by Pastor Patrick Cho

God is truth. He is absolutely reliable in what He says and His promises are sure. There is no error in Him. He cannot lie and does not change His mind (1 Sam. 15:29). He abhors falsehood (Ps. 5:6), and does not abide with those who deal falsely (Ps. 24:4). In Psalm 31:5, the psalmist can confidently commit his life to Yahweh, the God of truth. Jesus told the disciples that He was the truth, the only way to the Father (John 14:6). The Holy Spirit is also referred to as the Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).

In truth, God has revealed the way to eternal life. This life is in His Son (1 John 5:11-12). Specifically, those who place their trust in Jesus for salvation and in humility seek forgiveness for their sins are promised God’s pardon and new life in Him (John 3:16). Our salvation is not based on our own merits or deeds but is entirely a gift of God’s grace (Eph. 2:8-9). We cannot work our way to Him – we cannot be good enough because there isn’t a soul on earth that is good (Rom. 3:10-12) or that has done good (Isa. 64:6). Our sinful hearts taint all that we are and do. God is our only hope of salvation (Acts 4:12). This is the truth.

Considering the truth of God, it is unspeakably offensive to Him and what He has revealed to promote a false religion which offers false hope. God provided a way of salvation and forgiveness for sinful men by sending His only Son to die a sinner’s death. If He would be willing to give so much to save unworthy sinners, how repugnant it must be to Him for us to claim there could be another way. That belittles the cross and so belittles the Son of God. All believers ought to be wary of false, man-made religion and weed any hint of it out of their hearts.

So what are some of the hallmarks of man-made religion?

Every false religion is ultimately a turning away from the truth of God. It involves rejecting God’s revealed Word and elevating man’s wisdom and laws above God’s. In this sense, all man-made religions boil down to an issue of authority. Will you trust what God has spoken in Scripture or will you turn to some other authority? This error is not limited to people of different faiths. It is the same root problem at the heart of atheism or agnosticism.

This is not only a problem with those in false religions. This form of unbelief can creep even into Christians’ hearts when they insist on making choices or holding beliefs that are based on anything other than God’s Word. This sin is offensive to God because it puts sinful men in the place of God, and substitutes God’s impeccable Word for flawed human reasoning. We see this in practice when people commit to following their heart, doing what is right in their own eyes, or pursuing their gut or what feels good.

Man-made religion also fosters an attitude of entitlement towards God. When your hope rests in your own accomplishments and merits, this breeds self-righteousness. And self-righteousness always looks for a reward. This is not a system built on grace. Christians are exhorted to always be thankful. This makes sense because grace produces gratitude. In contrast, self-righteousness breeds a sense of privilege, entitlement, and promotes the lunacy that somehow God owes us.

Man-made religion also feeds the insatiable heart of sinful pride. Self-righteousness attracts praise from others. It is easy to give in to falsehood when others follow your lead and affirm your wisdom. It is easy to be drawn away by the applause of men. This is why Ephesians clarifies that salvation is by grace and not works, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:8-9). If people could work their own way to heaven, all we would be doing is boasting about it.

Finally, man-made religion is offensive to God because it leads others away from life-giving truth. God has revealed the truth of the gospel in His Word and all believers are called to proclaim it to others. We are supposed to be bearers of the only message that leads to life. A false message leads people to their destruction.

Again, this is an error that even believers need to be careful not to fall into. When your word is the ultimate authority in your life or when your voice is louder than Christ’s, then you are serving your own interests above the Lord’s. This is an expression of heart worship. You are treating yourself as God. As Christians, our heart’s desire ought to be to humble ourselves before Him and exalt Christ alone as Lord and God of our lives.