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Religion That Looks Right But Misses the Truth

For nearly 30 years, a man by the name of Reuben Mattus had been selling ice cream in New York. It was his family’s own recipe, and he made a modest living selling it.

Then Reuben had an inspiration. He had lived in this new country during the boom times of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. He’d lived long enough to understand that most Americans were convinced the best foods were exotic—foods that originated from somewhere else in the world.

So, in 1959, Mr. Reuben Mattus invented Häagen-Dazs ice cream. It was the same family recipe, with a few minor changes and a few new flavors. Only this time, it was marketed under an exotic, difficult-to-pronounce, made-up name.

He also had a map of Scandinavia printed on the ice cream cartons. With that, sales took off. The rest is ice cream history.

What Reuben Mattus had discovered was not just a better way to sell ice cream, but a better understanding of human nature.

In every culture, at any time, image means everything.

This morning, as we conclude our series of studies on “Religion and the Road to Hell,” we come to the end of Chapter 2 in the Book of Romans.

In this latter part of Chapter 2, Paul has identified the most religious person of his day and revealed that it was a façade—an image without true substance.

Paul has delivered the stunning news to his generation and to ours: it is possible to be religious without being redeemed.

Paul’s illustration in verses 17–29 is the life of the Jew.

The Jew had the right name printed on the carton. They had the mark of the covenant as the company label, printed on each package. As far as marketing religion went, they were the best sellers. If anybody wanted religion, they could get it from the faithful Jew.

Paul reveals that the faithful Jew is relying on the wrong things—the external image and the physical mark of circumcision.

Much like people today rely on the physical things they do.

Ask someone if they think they’ll go to heaven when they die, and they will likely say, “Of course, I’ve been baptized,” or, “Yes, I’m a member of such-and-such church,” or, “Yes, I’ve always been a pretty good person.”

Hidden in their answer is the deception of religiosity.

Religion has to do with the name on the ice cream carton—and whether or not it will sell—regardless of whether or not it’s even true.

Religion will always focus on what we create with our hands; God is interested in the condition of our heart.

God Looks at the Heart, Not the Image

In these final verses of Romans Chapter 2, Paul uses contrasting vocabulary to subtly—yet forcefully—reveal the difference between religious image and a relationship with God.

Romans 2:28: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

29: But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”

You could underline the contrasts beginning with verse 28. The faithful Jew relied on what was outward, while true spirituality was inward.

There’s also a contrast in verse 29 between circumcision, which focuses on the flesh, and true spirituality, which focuses on the heart.

Note further in verse 29 the contrast between the Spirit and the letter—a reference to the law. Finally, in the last phrase of verse 29, Paul contrasts the praise of man with the praise of God.

So, you have:

• The outward contrasted with the inward

• The flesh contrasted with the heart

• The letter of the law contrasted with the Spirit

• Man’s praise contrasted with God’s praise

Such is the contrast between religion and a true relationship with God.

The Jew would have been stunned by this paragraph. It was shocking to hear that descending from Abraham, guarding the Torah, and possessing a history of divine blessing did not automatically make someone right with God.

Circumcision of the flesh, Paul said, is not as important as having a circumcised heart.

In fact, Paul’s point is that an uncircumcised heart nullifies the value of circumcised flesh.

That wasn’t new to Paul, by the way. Several times in the Old Testament, the prophets warned Israel that rebellious hearts nullified the mark of the covenant.

Jeremiah spoke for God, saying:

“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised … for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.’”

—Jeremiah 9:25–26

In Leviticus, God declared:

“But if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob. I will also remember My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land.”

—Leviticus 26:41–42 (excerpts)

The Lord spoke to Samuel long ago and said:

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

—1 Samuel 16:7

In other words, being right with God is a matter of the heart.

What does the word “heart” refer to? In the Hebrew Bible, the most common word for “heart” is leb. It refers not only to the motives, feelings, affections, and desires of a person, but also to their will, goals, thoughts, and intellect.

In the New Testament, the word basically refers to the same thing. The Greek word is kardia—from which we derive terms like “cardiologist” and “cardiology.”

Gerhard Kittel, in his massive nine-volume work on the Greek New Testament, describes the kardia as:

“The center of the inner life of man and the source of all the forces and functions of soul and spirit. It stands for the whole of the inner being of man.”

—Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (quoted in Coming to Terms With Sin, Charles R. Swindoll, Word Publishing, Waco, Texas, 1985, p. 26)

Basically, the word heart refers to the true person. Regardless of a person’s name on the carton—regardless of the map or the marketing printed on the package—the heart reveals what truly resides on the inside.

The faithful Jew thought God’s work was done on the outside. A man born a Jew, or a woman conceived by a circumcised Jew, was considered to be safely within the covenant of Abraham. They were direct descendants of Abraham. What more could possibly be needed to be accepted by God?

