The Nature of False Religion – Galatians 6:11-13

Among those who profess to be Christians, there are some whose sincere faith may be in a false Christ. In Apostle Paul’s dire letter to the Galatians, he sternly challenged those who reverted back to the false religion of Judaism, because their focus shifted from Jesus Christ to what was external, with no power, sanctification, or inner transformation. This is a timely message for us all, because we are also prone to reducing faith to works. We should always earnestly examine our hearts to the scriptural standards of faith. As we examine the nature of false religion through the conclusion of Paul’s letter, we must ask ourselves, Am I under the influence of false religion?

False religion distances you from God’s Word. A false Jesus leads you to live under the influence of the damning world. Do you love Scripture? This is the first and crucial sign of the true nature of your faith. The Bible is God’s Word. His Word has power- the power to create the universe into existence and to regenerate our lifeless hearts to life eternally. (Is 55:11; Num 11:23) How do you view God’s Word? There is a difference between true, biblical Christianity and the non-committal type of faith that some call ‘American Christianity’. The latter is a damning perversion of Christianity because the Bible has lost influence over the church. If you stop reading, meditating, and loving the Word, you will surely forget God. (Deut 6:12) False religion always abandons the Word of God.

False religion puts confidence in the flesh. Those who believe in a false Christ are still confident in who they are and what they have. The false teachers in the churches of Galatia paraded their piety through circumcision. Thinking that their obedience to the Old Testament commands was enough for their salvation, they were confident in their own flesh; they compelled others to do likewise. Those who are confident in the flesh judge themselves and others by physical things and by social and cultural values. (James 2:2-3) Do you boast in this way? Those who glory in the flesh practice legalism. Their trust is not in Christ alone. They may know correct doctrine, but they deny the sufficiency of Jesus’ atoning work by their prideful actions. Their loyalty is still to the world, which they serve their flesh for their own glory. (1Jn 2:15-16) Those who are still confident in the flesh are overly sensitive to their emotions and circumstances, letting others’ criticism or affirmation determine their joy. There is no humility in false religion, but only pride in one’s own abilities. We need to repent and return, so that our sins may be wiped away. (Acts 3:19) Our true joy and worth are rooted in Christ alone.

False religion makes you compromise. Faith in a false Christ will make you a coward. The Judaizers in Galatia focused on the external requirements of the Jewish faith in an attempt to avoid the persecution brought on by the cross of Christ. The cross of Christ refers to the entire work of redemption through Jesus’ death and resurrection. (1Cor 15:3-4) All throughout history, and especially today, the offensive message of the gospel provokes persecution. This is because the Gospel is the great equalizer – there is nothing that distinguishes the rich from poor or the brave from the knave. All are shown equally in dire need for a Savior, and this makes the gospel hard to understand and even harder to accept. However, God’s grace makes no distinction between men, and there is no room for pride. Yet there are instances when even believers compromise the message of the cross. How do believers we ridicule the cross of Christ? When we remain silent while Jesus’ name is being blasphemed, we ridicule the cross of Christ. When we try to replace the true gospel with a gentler version that never confronts sin, we are promoting false religion. When we try to lower the biblical standard of holiness in the name of tolerance and cultural sensitivity, we are serving man, not God. There can be no true transformation in our lives and in the church when the cross of Christ is ridiculed. Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples. We must therefore not comprise his message and be bold in the authority of God’s word.

False religion makes you a hypocrite. The false teachers in Galatia failed by attempting to keep the law, yet because of their hypocrisy, they were blind to their shame and boasted in their flesh. The external did not reflect what was internal. We are prone to hypocrisy when we have Jesus’ name on our lips but not in our hearts. Hypocrisy is deadly. It leads others to become hypocrites, as the blind guides the blind to both fall into the same pit. (Matt 15:14) Hypocrites are insensitive to the wrath of God, failing to cling to Christ alone for salvation. (Matt 23:37-38) We must confess and repent of the hypocrisy in our lives. Our external works must be a reflection of the work of God’s grace in our hearts.

On the matter of true Jesus, Steve Lawson stated, “If Jesus has not changed your life, the Jesus you met was another Jesus.” Let us mediate on this portion of Scripture and examine our lives whether we have fallen under the influence of false piety. May the Holy Spirit sanctify you internally and externally in the truth that is God’s Word.