I can’t remember who, but it was said that “Religion is man’s attempt to reconcile himself
to God - Jesus can be said to be Anti-Religion." The truth though, it is God Himself who has reconciled Himself to man.
Without Him man can do absolutely nothing.
These notes are from Matthew 23 (verse 15) which is on an issue that is a
bother to me…
The NASB reads: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,
because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he
becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
I. Two
points to bring out:
1. There are phony teachers / religionists that hunger
for converts;
2. There are phony teachers / religionists that
are fanatical in evangelism; they will do anything, brave the world to convert one
individual.
II. There are serious problems with their enthusiasm:
These are missionaries of a false
religion. They were reaching people for a man-made religion, not
bringing these converts to a personal relationship with God but to their own ideas of religion.
They were doubling the damnation of these converts. They went
after the God-fearing and devout people that were showing an interest in Judaism. Some
were so pleased that when they did convert, they became extremely
zealous for Judaism. They would would be so indoctrinated that
they became fanatics, more devoted then the Jews themselves. False
teachers caused these converts to heap damnation upon themselves.
III. Is there a lesson to be learned from the “zeal” of the Scribes and
Pharisees in evangelism?
1) Their willingness to go. We, who know the
truth, are unwilling to go. Where is our zeal to reach people?
2) They were willing to go anyplace. Travel
worldwide to reach just one convert; Where is our willingness to go even around the corner; at the work place; to the down-trodden and present Good News of The Merciful God? Are we afraid?
IV. What about today, is the true message of salvation through Jesus really being peached, or is it being white washed with an "attractive" gospel? False teachers and preachers are not only damning themselves but are heaping damnation on their converts.
V. True religion does not become corrupted with false beliefs. It holds to the purity of the gospel to the Word of God. It will not focus on form and ritual and ceremony. It will focus only on the power of God, for it is the power of God that will change lives; it reaches out to change people's lives by visiting them.
True pure religion does not become morally corrupt; it will not become entangled with the affairs and pleasures of this world. True religion stirs the people to separate themselves from the things of this world that arouse their fleshly desires and cravings. True believers of true religion keep themselves unspotted from the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life—all of this world. This is a necessary preparation if a person is to conquer the temptations and sins of this world.
(James 1:27)
