UNITED STATES
A WING AND A PRAYER
Carlin Lawrence carlin@agairupdate.com
True Faith in Jesus Christ Compared to Religious Rituals
Unbelievers and ungodly people can learn how to practice these religious rituals with a false sincerity.
B 26 | agairupdate.com
“For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:15). Salvation into God’s heaven is based totally on a person’s faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Being born again by the Holy Spirit of God and becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus (John 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 5:17); that’s what really counts. “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Religious liturgies, religious rituals, and other religious acts have no power to get a person into God’s heaven. And these religious works have no power to fight the desires of our sinful flesh (Colossians 2:23). Christians are told to do good works (Ephesians 2:10): but to do our works to be seen by other people is a serious sin against God. Religious rituals can be done with no heart desire to serve the Lord. These religious works are often superficial and do not come from the Holy Spirit. Unbelievers and ungodly people can learn how to practice these religious rituals with a false sincerity. It’s easy to go to church and say and do all the right things, but with no inner regard for wanting to serve God. Jesus said of the Pharisees, “They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others…You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 6:5, 23:27-28). Many of our accomplishments and works are
going to go up in a puff of smoke, because so much of what we do is out of a wrong motivation. Paul said that our works will be shown for what they really are, because when our works are judged, God’s righteous judgement will test the quality of each person’s works by fire. Some of Christian’s works will survive God’s test of fire and they will receive their reward. Some Christian’s works will be burned up, but the person will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). There are those who will say to God, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” But Jesus tells them, “I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:22-23). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that when they see your good works they will glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We’re to do our works and service for Jesus Christ in such a way that they bring glory and honor to God, and not to ourself. Don’t seek the honor of man, don’t seek the praise of man; don’t seek the glory of man, but seek to bring glory and honor to God and Jesus Christ! God said, “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images” (Isaiah 42:8). If we do not have a strong faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord, then we’re always trying to work harder to become righteous in God’s eyes by our own works of righteousness. In our struggle to
