Religious, But Ungodly

by Bud Lambert

Someone has suggested that if it looks like a rose, smells like a rose, and feels like a rose, then it must be a rose. That may be true of roses, but it's not true of Christians. A person can look the look, walk the walk, and talk the talk of a Christian, but still not be a Christian. Doing what is right does not make one righteous in the sight of God. God looks at the heart or the motive behind the righteous deed. Unless the motive is godly, there is no eternal benefit for doing the good deed.
The Corinthian Christians had a problem with this. They tended to categorize Christians as bad Christians, good Christians and best Christians based on a person's external performance. Paul corrected them: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing" ( 1 Corinthians 13:13). Unless the lllotive for doing what is right is love (agape), there is no gain and we are nothing in the sight of God.
Why do you do what you do in the church? Is it to please your spouse? Is it for financial gain - - a good marketing tool? Is it for political gain - - a good way to get some votes? Is it to find a mate - - a dating service? Is it to please your parents - - a way to make them happy to get more privileges from them? Is it to obtain social status in the community? Or is it to avoid false guilt based on your crooked, worldly thinking that you can earn your salvation or that you can earn a better status in the church?
Beware!! It's possible to be religious, but ungodly and unsaved. Just saying, I'm a member of the Mt. Juliet Church of Christ and participating in "programs" does not make one right with God. We must be motivated by love (cf. 1 John 3:14; 1 John 4:7-8). Let's encourage one another in this matter.

October 11, 1998



Religious, But Ungodly by Bud Lambert Someone has suggested that if it looks like a rose, smells like a rose, and feels like a rose, then it must be a rose. That may be true of roses, but it's not true of Christians. A person can look the look, walk the walk, and talk the talk of a Christian, but still not be a Christian. Doing what is right does not make one righteous in the sight of God. God looks at the heart or the motive behind the righteous deed. Unless the motive is godly, there is no eternal benefit for doing the good deed. The Corinthian Christians had a problem with this. They tended to categorize Christians as bad Christians, good Christians and best Christians based on a person's external performance. Paul corrected them: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing" ( 1 Corinthians 13:13). Unless the lllotive for doing what is right is love (agape), there is no gain and we are nothing in the sight of God. Why do you do what you do in the church? Is it to please your spouse? Is it for financial gain - - a good marketing tool? Is it for political gain - - a good way to get some votes? Is it to find a mate - - a dating service? Is it to please your parents - - a way to make them happy to get more privileges from them? Is it to obtain social status in the community? Or is it to avoid false guilt based on your crooked, worldly thinking that you can earn your salvation or that you can earn a better status in the church? Beware!! It's possible to be religious, but ungodly and unsaved. Just saying, I'm a member of the Mt. Juliet Church of Christ and participating in "programs" does not make one right with God. We must be motivated by love (cf. 1 John 3:14; 1 John 4:7-8). Let's encourage one another in this matter. October 11, 1998	Mt. Juliet Church of Christ 1940 N. Mt. Juliet Road P.O.Box 248 Mt.Juliet, TN 37122-0248 (615)758-2274 Fax:615-754-2351 Email Worship Services: Sunday Early Worship: 8AM Sunday Bible Study: 9:15AM Sunday Late Worship: 10:15AM Night Worship: 6PM Wednesday Bible Study: 7PM