The Jew believed that Abraham sat by the gate of hell, ensuring that no faithful Jew would ever pass through its gates.

The Shocking Truth Jesus Told a Religious Leader

It struck me, as I studied this passage in Romans Chapter 2, that Paul uses the exact same vocabulary Jesus Christ used about 30 years earlier in a conversation with a faithful Jew.

You may remember in Romans 2:20 how Paul challenged the Jew: just because they considered themselves teachers of the law, that wasn’t good enough.

Well, one of those teachers had a private conversation with Jesus that would eventually revolutionize his life.

Turn to John 3, where that conversation took place—where Jesus Christ defined salvation as a new birth and heartfelt belief.

While you’re turning, consider that perhaps the most famous Bible verse is found in this passage. Many of us have memorized John 3:16—say it with me: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

While many know that verse, fewer may know to whom Jesus said those words.

We’re told in verse 1 of Chapter 3: “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.”

If any of the faithful Jews Paul referred to in Romans 2 believed they were going to heaven, none would have had more assurance than Nicodemus.

Why?

First of all, because he was a Pharisee.

Now, when most people hear the word “Pharisee,” they think of a hypocrite—a proud, legalistic man playing a religious game while living in secret immorality. And they’d be right about many of them.

However, there were others—men who were truly committed to their decision to join the Pharisees. The Apostle Paul was once one himself.

These were Jewish men who, out of passion for the God of Abraham, joined the chaburah—the brotherhood. They entered into this community by pledging before three witnesses that they would spend their lives observing every detail of the Mosaic and scribal law.

The scribes had created the Mishnah, which codified the scribal laws. Then came the Talmud, a commentary on the Mishnah, which Pharisees studied, taught, and followed to the letter. It was their passion to know the Mishnah and live it. I read of one rabbi who spent nearly three years studying just one chapter from the Mishnah. I received my inspiration from him!

This codifying of the law contributed to the problem in Judaism. The Pharisees became obsessed with rules—until their relationship with God was buried beneath their religion.

One perfect illustration is seen in the simple Sabbath law of Moses. The Bible told Israelites to rest on the Sabbath: not to bear burdens, not to work, but to keep the day holy.

The trouble was, what did the word work mean? The scribes and Pharisees debated, developed, codified, and then wrote commentaries on it.

Here’s some of what they came up with:

• You could only drink enough milk for one swallow at a time—any more would be considered work for your mouth.

• You could not lift a spoon to your lips if it weighed more than one fig.

• The Pharisees and scribes debated whether a woman could wear a brooch on the Sabbath, whether a mother could pick up her baby, or whether a man could wear wooden dentures.

It was considered work to tie or untie a knot on the Sabbath. However, if a woman was getting dressed, she could tie a knot in her girdle. Thank heaven for that.

It was permissible to draw water from a well on the Sabbath, but if the rope broke, you could not tie another rope to it—that would be tying a knot. However, you could take your wife’s girdle, tie one end to another rope, and the other end to the bucket, and draw water that way. I’m not kidding.

On one hand, you think, “How ridiculous.” But on the other hand, here is a people committed to the incredible inconvenience of keeping thousands of regulations in order to please God.

How many of us are willing to endure even a dozen inconveniences for our walk with God?

In my observation, one inconvenience is often enough to discourage most of us.

It was the scribes who developed all these regulations. It was the Pharisees who dedicated their lives to keeping them.

Our text tells us that Nicodemus was one of those men.

The latter part of verse 1 tells us Nicodemus was “a ruler of the Jews.” The Greek word for ruler is archōn, which indicated that Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin. This was Israel’s Supreme Court, made up of 71 men.

One of the chief responsibilities of the Sanhedrin was to examine and judge anyone suspected of being a false prophet.

So, Nicodemus came to Jesus by night to examine Him further—and determine whether He was a false teacher.

Now notice verse 2: “This man came to Him by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’”

You need to understand the significance of this statement. By now, the debate was already raging about the source of Jesus’ power. Some religious leaders had claimed it came from Beelzebub—Satan.

Nicodemus is letting the Lord know he’s not one of them. He’s essentially saying, “Jesus, I believe You have pure motives. You’ve come from God as an inspired teacher.”

But it’s also a polite way of saying, “Teacher, I know You’ve come from God and have the power of God. I saw You cleanse the temple this morning and declare it Your Father’s house. But what are You really trying to say? What’s Your main message?”

Jesus responds by giving Nicodemus His primary message—verse 3: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

This is a shocking statement.

Why? Because Jesus just told Nicodemus—one of the leading Jewish candidates for heaven—that he wasn’t going.

In other words, Nicodemus had done many things right—but not the right thing.

Nicodemus, as a faithful Jew, had always assumed he was already part of the Kingdom of God. He was a son of Abraham. He had a right to heaven.

