Self-Glorifying Cover-Up Religiosity

I think I start most of my blogs like this… “I have not blogged in a while..” Which is again true for this post.  But I love writing (blogging) especially about my reflections on God’s Word. I just have not had the time to do so. Anyway, today I read Luke 11:37-53.  In that passage, Jesus was in the midst of religious leaders and He rebuked them of their various sins. I thought this passage was especially striking because this passage reminds me of myself and my own salvation story.

I am a pastor’s kid and for the longest time I had the unconscious, perhaps conscious, thought that I am saved because I am a “good child.”  I did not steal, I did not curse, I went to church every Sunday, I read my Bible, I prayed — name the religious thing to do, I did it. Now it is interesting that about four years ago, my eyes were opened to my own hypocrisy and “woes” as Jesus said in the passage I just read.  I was simply doing religious things while I was rotting inside and earning my way to hell, because my “good works” were simply filthy rags in God’s sight.  My parents’ faith could not save me. Church attendance could not save me. Simply being outwardly religious COULD NOT save me.

From the passage, Jesus names what kind of things the religious leaders were doing that were still earning them their condemnation such as outward cleansing, meaningless rituals, pride, deceitful, misusing Scripture, neglecting justice and the love of God. The religious leaders showed-off their cleanliness by washing their hands, not for hygienic purposes, but to show off that they are washing off their contamination when they touched anything unclean.  They had other meaningless rituals which were also ways of showing off how “good” and “clean” and “moral” they are.  They all sought the praises of other people.  They did all those things so they can say that they are better than everyone else.  They did these things to cover up their rotting souls.  They were all for making themselves feel good.  They misused Scripture and added other rituals and requirements, which Jesus condemned.

Out of all the things that Jesus named, the ones that I think stuck out to me and summarizes everything is verse 42; it says,

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God.” (ESV)

This means they followed the Law and they did everything that is right in their own eyes but neglected the most important commandments — love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself.  Now we cannot do any of these without God’s transforming power and the help of the Holy Spirit in our lives, both of which only true followers of Christ have.  By God’s grace, I know firsthand the difference between practicing false and true spirituality/religion.  Praise God that He did not give up on such a selfish hypocritical rotten sinner and gave me grace that I will never ever deserve.  I hope this encourages people and also wakes up other people who might be in the position that I was in years ago. This does not mean that I am now perfect, but my God is working in me everyday.

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