Shallow Religion

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 14:35, Then Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD.

Once again, a sad reality of what is seen today. What is even sadder is that there are many who proclaim to know Jesus, but still maintain a very shallow religion, but call it a relationship. The Word of God warns us in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” Saul, rather than take responsibility for being the cause of the people sinning against God, as they were driven to this by his own selfish command, instead tries to mask his guilt with “religious” rituals. We continue to see evidence that his heart is far from the LORD, in spite of his feeble attempts to mask them with his shallow show of dedication to God. In Matthew 15:7-9 Jesus said, “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people draw near Me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” We saw previously that he waited to ask God’s guidance as a last resort. Now, to correct a wrong that originated in his own selfish actions, he builds an altar to the LORD. He rebukes the people for their sinful behavior, yet he clearly overlooks his own. So often we are quick to judge and criticize other people’s sins, and be completely blind to our own. In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Saul’s shallow attempts at portraying that he had a relationship with the Lord yielded him nothing. In verse 37, Saul inquires of the LORD, but this is what the Scriptures tell us, “So Saul asked counsel of God, ‘Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?’ But He did not answer him that day.” So often we play the shallow religion game, but then get upset with God when He refuses to answer our prayers. If we claim to have a relationship with Jesus, but our relationship looks like this, then we must step back and re-evaluate our intimacy with the LORD. Are we just going through the motions, trying to use our relationship with God for our own selfish reasons? Do we use our relationship with the LORD to make ourselves feel better, looking upon others and pointing out their mistakes and sins, while overlooking, and being blind to, our own? God has no interest in having this kind of relationship with us. He wants a genuine relationship with Him, where we obey His commands, not to look religious, but because we love Him (John 14:15). He wants us to be genuinely broken by the sins we commit against Him, repent of them, and confess them (1 John 1:8-10). God is not interested in our shallow religion. He is interested in a genuine relationship. Which are we involved in?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).