By Sidharth Mohandas
Warning: Do not use this article to judge others. This is written only for the purpose of self-evaluation.
In this article I will be dealing with an urgent message that the Lord has placed in my heart. It is a message that will expose one of the most dangerous spirits in the world…the spirit of religiosity. I ask that you pay close attention to what is said.
The leaven of hypocrisy
The spirit of religiosity is a spirit that Abba finds repulsive. He abhors it so much that He works against those who bear this spirit. The best example of people who bore this spirit is the Pharisees (Matthew 6:1-6). Note that the Pharisees were those groups of Jews who believed that all of Scripture was inspired by God, the dead would resurrect one day, angels and demons were for real, etc. In other words, they were “grounded on the Word”. But sadly, Jesus resisted them and rejected them totally. He, in fact, instructed His disciples to guard themselves from the “yeast/leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1, Greek for hypocrite is hypocretes, and it means “actor“). Hypocrisy, therefore, is one of the basic elements of the spirit of religiosity, an element that works through the entire dough.
The Apostle Paul, later on, describes the unleavened bread as a bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8). Starting off at insignificant levels of insincerity in speech, this little leaven of hypocrisy works through the entire life of a person, and forces the person to put on a mask every day. Majority of those in this category have been behind the mask for such a long time that they don’t even recognize their state.
Draws attention to self
The spirit of religiosity is further characterized by its craving for acknowledgment and acceptance from others and God, based on one’s own conduct (Matthew 6:1-6). The spirit of religiosity builds in us standards for conduct. If someone fails to meet these standards, they are considered less spiritual.
Have you had times when you told someone, “I pray for you daily”, when in truth you had not been? But you would have said it just to be acknowledged as a “spiritually mature” person. Have you ever boasted about what you do in your ministry with an intention to gain acknowledgment? Analyze your corporate prayers; do you pray for someone else’s ears? Do you ask others what time they wake up to pray in the mornings or how long they pray in order to check on their spirituality? Do you praise and worship a particular way when you’re in a gathering, with the intention to show others that you’re a “deep” worshipper? As a pastor do you “do” something to increase the number in your church, such as, making the worship emotional or building the tempo?
Friends, I am not writing on this to condemn you, but to warn you so that you may recognize this spirit and deal with it. I have had to deal with it in my own life, and I can say that the amount of disaster brought about by this spirit was immense.
Further, the religious spirit will always lead one to live life under the law, i.e. it will always focus on what you can do. A person with such a law-mentality would soon come to a place of superficial Christianity, alienated from Christ (Galatians 5:4). Again, let me repeat, the law-lifestyle has its focus on what you can do, while on the other hand, the Gospel has its focus on the transformation that can be ours through what God has done and will do. You may think that sin is what you need to deal with. But I tell you, before you deal with sin, you need to deal with your law mentality. For living under the law-lifestyle will cause sin to have dominion over you. (Romans 6:14).
I encourage you to open your heart to God. Deal with the spirit of religiosity in every area of your life that the Lord is revealing to you. I assure you that the moment you humble yourself by removing all your religious fittings, Abba will minister to you His grace in a greater way (James 4:6). Do not let the spirit of religiosity build a cocoon over you; it will only sever you from Christ.
Amen! Such a truth and so prevalent amongst us today. We too, so often tend to put up things, portray ourselves (rightly pointed out by Sid), as if we are so better than those around us. His grace is required in a much greater way in our lives.
May our Lord help us to put aside such attitudes and lead us into a deeper relationship with him, which is ministered to us by His Almighty works in our midst, not by any of our filthy works. God bless.
Such a nice post sid. Timely. In these last days we need to deeply consider this. The sign of this spirit’s work is evident.
1. It gives you a know it all spirit – your heart says ” Yeah yeah, I know all this, dont preach to me!”
2. Your mouth is open all the time, airing your ideas – You stop listening and submiting to teaching.
R A torrey once said ” There is nothing that can dry your life up faster than the word of God IF you don’t respond to it.” The spirit of religiosity is a viscious cycle, which we use to mask our apathy to the word.
Great Post Sid, Thanks for warning us all
Godbless You brother and hope everything is ok with you
I am reminded of Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
I thank God that He is putting His finger on things in my life and changing me slowly, for who can escape some of these attitudes?
There a liberating truth in all this, and it is the essence of the Gospel, that GOD has done something.
We must therefore no longer bank our confidence in our flesh. Think of instances where you and I have said “I am weak”, “ I am strong“, “I can’t overcome this”, “ I can’t love him”….do we realize that we are trusting our flesh? This is the law lifestyle.
However, it should be, “I AM is strong”, “I AM can do all things”, “I AM is love”, “I AM has conquered”….our focus turns from us to Him. From trusting our flesh, to putting our confidence in Him. For the Gospel is the POWER of God unto salvation.
Don’t fall into those religious prayers “I am weak, help me”. Walk in the confidence of the God Whom you are in, and Who is in you. Walk in such unison with Him, that you walk in completeness, in no lack.
Sid
Wonderful article, and so very needed today in the Body of Christ.
I see the Lord is giving you some wonderful insight, blessings to you!
Sid –
This is a really good article, and definitely part of the plans God has for this year. God has given me bits and pieces, and it seems that this year God wants to strip down the excess and get back to the basics. Do you get confirmation?
By the way, I love the new layout! I’ve been working on one for awhile (you can call it a comeback). I’m over this wilderness thing. LOL.
Be blessed!
Justin
The human condition falls so easily into this trap. I know from experience.
Thanks for this added insight in your comment>>However, it should be, “I AM is strong”, “I AM can do all things”, “I AM is love”, “I AM has conquered”….our focus turns from us to Him. From trusting our flesh, to putting our confidence in Him. For the Gospel is the POWER of God unto salvation.
Jesus instructed us in the Beatitudes to pray and fast in secret to the Lord; this is circumcision of the heart. We have to keep our eyes on the Lamb of God, not self.
Matthew 6
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.