Leaving Beyond – Grounded In Scripture

“True religion is not a fanciful zeal, but a heart turned to God in truth and obedience.” ~ Richard Sibbes

Do I hate what sins my own betray my Lord, or do I merely hate their hindrances to my desires I think myself now to deserve, and to give me would please my Lord? Do I feign examination that I may find what may be a sacrifice in order to win the favor of my Lord, that my humble examination and sacrifice may curry His favor and He may be pleased to bless my sacrifice? Do I despise my sin, or do I sacrifice what hinders my greater desire that I may grow in favor to gain what I truly love and desire? Do I love God?

What if my beliefs are the very thing that are the vile, putrid meditations of my sinful heart that I delight in day and night, convincing myself that the pollution that reigns in me is a pleasing aroma to my Lord? Does my faith honor Him, or is my faith part of the vain imaginations of my own mind? Is my faith genuine and pleasing to God, or is it corrupted by my sinful heart and what assures me each day that I shall have what I desire and it pleases God for me to have it? Is my faith pure and undefiled? I have faith. I may have great faith. But is my faith born of God?

Am I worse than my neighbor who has no faith of which he ascribes at all? Does my worship, praise, and sacrifices repulse God? Do I offer them in His name, having found what works to give me what I desire? Do I ascribe to Him praise and sing truth to Him, offering what is otherwise good to Him but my sinful heart rests solely in rebellion, convincing me that God is pleased with me because of all I do for Him and how I give, worship, and sing to Him? How could He not give me what I desire?

But for His mercy, would my worship offered to Him, rather than bring upon myself the favor I think I have earned, now justly cost me my life? Do I know and love the God I claim to know? Has my own heart deceived me? How do I love it so?

Do I pray, sing, worship, and give with zeal, passion, and sincerity, yet my faith is not born of God but rather earns me no favor with God and only adds to His just wrath against me? Do I boast of my faith—that my own heart has deceived me is pleasing to God—and yet does violence to His name? Do I love God? Does it please Him when I call Him my Lord?

The man with a counterfeit is often full of pride, self-deceived, and lacks introspection. He takes personally any objective correction and denies himself the truth that would humble him and command him to repent. He thinks himself of great importance to the mission of God. He thinks that God needs him and the mission would fail without him. He has made himself of such importance that he’s convinced others that he is irreplaceable. He bears all the marks of a lost man with religion and not a man who has been born of the Spirit—truly regenerate—and is becoming conformed more to the image of Christ.

The counterfeit walks as parallel to the holy as possible. Many are deceived and follow after what is false, and worse, doing so in God’s name, offering Him false worship, false praise, and offering to Him false obedience and false sacrifices.

Lest God be gracious, he be damned. Oh, may God be gracious and merciful toward sinners such as ourselves, and above all, may He receive the worship and praise He is rightly due. May our praise bring Him glory.

Sanctify us in the truth, Oh Lord; Your Word is truth.

Grace and Peace, y’all
Soli Deo Gloria

April J. Buchanan