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Charles Naylor

Make-believe religion

2 Timothy 3:5; Ezekiel 33:31
Charles Naylor May, 25 2026 Audio
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Make Believe Religion by Charles Naylor 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 5 Having a form of godliness but denying its power We read in Scripture of the form of godliness contrasted with its power. When we look around us in the church, we see more of the form than we do of the power. There seems to be so many people who are merely playing religion. They attend services and go through the outward form of worship. They are sometimes very strongly devoted to their denominational creed and greatly attached to the church of which they are members. But when you look for any spiritual-mindedness or heavenly-mindedness, you do not find it.

This make-believe religion may ease the conscience for a time. People may manage to get along with such an external religion in this world, but it will not stand the test of eternity. Nor will it stand the real test for this life. The person who has the form of godliness without the power can never have that satisfaction and peace which saving religion gives. Religion that can be put on with the Sunday clothes and taken off as easily never goes very deep into the heart or life. While they profess to worship God, their hearts are far from Him. The service of such people is always weak because there is no heart in it.

Yet such people are not usually weak when it comes to serving self and the world. God hates the mere form of religion. It is an insult to Him. He knows whether we are sincere or not, whether our service is just form or not. External ritualism is a curse to the Church.

The Book of Ezekiel speaks of this class of people and says of them, My people come to you as they usually do and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Isaiah, as quoted by Jesus, says of the same class, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Of what religion they have, Jesus says, in vain do they worship me. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good.
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