Beware Of The Religious Spirit

Matthew 9:9-13 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13)

Brother and sisters do you know that you are sinner? As long as we are living in these sin craving bodies and on this sin infested earth we will be sinners. That is why we need Jesus every day. You are probably saying I know this Lisa, this is nothing new to me. But do you really know this? We must realize that although we have changed certain things in our lives and left addictions, habits, attitudes, or whatever vices behind none of us is without sin. None of us have arrived at place of perfection or are sinless. If we think we are standing strong, we must be careful not to fall. This is a dangerous place to be. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

In Matthew 9 the ‘religious’ people stood by and saw Jesus doing a work in disreputable sinners’ lives. He was spending time with them because they knew they were sinners and they needed Him. They didn’t deny who they were. Who they were and what they did made them realize that they needed the Savior more. Jesus called Matthew a known tax collector to be one of the disciples. Tax collectors were known for being greedy and taking more money than they were supposed to. Yet Jesus told Matthew to get up and leave the booth to follow Him.

The religious people were so caught up with their own sacrifices and rituals that they were not showing mercy to those that needed it most. Jesus told them, “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices”. That same religious spirit exists today and we must beware of it. That spirit will try to creep into our hearts and make us think that we are so righteous and saved. It will bring a spirit of pride with it. Then the knowledge that we have about the Word will just make us feel important and religious, but it will not strengthen the church. Love is what strengthens. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)

This spirit will cause us to look at other people and say, “I can’t believe they do this or that” or “I would never do that” or “They got what they deserved”.

Brothers and sisters..I pray that we have not become so ‘saved’ that we have allowed a religious and righteous spirit to creep in to our hearts. This will only push people away from receiving the Truth and we are in danger of falling and becoming one those that we criticize.

“Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

When we see the Lord doing a work in disreputable sinners we should rejoice and ask the Lord how we can serve these individuals. We should not be behind their backs discussing their waywardness. Instead we should ask how can we help them. How can we build them up? How can we show them the love of Christ? This is what we are called to do. We are not to be like the religious Pharisees who thought themselves so great because they knew the Word. Brothers and sisters if we don’t truly love others we will gain nothing. Walk in love..