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The Case against Religion

Words of Faith Final

The Case against Religion
Words of Faith 7-16-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Romans 2
    You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. [2] Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. [3] So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? [4] Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

       Paul has clearly made the case against sinful humanity: you are without excuse.  But what about religious people? Aren't religious people better?  A cut above?  Particularly the Jew who has the Law?  Is the Jew not in a position to look down upon the fallen world?  Chapter 2 begins to make the case against religion.
       One thing that religious people seem to have in common is that they judge others.  Religion, by its very nature, draws lines of separation based upon human activities and rituals.  Religious hierarchies delineate who is closer to God based upon piety or ritual activities. Even meditative or contemplative religion, which claims to be non-judgmental, stakes a claim against all others who do not contemplate in a like manner.  
        Paul says this is all hogwash.  That is not the exact translation of the Greek but it is his clear sentiment as we shall see. Paul makes it clear: no one is without excuse, even the religious.  And no one stands in a position to judge others.  When we consider the seventeen specific acts of sin named by Paul (envy, murder, strife, deceit malice, gossip, slander, God-hate, insolence, arrogance, boasting, invented evil, disobedience to parents, senselessness, faithlessness, heartlessness and ruthlessness) as common among the depraved pagans of the world, we quickly realize that most of these are extremely common among the religious!
       It is little wonder that the world rejects religion as sheer hypocrisy.  The truth we will discover in Romans is that the Law has no power to transform us into what God designed us to be; the Law only has the power to reveal how far we fall short.
         This is true in any religious system, including Christian religious orders.  Rituals cannot transform us.  Recited prayers will not change our hearts.  Religious knowledge through the study of theology and the Bible cannot redeem us.  Even communion and baptism, precious gifts that they are, cannot save us.  The sacramental works of the church are just that—works of the church—and cannot bring us closer to God.
         Paul asks a question of the religious, "What makes you think you will escape God's judgment?"  There are all sorts of religious answers to this question, but the truth reveals that we are all under God's judgment.  There is no solution that we can offer from within ourselves.  
        The best that we can do is to think that because we are religious, he will be kind to us, as a sort of "favorite uncle."  Because we are religious people and do religious things, we think that God will overlook our unrighteousness as he judges others. But to think such things is to show contempt for the genuine kindness and patience of God, not realizing that a genuine encounter with his tolerance will lead us to repentance.  Any effort or thought that we have somehow justified ourselves by our religion is a show of contempt to God and His holiness.
         Bottom line?  Those who are lost without God are without excuse.  Those who are lost in religion are without excuse.  And no one is in a position to judge others.  All humanity is without excuse.


          Dear Lord, forgive me for the sin of religious arrogance.  I am lost without You and Your grace.  I am unjustified and broken. Forgive me the sin of judging those lost without You.  Reveal to me in new ways Your grace and truth.  Reveal through me Your gospel of love.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2021 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.