ARE YOU FOLLOWING A MAN-MADE RELIGION?
BELIEVE IN JESUS RATHER THAN RELIGION
The word “religion” is found five times in the Bible, and the word “religious” twice. In almost every case they are used in association with works, religious ceremonies and rituals, not with faith. There are two gospels being propagated in the world: the gospel of works and the gospel of faith. God says salvation is the result of a work that has been DONE on our behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan teaches that salvation is by DOING works. The real difference between religion and a relationship with Christ is one of spelling. They spell their religion “DO” I spell mine “DONE.”
JESUS IS SOMEONE TO KNOW AND TRUST
Jesus is more than a system, tradition, or belief. He is a Person who knows our needs, feels our pain, and sympathizes with our weakness. In exchange for our trust, He offers to forgive our sins, to intercede for us, and to bring us to His Father. He cried for us, died for us, and rose from the dead to show that He was all He claimed to be. Conquering death, He showed us that He can save us from our sins, live His life through us on earth, and then bring us safely to heaven. “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31).”
RELIGION DOES NOT CHANGE HEARTS
Jesus likened the religious Pharisees to a group of dishwashers who clean the outside of the cup while leaving the inside dirty. He said “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also (Luke 11:39-40),” Jesus knew that a person can change his image without changing his act (Matthew 23:1-3). “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers (Matt. 23:1-3).” Jesus knew that religious credentials and ceremony cannot change the heart. He told one of the most religious men of His day that unless a person is “born again” by the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Yet from that day until now, many of the most religious people in the world continue to forget that while religion can give attention to outward appearance, only Jesus can change the heart.
RELIGION MAKES MUCH OF LITTLE
Jesus spoke to religionists who had a passion for detail when he said, “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue, and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone (Luke: 42).” The Pharisees were externalists. They were meticulous about the smallest detail of the ceremonial law, such as tithing tiny herbs. But they were careless in their relations with God and with man. They oppress the poor and failed to love God. The Lord did not rebuke them for tithing mint and rue, but simply pointed out that they should not be so zealous in this instance and neglect the basic duties of life, such as justice and love for God. They excelled in what could be seen by others but were careless about what only God could see.
RELIGION OFFERS THE APPROVAL OF MEN RATHER THAN GOD
Jesus reserved His strongest criticism for religious people who used their spiritual reputation to get social attention and honors. To such religionists Jesus said, “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogue and greetings in the marketplaces (Luke 11:43).” Then, speaking to His disciples, He said of the Pharisees, “All their works they do to be seen by men (Matt. 23:5).” Jesus saw clearly into the practice of religion, which holds the opinions and attention of man to be more important and desirable than the approval of God.
Also, there are many people who are in religion for what they can get and not for what they can give or how they can be changed. They have never submitted to Jesus Christ. They have joined churches, been baptized, mingling with business associates and gotten into a church for what it can do for them, but they have never repented, and they have never surrendered. Yes, churches are filled with great pretenders.
RELIGION MAKES HYPOCRITES OF US
Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them (Luke 11:44).” Finally, the Lord compared these religionists to unmarked graves. Under the Law of Moses, whoever touched a grave was unclean for seven days (Num. 19:16), even if he didn’t know at the time that it was a grave. The Pharisees outwardly gave the appearance of being devote religious leaders. But they should have worn a sign warning people that it was defiling to come in touch with them. They were like unmarked graves, full of corruption and uncleanliness, and infecting others with their externalism and pride.
RELIGION MAKES A HARD LIFE HARDER
Because religion cannot change a heart, it tries to control people with laws and expectations that are not even kept by the religionists who interpret and apply the rules. With this “burden factor” in mind, Jesus said, “Woe to you also, lawyers (experts in religious law)! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers (Luke 11:46).” Yes, they oppress the people with all kinds of legal burdens but did nothing to help them bear the burdens. Many of their rules were man-made and were connected with matters of no real importance.
RELIGION MAKES IT EASY TO DECEIVE OURSELVES
According to Jesus, the Pharisees prided themselves in honoring and building memorials to the prophets. But the real irony here is that when they met a real Prophet (Jesus) standing in their midst, they wanted to kill Him. The Pharisees didn’t think of themselves as prophet-killers – religionists don’t see themselves as the God-rejecting people they are.
RELIGION HIDES THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE
One of the greatest dangers of religion is that it causes people to be a danger not only to themselves but also to others. To the very religious biblical experts of His day Jesus said, “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter into yourselves, and those who were entered in you hindered (Luke 11:52).” Religionists take away “the key of knowledge” that is, for withholding God’s Word from the people. Though outwardly they professed loyalty to the Scriptures, yet they stubbornly refused to receive the ONE of whom the Scriptures spoke. They also hindered others from coming to Christ.
RELIGION LEADS ITS CONVERTS ASTRY
In Matthew 23:15 Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” The scribes and Pharisees went to unimaginable links to make one convert, but after he was won, they made him twice as wicked as themselves. A modern analogy is the zeal of false cults. One group we know all so well are the JW’s who are willing to knock on hundreds of doors to reach one person for their cause; but the final result is evil.
RELIGIONISTS – BEING SENTENCED TO CONDEMNATION
Finally, Jesus utters these thunderous words to the religionists, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell (Matt. 23:33).” The idea that Israel’s most righteous people, the religious leaders known as the scribes and Pharisees, might be damned by God would have been mind-boggling to everyone. Yet, Christ does not hesitate in His ongoing condemnation of them. He even calls them harsh names: serpents and a brood of vipers. One only needs to understand that snakes served as a symbol of evil throughout Israel’s history (Matt. 3:7; 12:34). It is a solemn reminder that these words of condemnation were hurled at religious leaders, not at drunkards and reprobates but to very religious people.
The religious leaders made a mockery out of following God. They made religion give way to their worldly interests. They did not truly understand God’s ways, and they led others away from God. When Jesus made this thunderous statement, He was not having a temper tantrum. Rather, love guided His actions. Jesus spoke firmly against the religious deceptions of Satan out of a desire for people to know truth and find life in Him.
Look, there are too many people calling themselves Christians who practically know nothing about Christ and don’t have a relationship with Him. Their religion consists of a few vague notions and empty expressions. They think they are no worse than others. They try to do their duty, and they do nobody any harm. They hope God will be merciful to them. They hope that God will pardon their sins and take them to heaven when they die. I know someone who flew to England to get baptized in a certain church (hoping his baptism would save him) but he never reads the Bible or goes to church and never talks about Jesus or anything on God’s Word and when I ask him a biblical question I get this blank stare. Yes, I have relatives that I can put in this category and I’m sure most of you do too – this is about the whole of their religion. It may do very well in the eyes of man, but it will never save their soul – religious but lost.
In closing, let me just say this: Salvation is not a matter of being religious, but it is a personal acquaintance with the Lord Jesus Christ through faith unto repentance. Religions are about following rules and regulations, trying to meet some sort of standard in order to receive a reward – a place in heaven, etc. Contrary to popular belief, this system of “earned rewards” is of no interest to God.
The salvation Christ offers is not a reward for religious effort but a gift to all who put their faith and trust in Him. The real purpose of faith is to bring us into a relationship with God. God created you and loves you so much that He wants you to get to know Him and to spend eternity with Him. It’s not about buildings, rules, priests, ceremonies, sacraments or traditions. It’s all about a relationship and not a religion.
Oscar