What is false religion? It is any teaching that lessens the person of God, takes away or adds to the Word of God and detracts from the glory of God. False religion always makes the salvation of sinners ultimately dependent upon, not the sovereign grace and power of the Lord, but the creatures’ willingness to cooperate with God. False religion sets forth God to be less than He is and man to be more than he is. It reduces the work of Christ on the cross to an effort to save, not an actual redemption and reconciliation. It makes His bloody death of no real benefit unless and until the sinner adds his will or works to it. False religion makes the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit to be dependent upon the cooperation of man. It presents God as man’s servant, his valet, who cannot act without the permission of the sinner. In short, false religion would climb up to the heavens, jerk God off His throne and have man exalted in His stead.
Where is false religion to be found? It is no respecter of denominations. It cuts across religious boundaries. It has invaded the globe and its origin can be traced to the devil who is "a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44). Would you know how deep man has fallen into sin? People willingly receive false teaching, but the truth of salvation by grace alone, in and through the justice-satisfying work of Christ alone, is found to be offensive. False religion is readily embraced by the famous and the unknown, the hypocrite and the sincere, the educated and the unlearned. The Bible calls false religion the great harlot, alluring, seductively attractive and irresistible to the natural man. No power can break her spell except the grace of almighty God who will not allow His people to remain in her. "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Revelation 18:4). What will happen to all false religion? Charles Spurgeon said, "Prophets may plant it with their pretended revelations, martyrs may water it with their blood, confessor after confessor may defend it with his learning and with his courage, time may endear it, literature may protect it, and kings may keep guard about it, but He that ruleth in the heavens, and careth not for human might, shall certainly grasp its trunk, and, pulling it up, even though it be strong as a cedar, shall hurl it into the fire, because He hath not planted it. Yes, every hoary system of superstition, every ancient form of idolatry, every venerable species of will-worship, shall be certainly overturned, as God is true." False religion is a damnable thing, a horrible beast that must be destroyed and when it is, the saints will rejoice and shout, "Alleluia: salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication" (Revelation 19:1-2).
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