True or False Religion–How can we tell?

How can we tell what is true or false religion? If people come to church regularly and give money in the offering plate, are they religious? If they give to the poor or charitable organizations, are they devout? Is true religion determined by our traditions? Is it measured by our sacrifices of time and money? Find out in today’s Bible study.

Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Mark 7; Matthew 15:1-31

False religious leaders seem super spiritual

In today’s Bible reading, the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law (meaning the Laws of Moses) certainly seem religious. What they show themselves to be, however, is different than who they are. To establish themselves as more righteous than ordinary Jews, they added their own traditions to their religious law. The Laws of Moses are the moral laws, legal rules, and ceremonial guidelines found in the books of Leviticus–Deuteronomy. Although there is nothing in the Law about washing hands, utensils, dishes, and cooking kettles before eating, the Pharisees added the tradition to be more spiritual. Now they require the Jews to do this. We might argue, “So, what is wrong with that? The practice of washing hands and dishes is healthy.” That is not the issue. The issue is their heart, not their hands. Jesus explains,

What comes out of a man is what makes him “unclean.” For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man “unclean” (Mark 7:23, NIV).

Some believe sacrifices of time, money, or efforts given in the name of God or the church make us righteous—they show how generous and committed we are. However, only Jesus Christ can make us right with God (more…). Attendance to our relationship with God must come first. In the past, the Jews offered the daily-prescribed animal sacrifices to God. However, their outward obedience meant nothing because they were evil. The LORD said to them, “ … I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6, NIV). We should be making sacrifices because of our commitment to God, not to demonstrate our commitment to others. In Jesus’ continuing argument against the religious leaders, he quotes a famous prophet,

Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men (Mark 7:6-8, NIV).

False religious leaders pervert the truth

Jesus says his Father in heaven desires true worship, and that starts with obedience. He then gives an example of a command which was being set aside for the sake of religion. The Pharisees taught that it is acceptable to set aside the commandment to “honor your parents” by making charitable gifts to the synagogues. By their traditions, the Pharisees were teaching the people to violate one of the ten commandments. Moses wrote, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12, NIV). This disobedience filled the purses of the religious leaders, not the needs of their parents. Unfortunately, similar things are done today in American society. Much is preached about giving to the church and other religious organizations. Yet, little is preached about giving honor to aging parents by taking care of them. As a result, many people go to church and give their tithes and offerings, hoping for a blessing in return. However, they do not help their family members who need it the most. We should not neglect the church, but neither should we ignore our families. It has been well said that we can best judge a person’s character by what they do privately. Do we just display an appearance of righteousness, or are we really godly? These Pharisees are haughty, not humble. They are greedy, not gracious.

True religion expresses itself in humble faith

In our Chronological Bible reading, stories of humility follow the account of the hypocritical, self-righteous Pharisees and Teachers of the Mosaic Law. A Syrian Phoenician woman, and the friends and family of sick people in the Decapolis area, east of the Jordan River, need help and healing. They know they do not deserve God’s grace. They beg Jesus to heal their loved ones, and he does. They are humble, and yet they have faith in Jesus to heal. Humility and genuine faith please God. True worship is an expression of our faith, and our belief results in obedience, kindness, and good works. Discussion What are some signs of having a true or false religion? </p>