Sermon Notes: Religion vs. the Gospel

Though most, at least in my experience, in the pews assume thirty minutes is plenty of time to exhaust a topic or text of Scripture. The truth is, however, one could never fully exhaust the Word of God. That is a constant challenge for pastor's who will one day stand before God and be judged for how they handled His special revelation.

With that said, I want to occasionally either expand upon or pass along something that was said in a sermon or study. Sunday evening I sought to clearly differentiate between religion (or moralism or legalism or traditionalism) and the pure, saving gospel in our discussion of Philippians 3:1-11. One will make us twice the son of hell (Matthew 23:15) while the other will make us adopted sons of God.

Below is that list. Some points are expanded upon.

1. Religion is all about me. The gospel is all about Christ. Religion is all about resume enhancing for one's own benefit. Recall Jesus criticizing the Pharisees for praying to be seen. "They have their reward," he said. The gospel is consumed with Jesus - and only Jesus.
2. Religion is all about what I do. The gospel is all about what Christ has done. If all our works are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) only a blind religious person would brag about what they've done. The gospel only boast in Christ.
3. Religion begins w/ my obedience & ends w/ God’s conditional love. The gospel begins w/ God’s unconditional love & bears the fruit of my obedience. Imagine if I told my little girl that I would love her – her daddy – only when she starts using the potty & I will keep loving her only if she keeps using the potty. Would that not be wicked?
4. Religion is all about your birth family. The gospel is all about new birth. This is why religious people want their kids to be moral so they don’t embarrass them in front of all of the other religious people.
5. Religions is about manipulating God for our own ends. The gospel is about receiving from God His Son for His glory. Religion – God make me happy, healthy, wealth, & successful. “Religion is a stick & God is a pinata.”*
6. In Religion, motivation is based on fear & insecurity. In the gospel, motivation is based on grateful joy. Religion says, "If you mess up, God will judge you." The gospel says, "If you mess up, God will hold you."
7. Religion doesn’t know what to do w/ suffering & pain. The gospel believes in “sanctified affliction.”** The gospel allows us to cry out to God in our pain knowing that He hears us. The gospel reminds us that God is not distant in our suffering, but has entered our universe in the flesh & suffered the pain, the loss, & death itself in the Person of Christ. Religion, on the other hand, can only blame suffering on personal sin (see Job).
8. Religion is outwardly pious, but inwardly corrupt. The gospel transforms the inside. Thus, like the Pharisees, religious people care about church attendance, clean houses, moral lifestyles, charity, & modesty all the while they’re judgmental, unloving, impatient, & unjust. Furthermore, religious people have a hard time repenting b/c it would require them to admit they are hypocrites.
9. Religion sees us as good & them as bad. The gospel sees us all as bad & God as good.
10. A religious prayer usually consists mostly of petition especially in times of need b/c of their need to be in control. The gospel believer prays mostly praise & adoration in an effort to join in fellowship w/ God. The religious pray to get from God. The gospel believer prays to get God.
11. Religion leads to a life of continual uncertainty. The gospel leads to a life of peace & assurance. How do you know, in a religious system, when you've done enough? The gospel, however, forever believes Jesus when he declared, "It is finished."
12. Religion ends in pride or despair. The gospel ends in humility & joy. Ever met a prideful religious person? Ever met a religious person in despair. 
13. Religion is all Law. The gospel is all grace. Throughout his ministry, Tchividjian has offered a lot of contrasting words between law and gospel.*** Here are a few
1. If the Law is the first word, Grace is the last.
2. The Law exposes us, while Grace exonerates us.
3. The law diagnoses, but Grace delivers.
4. The Law accuses, Grace acquits.
5. The Law condemns the best of us, while Grace saves the worst of us.
6. The Law says ‘cursed,’ Grace says ‘blessed.’
7. The Law says ‘slave,’ Grace says ‘son.’
8. The Law says ‘guilty,’ Grace says ‘forgiven.’
9. The Law can break a hard heart, but only Grace can heal one.”

Ultimately, we need to see that religion is a cancer. The gospel is the cure.


* Taken from Mark Driscoll's sermon, "Examining Two Enemies of the Gospel."
** Ibid.
*** See especially his books Jesus + Nothing = Everything and One Way Love.