my walk with God.
In John 4, Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well wasn’t just a casual conversation—it was a revelation. A shift from religion to spirituality. A divine interruption to our obsession with external rituals and places of worship. This story holds a key that unlocks what God is truly seeking from us—and it has little to do with what religion has made us believe.
"The hour is coming—and now is..."
Let’s go straight to the verses that stood out to me:
“Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
— John 4:21-24 (ESV)
Jesus was telling her—and telling us—that God isn’t looking for religion. He’s looking for relationship.
He isn’t looking for people who just follow rituals, rules, and routines. He’s seeking hearts that are aligned with Him in spirit and in truth. Not just those who go to church, or pray at a certain time, or belong to the “right” denomination. But those whose spirit is in genuine communion with Him and whose lives are aligned with the truth of who Jesus is.
What Is "Worship in Spirit"?
Worshiping in spirit means connecting with God from the depths of your being—your spirit man. Not through a performance. Not through a religious checklist. But through intimacy, surrender, and authenticity.
When I wake up at 5 a.m. to pray, it’s a religious act. But it only becomes a spiritual one when it is driven by love, understanding, and desire to commune with God—when I do it because I want to honor Him in stillness and receive His Spirit, not because someone told me it's the right time to pray.
Going to church every Sunday is also a religious act. But is it done from habit, or from a deep knowing that “where two or more are gathered, I am there” (Matthew 18:20)? Am I going because I’ve seen God move there? Or because it’s the "right" thing to do?
Spirituality is not the act—it’s the why behind the act.
And What About "Truth"?
Worshiping in truth means worshiping based on the Truth—Jesus Christ.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
— John 14:6 (NIV)
The truth is not a doctrine. It’s not a religion. It’s a person: Jesus Christ.
So when I say that God is seeking worship in truth, it means He’s seeking worship rooted in faith in Jesus—faith in His finished work on the cross, His teachings, His love, and His role as our mediator to the Father.
The Real Foundation of Spirituality: Faith
Later in John 4, the Samaritan woman runs back to her town and tells everyone about Jesus:
“He told me everything I ever did!”
— John 4:39
Her testimony sparked faith in others. They believed because of her experience—and then they believed even more when they encountered Jesus themselves:
“They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’”
— John 4:42
That’s the power of real spirituality—it spreads through testimony. Through encounter. Through word of mouth. That’s how belief is born. Faith is not blind. It's built on something—on testimony, on witness, on a real interaction with Jesus.
Even the official whose son Jesus healed had to believe the word spoken before the miracle could manifest (John 4:50). Everything comes back to faith.
“According to your faith, let it be done to you.” — Matthew 9:29
So… Is Religion Useless?
No. Religion becomes powerful when it is built on true spirituality. When it flows out of spirit and truth.
Religion is the form. Spirituality is the fire.
Religion is the discipline. Spirituality is the devotion.
You can pray every morning and still be disconnected from God. Or you can pray from a place of surrender and ignite heaven.
You can attend church every Sunday and still not know Jesus. Or you can go weekly, aware that the presence of God is meeting with His people there—and let that renew your soul every time.
The danger isn’t in religion. It’s in empty religion—acts without relationship. Routine without revelation.
Final Thoughts
Religion without spirituality is powerless.
Spirituality without truth is deceptive.
True worship is spirit-led and truth-rooted.
Jesus didn’t come to start another religion. He came to restore relationship. To teach us how to connect with God from the inside out. From our spirit, based on the truth of His Word.
So when you wake up to pray…
When you open your Bible…
When you go to church…
Ask yourself:
Is this a performance, or is it worship?
Is this ritual, or is it revelation?
Because God is Spirit.
And those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.
If this reflection stirred something in your spirit, share it with someone who’s been wrestling with their faith walk. And if you’re ready to go deeper into the mysteries of the Word,
🕊️ Stay anchored in spirit and truth,
Joy.