Cleaning yourself up on Sundays and going to church cannot make you a Christian. Nor can going on mission trips, studying theology or earning a good reputation. At best, such things by themselves only make you appear to be a Christian in others’ eyes. True Christianity is a matter of inward, not merely outward, devotion to God. “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” Mark 7:6 (NKJV) Jesus’ application of Isaiah’s prophecy to the religious leaders of His day was scandalous. Back then, Pharisees were not scorned, they were admired as model religious people. Ensnared by legalism, Pharisees loved their religious rules more than God Himself. It’s sobering to realize that Jesus’ harshest words are reserved for those whose outward religious trappings mask their disregard for God and His Word.
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Steve Massey is the pastor of Hayden Bible Church of Hayden, Idaho. He also writes about matters of faith for The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., where he previously worked as an editor and reporter. He and his wife, Pam, have two grown children, Jake and Sarah.
