Inward or Outward Religion?

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This, then,  is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’” Matthew 6:5-10

Clearly one thing that God hates is hypocrisy, claiming one thing about yourself but not actually doing it.  In the gospels, the group that Jesus is repeatedly criticising is the Pharisees.  They dressed up in their religious uniform, paraded around the towns telling people the law of God, but failed to recognise that they were falling far short of its standards.  The practice of prayer is certainly no guarantee that a person is pleasing God.

The emphasis of Jesus is that God wants a genuine relationship with all people.  Prayer, which is a mainstay of this relationship is to be personal and private, not done for show.  Some people have great gifts of oratory and their public prayers sound so accomplished but God is only looking at our hearts.  True worship must be the subordination of myself before the one God revealed by Jesus Christ.

We should seek the favour of God and him alone.  A good reputation amongst other people counts for nothing.  Great oratory counts for nothing.

When we do pray we must acknowledge that we live for the honour and reputation of our heavenly Father.  It is his name that is to be hallowed or respected, not mine.  It is his kingdom that matters not mine here on earth.  I am here to do God’s will on earth, just as it is God’s will that is obeyed in heaven.

We must beware of outward religion.  How easy it is to think that because I have enjoyed a good sing song, using religious words that I am worshipping.  What a tragedy it is for so many churches to say that their services are worship.  Worship is demonstrated by the way we live our whole lives.  The Bible teaches this clearly,

“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.”

God sees through our emotions and excitements to what is really going on in our minds.  In his final letter to Timothy before his execution, Paul reminds his prodigy about false religion,

“ ‘The Lord knows those who are his.’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’ ” 2 Timothy 2:19

In Isaiah’s time people thought they were worshipping God by going to the temple, singing hymns to him and offering him valuable sacrifices.  outwardly they appeared to be worshipping but the Lord did not see it that way.  Isaiah said,

“Hear the word of the LORD . . . ‘The multitude of your sacrifices - what are they to me?’ says the LORD. ‘I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals.  I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.  when you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, the trampling of my courts?  Stop bringing meaningless offerings!  Your incense is detestable to me.  New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations - I cannot bear your evil assemblies. . . When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer any prayers, I will not listen. . . Take your evil deeds out of my sight!  Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”

Those people thought that outward religious activities, even if emotionally uplifting, should not be seen as worship.  True worship is a lifestyle which reflects the rule of Christ in all our life, twenty four hours a day and seven days a week.  What God wants is changed hearts.

Whilst a cardiologist was performing a cardiac ultrasound he said to the patient,

“Now let’s see what you have in your heart.  Some people have Jesus living there.”