The Mask of Religion

The Mask of Religion

…having a form of godliness but denying its power

Upon repentance, every born-again child of God is filled with the presence and power of God and develops a form or appearance of godliness that identifies and connects them with Christ and His Church. Through the indwelling Spirit’s presence, we are actively inspired to live in an intimate relationship with the Father and His word. Our affections for prayer, Bible study, church gatherings, anointed preaching, being baptized in water, receiving communion, cheerful financial support, volunteering our time, fellowshipping with believers, and practicing other spiritual activities distinguish us as Christians. These external religious activities freely flow from our heartfelt desire to learn and mature in the grace and knowledge of God in a personal way. We hunger for more of God and desire to have the mind of Christ so that we might emulate Him in every way possible. It is a living active relationship with our creator and His loving presence consumes our lives. God has determined that every born-again believer be filled with His Holy Spirit and power so that we are equipped to follow His will and bring glory to His name.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

Now it is very possible to practice the external form or appearance of godliness but not possess the indwelling power of Christ, but it is not possible to possess (be possessed by) the indwelling power of Christ and not manifest the external form of godliness. Form flows from the essence of one’s regenerated life in Christ, but the mask of religion is the form or appearance of authentic Christianity. Having an appearance without power is a denial that God’s supernatural presence and power actively indwell a Christian’s life. Those who practice the external appearance of godliness are mostly convinced there is nothing else beyond the religious form or appearance. In their minds, deception lies with those who insist there is a power that embeds Christ in our hearts. They dismiss the reality that one can commune spirit to Spirit with the Lord. There is a condescending denial that regeneration of the heart and mind into a new supernatural life in Christ holds any spiritual validity. To these powerless replicas of godliness, we who proclaim the tangible indwelling power of God are abruptly rejected as overly emotional fanatics lacking normal and reasonable mental stability.

In 2 Timothy 3:5, the apostle Paul warns Timothy and the church of a time when a form of godliness would emerge within the church world that is void of the true power of Christ. Church history is replete with seasons and times of cold callous hearts only knowing an external appearance of godliness nurtured by the mask of external rituals and ordinances. As it was then and is now, this mere form remains a false creed of religious activity practiced by the unredeemed masses. It is a profession without possession. A religion without repentance. The pretense of redemption without sanctification.

Under the mask of religion we find the identifiable characteristics of a powerless people and are urged to understand the difference:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

All across our nation, the mask of religion is rejecting the authentic power of God. We substitute form for substance and appearance for genuine godliness. We are satisfied with our external religion of which none are sufficient and God rejects. None leads to eternal life.

There is no time to delineate the diverse religious institutions, their doctrinal positions, and denominational distinctions that are mostly about form, rituals, and ordinances. You may attend their services, sign the membership roll, learn their doctrines, and practice their ordinances, but the best they offer is a pretense of godliness. Their sermons are lifeless and their congregations remain dead in their sins and deny the power of Christ. These powerless preachers are experts in the theory of prayer but know nothing of its power to save the lost or heal the sick. They read about the miraculous power of God, but know nothing of miracles. Their church buildings are like mausoleums that house the dead with little chance of resurrection. Their doctrines are entangled and tainted with secular socialism rather than the purity of Scripture. Their pulpits are occupied by religious philosophers rather than Spirit-filled preachers. They baptize the unrepented and offer prayers without expectation. An anointed sermon that urges people to embrace the transforming power of repentance that leads to a new life in Christ is all but extinct.

America is desperate for revival. But there can be no revival without repentance from dead works and sinful behavior. God calls for humility, confession, and repentance, but we are boastful and proud. Christ says, “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30) but people are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, lovers of pleasure and without love for God. We have produced a nation of ungrateful, unholy, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited people.

It is not as though people do not know they are sinning, it is that they do not care. In their minds, there is no burning hell to fear nor eternal punishment awaiting the unrepented sinner. All go to heaven when they die, saints and sinners alike. They all go to church, sing a few songs, listen to a sermon, and then return to their homes unchallenged, unchanged, and unprepared for eternity. In my life, I have seen the unrepented sinners and godless reprobates go to their graves while family and friends say they are in a better place now. How absurd to foster such a thought. Eternal damnation in hell’s fire is not a better place. For the Lord, Himself warned us that no one will see or enter His eternal kingdom unless they are born again John 3:3-5.

Our church world in America is desperate for a heaven-sent heartfelt revival. The pulpits of our churches need Spirit-filled preachers who know and expound God’s word without fear or favor. The mask of religion must be confronted first in the pulpit and then in the pew. We must denounce this deceptive form of godliness for what it is, a useless facade hiding a corrupt and perverse sinful nature so desperately in need of the Savior, Christ the Lord.

Will you pray with me? “Lord send a revival and let the work begin in me!”