[GTranslate]
Is Your Religion or what you believe – Real?

“Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Mat 7:21

“Examine and test and evaluate your own selves, to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves, (Not Christ). Do you not yourselves realize and know (thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience) that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless you are (counterfeits) disapproved on trial and rejected!” (11 Cor.13; 5.)
[DDET (expand full article)]
“Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth”. 1 John 3:18

What does the word “real” mean?
By definition it means: that which is genuine and sincere and honest and thorough. It is something inward, solid, substantial, essential, living, lasting.
Our Lord Jesus mentions the awesome possibility that we may be good listeners about His teaching on the Kingdom of God without putting these truths into practice. He refers to such people that they are like foolish builders who build their houses on sand. He assures us that it will not withstand the final test when the storm will hit this house in all its fierceness.

We dare not build our eternal security on feelings, some kind of experience or a vague hope that all will be well in the end. Each of us needs the inner witness of the Holy Spirit that our faith in Jesus Christ has been well pleasing to Him. (Rom.5; 1, 5.)
Therefore is your religion real? Is it true?

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF REALITY IN RELIGION

I want you to understand that reality is a rare and uncommon thing. It is one of the great dangers of which we as Christians ought to beware. We therefore have to continually face the reality of a true and real religion, anchored in the word of God!

What do the Scriptures say? This is the only judge that can evaluate the subject.

A Few examples will clarify the reality of your personal faith

a) The parables spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The parables of the sower, of the wheat and tares, of the draw-net, of the two sons, of the wedding garment, of the ten virgins, of the talents, of the great supper, of the pounds of the two builders have all one great point in common. They all bring out in striking colours the difference between reality and unreality in religion. They all show the “uselessness” and “danger” of any Christianity which is not real, thorough, and true.

b) The language of our Lord Jesus Christ about the Scribes and the Pharisees.

“We find Him denouncing them as “you hypocrites, you serpents, you generation of vipers. How can you escape the damnation of hell?” Matt. 23:33

How is it that our gracious and merciful Saviour used such cutting words about people who at any rate were more moral and decent than the publicans and harlots?

There seems nothing, which is as displeasing to Christ as hypocrisy and unreality.

Illustration:
The root meaning of “hypocrite” is ”actor” one who plays a role. In ancient theaters, each actor played several parts. To change identities, he would simply wear a different mask. When Jesus called the religious leaders “hypocrites” he meant that they were actors. They were changing masks and putting on a performance to win the applause of the community, but they didn’t care what they were inside.

c) The startling fact.

There is hardly a grace in the character of a true Christian of which you will not find a counterfeit described in the Word of God.

° Is there an unreal repentance?
Beyond doubt there is. Saul, Herod, and Judas Iscariot had many feelings of sorrow about sin. But they never really repented to salvation.
° Is there an unreal faith?
Beyond doubt there is. Simon Magus “believed” and yet his heart was not right in the sight of God. Even the devils “believe and tremble” Acts 8:13; James 2:19
° Is there not an unreal holiness?
Beyond doubt there is. Judas Iscariot’s outward life was as correct as that of any of the Apostles up to the time that he betrayed his Master. Yet in reality he was a “thief” and a Traitor. John 12:6
° Is there not an unreal love and charity?
Beyond doubt there is. There is a love which consists in words and tender expressions and a great show of affection, while the heart does not love at all. “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth”. 1 John 3:18
° Is there not an unreal humility?
Beyond doubt there is. There is a pretended lowliness, which often covers over a very proud heart.
° Is there not unreal worship?
Beyond doubt there is. “This people draw nigh to me with their mouths, and honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me”. Matt. 15:8
° Is there not unreal praying?
Beyond doubt there is. “for a pretense they made long prayers” Matt. 23:14 . The Lord does not charge the Pharisees with not praying, or with praying too shortly. Their sin lay in this, that their prayers were not real.
° Is there not unreal talking about religion?
Beyond doubt there is. We may “speak with the tongues of men and angels”, and yet be no better than sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. 1 Cor. 13:1

These things can only lead us to one conclusion – the immense importance which Scripture attaches to reality in religion. They show clearly that we need to take heed lest our Christianity turn out to be merely nominal, formal, unreal and base.

