LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Monday 2nd June 2025
WHERE DO WE WORSHIP?
Scripture Reading: John 4:1-42
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” John 4:19–20
After Jesus revealed that the woman at the well had had five husbands, she responded differently to Him. She figured out that Jesus was not just a passing Jewish Rabbi. Because of the way the Lord had used supernatural knowledge to describe her life, she concluded that Christ must be a prophet of God.
But instead of confessing her sin and repenting, she threw out an intellectual “red herring.” Could He solve an ancient dispute?
Samaritan religion held that the one place of divinely ordered worship was on top of nearby Mount Gerizim, whereas the Jews said it was on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Who was right in this controversy? Isn’t that interesting? A conversation that began about water now veered to the subject of true worship as a result of revelations about personal conduct.
Many times when the Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin, they try to deflect attention. They would raise a number of argumentative issues. They would ask questions such as, ‘which religion is right?’ or ‘are you telling me all non-Christians will perish in hell?’ That is what the Samaritan woman did after Christ confronted her with the truth about her life.
Be mindful of religious debates when you go out presenting the gospel to people. They are often classic attempts at steering the conversation away from the real issue of conviction and repentance.
Christianity is about having a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not about which religion is right or wrong. God’s invites all to this personal walk with Him regardless of their religious background. This is because Jesus died to save all people.
We don’t experience new life in Christ by winning a religious argument. We experience the life Christ offers when we humbly surrender to Him.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me not to harden my heart when your Holy Spirit convicts me of my sins. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
