“A RELIGION OF FORM”

 “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;”

Matthew 15:8

Out of the billions of people claiming to be Christians, it's not surprising that many of us aren't even believers, to begin with.

In yesterday’s blog, we mentioned that as Christ-followers, we have a true personal relationship with God through Christ.

Here’s our final mark of a hypocrite, which is probably the most dangerous and eternally damning.

Your heart is far from God.

A hypocrite is someone who tells one thing but he doesn’t really believe it. He claims to worship God but He doesn’t.

The Pharisees were masters of lip service. They made a show of devotion to God through their religious services but didn’t really take God seriously. They were more concerned about following their traditions than obeying God. One commentator said,

“They had displaced the true religion of the heart with a religion of form. Therefore their worship was vain and their teachings their own, with nothing of God's authority behind them.”

You’re a hypocrite if you speak big spiritual words and even seem to be praising God, but you don’t honor Christ as you should. You are still that god of you. Like the Pharisees, you disregard God’s word and come up with your own sets of rules and hold them as more important than Scripture. Jesus is not your Lord. You remain the master of your life. You’re still in the driver’s seat. You still call the shots; God is an inconsequential afterthought to you.

Conclusion

In this miniseries, we learned five descriptions of a hypocrite.

• You think highly of yourself.
• You love being praised.
• You undervalue “small sins.”
• You don’t affirm Jesus’ teachings.
• Your heart is far from God.

Truth be told, a hypocrite will be the most miserable person in the last days. Despite the amount of revelation of Christ given him, he will pay no heed. He will be held accountable for his every thought, word, and action. His eternity will be one marked by endless pain, suffering, and separation from God.

I hope none of these things are seen in you. But if there are, it’s not too late. Come to Christ. Let go of your reservations. Leave your life of sin behind. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. He alone can save you.

Pursue the Savior today!