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  UNLOVELY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: The sermon highlights the iniquity of sins committed inwardly
by religious people and how this inward sin can lead to unloveliness.

Topics: "Inward Sin", "True Religion"
Scripture References: Matthew 23:27

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer addresses the issue of unlovely religious people, emphasizing
that the sins of the spirit are more severe than those of the body. He
illustrates how Jesus was a friend to publicans and harlots while
opposing the Pharisees, highlighting that religious individuals often
harbor inward sins that are more insidious. Tozer points out that while
careless sinners may express their sins outwardly, religious sinners
tend to conceal their iniquities, leading to a compressed state of moral
tension. This inward sinfulness contributes to the unloveliness observed
in many who practice religion without true heart transformation.
Ultimately, all sin is fatal to the soul unless forgiven and cleansed.

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CONTENT
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Any act gains in power as it moves inward toward the heart. For this
reason, the sins of the spirit are more iniquitous than those of the
body. This was illustrated boldly by the attitude of our Lord toward
these two kinds of sins and the corresponding two classes of sinners. He
was the friend of publicans and harlots and the enemy of the Pharisees.

All sin is sinful and will be fatal to the soul if it is not forgiven
and cleansed away. But for intensity of iniquity, the sins of the spirit
are in a class by themselves. Yet they are the very sins which are most
likely to be committed by religious people.

The careless sinner expresses himself overtly and so "releases" the
moral tension; the religious sinner is not likely so to do. He scorns
outward acts of wickedness and drives his sin inward to the sanctuary of
his soul where it remains in a state of high compression. The notorious
unloveliness of many religious people can be explained in this way.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/unlovely-religious-people/
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