Just as Paul delivered the shocking news in Romans Chapter 2 to his Jewish audience, Jesus Christ delivers equally shocking news to this faithful Jewish leader.

This isn’t just a shocking statement—it’s also a confusing one.

Verse 4: “Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’”

In other words: “What do You mean I have to be born again?”

He was confused—and so would we be, if it weren’t for a passage like John 3.

Why Being Born into Religion Isn’t Enough

Jesus now begins to explain Himself, delivering to Nicodemus two startling propositions that will forever change his understanding of true salvation and what it means to be born again.

1. The first proposition is this:

Physical birth into Abraham’s family is not sufficient for redemption.

That’s the same truth Paul has been emphasizing in Romans Chapter 2.

Now look at verse 5 in John Chapter 3:

“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’”

But what does “born of water” mean?

Some possible interpretations include:

• A reference to the cleansing aspect of the New Covenant
• A reference to the cleansing power of God’s Word
• Another reference to the Holy Spirit
• A reference to John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance
• A reference to the necessity of water baptism

Jesus was not teaching that the new birth comes through water baptism. In fact, in the New Testament, baptism is connected with death, not birth. While water baptism is necessary for spiritual obedience, it is not necessary for spiritual birth.

I was baptized by water many years ago—not so I could go to be with the Lord, but to publicly declare that I am going to be with the Lord.

In verse 5, Jesus is not talking about being baptized for the first time. He’s talking about being born a second time.

Verse 6 helps explain verse 5:

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (that’s the natural, first birth), “and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”(that’s the supernatural, second birth).

In Jesus’ analogy, being born of water refers to physical birth. The Greek phrase is ex hudatos, literally translated “born out of water.” It’s also helpful to note that in Hebrew, the word for “to give birth” literally refers to the rupturing of membranes.

I’ve seen that firsthand. I won’t gore you with the details, but I remember being in the delivery room with Marsha—we were about to have our fourth child. (I say “we” rather generously.)

We were in the labor and delivery room when a medical professional came in and broke her water. Until then, our baby had been floating in a sac filled with amniotic fluid—what we refer to as “water.”

The doctor, by breaking the sac, basically emptied the swimming pool. And just like you wouldn’t want to stay in a pool without water, this was the baby’s cue to exit. I’m using layman’s terms, but I can tell you’re following.

Our children—your children—all of us were literally born ex hudatos: out of water.

That’s what verse 5 refers to—ex hudatos, the physical birth.

But Jesus then says there must be a second, different birth.

Why mention the first birth to Nicodemus at all? Isn’t that a given?

That’s precisely the point. For Jews like Nicodemus, physical birth was their spiritual guarantee. They thought being born into Abraham’s family sealed their place in the kingdom. Case closed—they were Jews, they were in!

Jesus delivers the shocking truth that Nicodemus’s first birth wasn’t good enough.

Physical birth is not sufficient for redemption.

Jesus continues in verse 7:

“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus responds in verse 9:

“How can these things be?”

Jesus answers in verse 10:

“Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.”

2. The second startling proposition is this:

Not only is physical birth insufficient for redemption, but the second birth cannot occur unless the Messiah experiences death.

Only the Cross Can Cure the Mortal Wound of Sin

John 3:14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15. that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life.

The verse refers us back to one of the most unique stories in the Old Testament. In the Book of Numbers, chapter 21, you discover the Israelites are in rebellion against God.

In judging Israel, God set poisonous snakes upon them. The Bible called them fiery serpents simply because of the hot fever that ultimately led to death was the predominate result of the serpents venom.

The people cried out for mercy and God instructed Moses to make a brass serpent, put it on a long wooden pole and hold it up in the midst of the camp. Tell the people of Israel that anyone who simply looks up at the brass serpent will be healed and live.

Why not develop medicine. . .why not require them to work for a cure?! It would have given them all something to do and would have satisfied every natural instinct of the heart to work on behalf of its own cure.

The fact that they were not told to make a human remedy is indicative of the greater fact that there is no human remedy for sin. Nothing but death awaiting them unless God provides the remedy.

Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote, "In the religious fashion of our day, there would have been a rush to incorporate the "Society for the Extermination of the Fiery Serpents. There would have been badges for the coat lapel, cards for district workers, secretaries for organization branches, pledge cards and mass rallies. There would have been a publication office and a weekly journal to tell of the progress of the work. There would have been photographs of heaps of serpents that had been killed by the faithful workers. All of them feverishly trying, by human effort to overcome the serpent's bite of sin! Let us accompany one of the zealous workers as he might take a pledge card into the tent of a stricken victim. The man had been bitten and the poison had already affected his limbs. He lies in feverish agony, the glaze of death already coming to his eyes. The zealous member of the Society for the Extermination of Fiery Serpents tells him of all that has been done to combat the serpents, and urges the man to join - the dying victim fumbles in his pocketbook for money and then takes a pen in hand. His fingers are held by the worker who helps him form his signature on the pledge and membership card, and the man signs in full and dies!"

