Who Am I Kidding?

Passage: Isaiah 58

In the first book of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin makes the following statement:
…since this shadow of religion (it scarcely even deserves to be called a shadow) is false and vain, it is easy to infer how much this confused knowledge of God differs from that piety which is instilled into the [hearts] of believers, and from which alone true religion springs. And yet hypocrites would fain, by means of tortuous windings, make a show of being near to God at the very time they are fleeing from him. For while the whole life ought to be one perpetual course of obedience, they rebel without fear in almost all their actions, and seek to appease him with a few paltry sacrifices; while they ought to serve him with integrity of heart and holiness of life, they endeavour to procure his favour by means of frivolous devices and punctilios of no value. (Institutes, 1.4.4)

In case you had difficulty following Calvin’s prose, the above is an argument against the pursuit of religious behavior as a substitute for a real relationship with God. The distinction, according to Calvin, is that many people pursue some form of religious expression either as false pretense of being better people than they are, or as a way of easing the guilt that arises from their innate sense of accountability to God. Neither motivation results in a connection with the divine that will have any life-saving impact. Calvin warns that religious pretense is as dangerous as, if not more dangerous than, out and out rejection of God.

Interestingly, God himself makes almost the same argument in Isaiah 58. In this chapter God confronts members of his people who have gone through all the right motions but have failed to devote their lives to him. God parodies people who have fasted in order to appear religious, or attended worship to ease their consciences, only to turn around and ignore God’s broader imperative to live transformed lives. God says, “Sure, you’ve fasted. But how have you cared for the poor? How have you fed the hungry? How have you upheld the cause of justice in your homes, your cities, and your nation?”

This is a warning that “religious” people of all stripes cannot afford to ignore. It’s not enough to “be spiritual”. It’s not enough to go to church periodically. To write the occasional check. To throw the occasional prayer up to “the big guy”. The only thing that will truly erase your guilt and redeem your life is the mercy of the one true God. A saving relationship with this God will manifest itself in radical changes to your attitudes and priorities. You will care about the people this God cares about. You will rearrange your life in response to the commands of God and the impulses of his Spirit. You will be less concerned with how you look to the people around you than how your life lines up with God’s expectations. You might be able to fool the person in the pew next to you. You can’t fool God. God doesn't care how good you look to your family or your constituents or the people at church. What God cares about is your participation in a process that will transform your life and your world.