Chapter Nineteen – Vain Worship—and Another Jesus

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More than two billion people claim to worship the God of the Bible and to be followers of Jesus Christ. They worship in divided, competing churches, religious organizations, denominations, groups and movements of varying beliefs, governments and traditions.

Yet Christ said His Church would be a “little flock” (Luke 12:32)—undivided, “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (I Cor. 1:10)—in “one accord” (Acts 2:46), continuing “steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine [teaching] and fellowship” (Ac 2:42)—all speaking the same thing, just as the first-century Church had done.

But today’s professing Christians are divided by doctrine, which is why they do not—and cannot—walk together (Amos 3:3). How can so many churches and their adherents say they are Christian, yet teach opposing beliefs and traditions? Why are so few willing to ask what is wrong?

Again, these churches cannot all be right.

Jesus warned, “Not everyone that says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 7:21). He said, “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? And in Your name have cast out devils [demons]? And in Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity” (Mt 7:22-23).

There are entire television channels devoted to popular religious leaders who preach boldly, as though they carry authority, who claim to heal the sick and cast out demons, who say they are preaching the gospel—but in reality proclaim a message entirely about Christ rather than the good news He declared: the arrival of the kingdom of God!

Of such people, God states, “Her priests have violated My law, and have profaned My holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shown difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them” (Ezek. 22:26).

The so-called ministers and lay members of modern Christendom make a dazzling show of worshipping God—but all in VAIN.

Manmade Laws, Traditions That Counter God’s Law

In Mark 7:1-37, the scribes and Pharisees criticized Christ’s disciples for not ceremoniously washing their hands before eating. The issue wasn’t about hygiene; the Pharisees believed that certain things outside the body (such as accidently eating a speck of dirt or an unclean insect) could defile them in God’s eyes.

But Jesus taught, “That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mk 7:20-23).

As we saw in Chapter Three, to supposedly ensure Judah was never again punished by God for disobedience, religious leaders created numerous meticulous laws, codes and traditions that turned obedience to God’s commandments statutes and laws into an unnecessary burden. For example, they created laws, based on human reasoning, detailing exactly how far one can walk on the Sabbath or exactly how many ears of corn one can pluck before breaking it.

The Pharisees were more concerned with keeping the technical points of God’s laws than with upholding their spiritual application. Notice: “Woe unto you, you blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, swears by it, and by Him that dwells therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by Him that sits thereon” (vs. Matt. 23:16-22).

Also, “For Moses said, Honour your father and your mother; and, Whoso curses father or mother, let him die the death: But you say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me; he shall be free. And you suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which you have delivered: and many such like things do you” (Mark 7:10-13).

Jesus warned His disciples that there would come a time when people would kill true Christians in God’s name, sincerely believing they were “do[ing] God service” (John 16:2).

Again, over two billion people attend church services or at least “try to be good” (by their own reasoning); they practice good works, helping the destitute. But in the end, they are not true Christians—not by Christ’s standards! Of such people, He says, never knew you.”

Why?

Because all of their good works, all of their efforts in striving to be “good” (at least in a general sense), have been done in vain. “In VAIN do they worship Me,” Jesus said, “teaching for doctrines the commandments [and traditions] of men” (Mark 7:7). “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mk 7:8-9).

The word “vain” here means “fruitlessly; folly, to no purpose.” Over a billion Christians on earth pray to God, speak of His Work, and may (to varying degrees) keep God’s commandments—yet, in Jesus Christ’s eyes, all in an empty exercise!

Adding manmade traditions, codes, etc., not approved by God, works against the spiritual application of God’s laws: love (Rom. 13:10). Popular religionists and even politicians say we cannot know God’s will—but the Bible states otherwise (Rom. 12:2). Think: Would Christ command, “Be you therefore perfect [spiritually entire, complete], even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48), yet not tell us how to achieve perfection or what He meant by becoming “perfect”? Would He tell us to love God and to love our neighbour as ourselves, but not tell us how to achieve this?

Or course not!

Hebrews 1:1-2 states, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.” God spoke to His people through Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry; in this sense, Christ was continuing His role as the Word, the Spokesman for the God Family (John 1:1-51).

Today, God speaks to us through His written Word, the Bible. A book of truth (John 17:17), it is a “quick [living], and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). If one permits, the Bible will cut through the self-deception of carnal nature (Jer. 17:9), teaching the humble person the Will of God. (See II Timothy 3:14-17.)

True Christians simply allow the Bible to interpret the Bible, and follow what it teaches. Needlessly adding to Scripture extra codes and traditions that supposedly “enhance” God’s Law is VAIN worship.

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