33. Heartfelt Religion

SERMON 33.

HEARTFELT RELIGION

Jewish Religion

Mormon Religion

Christian Religion

For the past one hundred years, perhaps, there has been more talk on heartfelt religion, and less understood about the religion of Jesus Christ, than any other subject among the children of men.

So far as the expression, "heartfelt religion," is concerned, it is not found in the word of God. But, judging from the continued talk upon that subject, one would conclude that it is taught in nearly every chapter from Genesis to Revelation.

A thorough investigation of the Bible on the subject of religion will be beneficial to many. The word, religion occurs only five times in the New Testament; the word "religious" only twice. Neither word is found in the entire writings of the Old Testament.

In (Acts 26:5 we find Paul speaking of the Pharisees religion. In Galatians 1:12-13 twice he speaks of the Jews' religion; in James 1:26 he speaks of a vain religion, and in James 1:27 he tells us plainly what pure and undefiled religion before God is. In the five times the word religion is mentioned in the Bible, w e find it is applied to a different system each time, and may have different meanings. Therefore, we conclude that the word "religion" is a term indefinite standing alone, and must have some word prefixed to tell us what kind of religion is meant. So far, I would define religion to mean any system of faith and practice, and may be applied to any system of religious belief, whether it be human or divine. So the word religion must always be preceded by some word to tell what kind of religion is meant. This thought being true we are forced to the conclusion that each system of religion has its standard of government by which people become religious. When people become religious by one standard in no sense can we measure them by any other standard and find them religious.

To illustrate: A Mormon minister goes into a community and lays down the Mormon standard of religion. One hundred people hear him, believe him, and become religious by his standard. Every time they are measured by the Mormon standard of religion they are found to be religious. But let a Jewish Rabbi go to the same place, and lay down the standard of the Jews religion, and measure them by it. Not one of them will be found religious, because they are measured by the wrong standard. Let a Christian minister come with the New Testament and measure not only the one hundred Mormons, but the Jewish Rabbi also. None of them will be religious because they are measured by a different standard. Let a Methodist minister come into any community and lay down the twenty-five articles of faith of the Methodist church, and have one hundred additions to that church. Every time they are measured by that standard they are found to be religious. But let a Baptist minister try to measure them by his eighteen articles of faith, and not one of them will be found religious.

Leave off the twenty-five articles of faith that make Methodists, and the eighteen articles of faith that make Baptists and preach nothing but the Bible and let the people become religious by it, and they will be Christians—nothing more, nothing less.

Then the serious question should come to all: By which standard will I be measured at the last day? If we are to be measured by the divine standard, how essential it is for us to become religious by that standard! Becoming religious by a human standard will not make us religious when measured by the standard God has given for us to be measured by at the last day.

Many honest people have mistaken religion for Christianity, and believe themselves to be Christians when they have only become religious by a human standard, and can not be measured by it in the judgment.

With these thoughts before us—that religion is what a man believes and practices, we are prepared to affirm that such a thought as getting religion is not taught in the word of God. Religion is something a man can do—not some mysterious, incomprehensible thing he can get. From the time that the thought of "getting" religion was introduced until the present time, it has been deceptive and misleading. It discourages Bible reading, builds upon emotional power altogether, and dishonors God. The young are taught that it makes no difference what a man believes about the Bible, just so he "gets" religion. Some are taught that they can get religion today, lose it tomorrow, and get it again the next day. Others are taught that when they once get it they can never lose it. One is taught that if he gets religion he must be baptized only by immersion, because he has religion; and another is taught that if he has "got it" sprinkling and pouring will do as well. So we see the many erroneous ideas that grow out of this one false idea that religion is something to get, instead of something to do.

We now come to examine the phrase "heartfelt religion," and ask, does the Bible teach it, and do my brethren believe it? The charge has often been made that we do not believe in heartfelt religion. Let us learn what the Bible teaches on that subject, then we can answer you what we believe. Before examining what the heart feels, it may be well to examine what the heart is. Certainly we can find out what the heart is by what the heart does.

• In Matthew 9:4 we are taught that man thinks with his heart.

•  

• In Matthew 13:15 we read that man understands with his heart.

•  

• In Romans 10:10 man is said to believe with his heart.

•  

• Matthew 22:37 says man loves with all his heart.

• In Romans 6:17 man is said to obey from his heart a form of doctrine that makes him free from sin.

We have learned that with the heart man thinks, understands, believes, loves, and obeys. So when my brethren go out to convert men, they begin to reason with them, and get them to think of heaven and all its glory, of themselves, and of their departure from the home of God. We show them how, by transgression, they have wandered away from God, and that should they die in sin Jesus has taught that they can not live with Him. After arousing their hearts to think, we then, in the second effort, begin to show them that God has opened up a way of salvation by which they can come back to God and be saved. In doing this we preach the story of the cross, get them to hear the invitation of the Son of God, and to understand the divine will. After they understand what God requires at their hands we then reason with them that with all their heart they should believe what God has commanded them to believe. We show from the law and the prophets why Jesus had to die. We prove by the witnesses who surrounded His grave, that Jesus rose from the dead. When testimony enough has been introduced to cause them to believe, our next effort is to arouse their will and cause them to obey. We teach them that all acceptable obedience grows out of the heart of love, and that we are taught to love God with all our heart (Matthew 22:27).

Then we present some motive to get them to love God with all their heart, strength, and soul. We show that the life of Jesus was one of love; that He is the moving power of the whole spiritual system. We wander back, as it were, to the time when Israel were oppressed and strangers in a foreign land. There we take the many promises made and prophecies given, showing what Jesus would do when He came. All through prophecy we search, and find His coming and the many things He would do foretold From His cradle to His grave we find the prophets talking of Him—even telling of His fight with death, and how He should conquer.

After this we take up His life among the hills of Judea, and see Him as He wandered there. At the age of thirty we see Him coming to John the Baptist to be baptized by him. Then we see Him as He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the deaf to hear. We see Him as the waiting multitude sat on the shore, to hear the wonderful words that fell from His lips. We see Him as He walks upon the waters, and the wind and sea obey his voice. We see him as He stands by the grave of a departed friend, and calls him back to life. The dead hear His voice and live again. We see Him as He commands the condemned spirit of the wicked to keep silent, and they at once recognize Him as the Son of God. We see Him as the officers go to arrest him, and return and proclaim, "Never man spake like this man.'' We see Him, with His disciples, eating the last supper on earth before He was crucified; while the leaders of the nation were plotting to take Him. We see Him betrayed by one who had followed after Him. and see wicked men come to take His life away. We see His dearest friends become afraid, depart, and leave Him alone. We see Him in the judgment had, and His life taken away. We see Him condemned, hanging between heaven and earth, and perhaps the very vaults of the underworld rang with exclamations of joy to think of the Son of God must die, while the heavens were draped in mourning, and the sun refused to give its light.

Finally, He was placed in the tomb, and the keepers were on guard. On the third morning the angels rolled the stone away, and Jesus came as a conqueror over death and the grave, planting the rose of immortality upon the same.

All this, dear friend, shows the love God has for us. Do you love him ? If true he promises to make you free from sin. I call attention to an obedience from the heart. In speaking to the brethren at Rome, Paul says: "Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18).

Then, certainly, this is a religion of the heart.

Man thinks, understands, and believes laws—obeys them. What more heart work do we want? Of course the obedience includes all things Jesus has commanded us to do.

This, dear friend, is the religion taught in the word of God, and is what He commands you and me to do.

Can you give any reason why you have not obeyed the requirements?

Why not be saver) ? Why not accept his offered mercy now ?