That incident in Israel's history became a pre-figuring of Jesus Christ on a cross, lifted up, who became wicked sin for us. Salvation, spiritual healing, re-birth comes from simply looking at Him - in that look, believing that hope comes only from trust in Him.

Just as Jesus Christ told this religious leader that he was in desperate trouble, even though he had all the trappings of religion. My friend, you also can join a society, a church, sign a pledge card, go through Bible lessons and catechisms, give money, get baptized; and die . . . without God.

You have been bitten by sin - and it's a mortal wound. Your only hope is to look to that wooden cross, upon which is in Lamb, made to be wicked sin for us, the One who descended from heaven experienced death so He could provide to those who trust in Him a second birth.

Verse 15 says, "That whoever believes may in Him have eternal life."

What It Really Means to Believe in Your Heart

And what do it mean to believe?!

What did Phillip mean when he asked the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:37, "Do you believe with all of your heart?" What do we mean when we say a person needs to ask Jesus Christ into their heart?

What did the Apostle Paul mean when he said in Romans 10:9, "That if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised Christ from the dead you will be saved."

What's this connection between believing and "the heart".

Remember, the heart refers to more than that pump inside your chest…in Biblical terms, the heart refers to the inner person - the inner forces and functions of soul and spirit, mind and intellect - in other words, the heart refers to who you really are.

When Paul said, "To believe in your heart that God raised Christ from the dead" meant much more than someone simply saying, "Yea, I believe all that stuff." It actually means that all the forces and functions of soul and spirit, mind, will and intellect are driven by the truth of Christ's resurrection - Paul says in effect, "if you are gripped by the truth that Christ is the living, resurrected Lord and He controls and dominates your inner being, you shall be saved."

When you ask Jesus Christ to come in to your heart, if you are using the word "heart" biblically, then you are asking Jesus Christ to take up residency in the whole of your being, not just inhabit that red muscle that pumps away.

You are saying that Christ is now the Landlord of your building. He owns the house - He calls the shots - he determines how life is to be lived.

You say, but I know people that don't believe in Christ, and they look good and sound good; they're committed to their family, they're ethical in business, how do you know they don't have the truth?

Remember, religion is passionate about appearances - it focuses on the work of the hands, while ignoring the mortal wound of sin in their heart.

Religion Polishes the Outside and Ignores the Empty Well

So what has religion done?

I want you to imagine stumbling into an old run down farmyard. It's windswept and nothing more than hard baked ground there is a well - over top the well is a wooden platform and an old rusty pump. You're dying of thirst. You go over, step up onto the platform and begin to pump on that handle. . . it squeaks and complains with every push and pull. After 5 minutes, nothing but air. After 15 minutes of sweating and coaxing and pleading, still nothing. The well is dry.

What do you do for water?

Let me tell you what religion has done. He has scraped all the rust off that pump handle and he's painted it bright red. No, better yet, he's replaced the old handle with a shiny brass handle, there is shines in the farmyard with class and dignity.

People from all around have come to look at that pump - they decide to build more of them. They did a hole in the ground - never striking water, but they're not into water - they're into pumps. They build wooden platforms over the hole, and attach shiny pumps with beautiful handles. Some are elaborate, some larger than others, some inlaid with gold and silver. Songs have been composed about it; painters have come and painted the landscape with its beautiful pumps.

But nothing can be done about the fact that those beautiful, impressive pumps will never bring one drop of water to your thirsty lips.

Jesus Christ delivered the verdict to Nicodemus; "Nicodemus - you look good. You're the best that society and religion and culture can produce - but you're sitting on an empty well. You need to come in contact with living water."

And you come by way of a look - looking at the Son of man, who came to earth and died for sinners and if you'll look to Him and admit you are hopelessly bitten by sin and believe in your heart that He is the crucified and ascended Lord - you can go to heaven too, one day.

Christianity Begins Where Religion Ends—With the Heart

The Apostle Paul delivered the same verdict to the impressive, faithful Jew of his day.

• The faithful Jew will not be saved by his law.
• The faithful Jew will not be saved by his liturgy.
• The faithful Jew will not be saved by his lineage.

In other words, don't put so much stock in the name on the outside of that carton - don't depend on the markings stamped on the package - what matters is what's on the inside.

Religion is the road to hell simply because it cares only about the outside of the package. And it looks good . . . and it sells.

Christianity is the road to heaven and it focuses on the condition of the heart. True Christianity isn't into appearances. And it doesn't sell anything. But it transforms everything.

Beginning with the heart. Because at its very core, Christianity is a matter of the heart.