Does your religion give occasion to God’s enemies to blaspheme? Is it worthless in God’s sight?

Be warned.
Beware.
Be genuine.
Be thorough.
Be real.
Be true.

Grace, faith, repentance, holiness, spirituality of conduct and conversation are characteristics of true religion. Living faith in the Lord Jesus, the inward working of the Holy Spirit, separation from worldly amusements, zeal for the conversion of souls to God, delight in the Word of God all bear witness to real religion. Truthfulness, honesty, controlled temper, unselfishness, humbleness, kindness; manliness will all show allegiance to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

2. TESTING THE REALITY OF RELIGION

If you need assurance whether your religion is real, genuine, and true, measure it by the following:

a) The place it occupies in your inner man.

It is not enough that it is in your head.
It is not enough that it is on your lips.
It is not enough that it is in your feelings.
It must be in your heart. It must hold the reins. It must lead the will. It must influence the choices and decisions. It must fill the deepest, lowest, inmost seat in your soul.

b) The feelings it produces towards sin.

Through the Holy Spirit, it will always have a very deep view of the sinfulness of sin.
• It will see sin as the abominable thing, which God hates: the thing, which deserves God’s wrath and condemnation.
• It will see sin as the cause of all sorrow and unhappiness, of strife and wars, of quarrels and contentions, of sickness and death; the cursed thing which makes the whole earth groan and travail in pain.
• It will see sin as the thing which will ruin us eternally except we can get its chains broken; except we fight against it, even unto death.

c) The feelings it produces towards Christ.

Real religion will make one glory in Christ, as the Redeemer, the Deliverer, the Priest, the Friend, without whom we have no hope at all. It will produce confidence in Him, love towards Him, delight in Him, comfort in Him, as the Mediator, the Light, the Life, the Peace of the soul.

d) The fruit it bears in your heart and life.

It will produce in the man who has true Christianity, the fruit of repentance, faith, hope, charity, humility, spirituality, kind temper, self-denial, unselfishness, forgiveness, temperance, truthfulness, brotherly-kindness, patience, forbearance.

e) The feelings and habits about the means of grace.

What are your feelings about public prayer, public praise and the public preaching of God’s Word and the Lord’s Supper? Do you take pleasure in them or could you live without them and be happy?
Do you find it essential to read the Bible regularly and to speak to God in prayer? Are they as necessary to your soul as meat and drink are to your body?

CONCLUSION

Beware if your religion is not real. God is a God of Truth. He abhors everything that is not genuine and true. Will it fail you at last, wear out, break down, and leave you high and dry and forsaken?

Cease from all trifling and playing with religion. Become honest, whole-hearted followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek the Lord Jesus and ask Him to become your Saviour, your Physician, your Priest and friend. Christ can cleanse you from any quantity of sin, if you commit your soul to Him.

Be real, honest and true. Your repentance may be feeble, but let it be real. Your faith may be weak, but let it be real.
Your desires after holiness may be mingled with much infirmity but let them be real. Never be content to wear a cloak of religion. Be all that you profess. Be true.

Turn a deaf ear to those that accuse you of being extreme, going too far. Press on. Nothing but reality will stand the fire. Real repentance towards God! Real faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ! Real holiness of heart and life!
These are the measurements of God’s yardstick.

IT IS ONLY THROUGH THE SUPERNATURAL REBIRTH, WHICH JESUS OFFERS UNTO EACH OF US AS A FREE GIFT THAT WE CAN TURN FROM RELIGION TO REALITY!

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A FREE GIFT UNTO EACH OF US WHO ARE POOR ENOUGH IN SPIRIT TO RECEIVE IT!

And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; whereas God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and putting the word of reconciliation in us. Then we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as God exhorting through us, we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2Co 5:18 – 21

..so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. John 3:15-18

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. I John 4:2-3a
Many mistakenly believe this to mean that all a person needs to do is “say it!” Nothing could be further from the truth. You will see that we are of God because Jesus Christ has come in OUR flesh. If He is not in us, we are disqualified!

[GTranslate]
[/DDET]