Is Your Religion Void? – Void Stuff is Worthless Stuff
If something is void, it is worthless. Sometimes I use coupons. Often there is a date on the coupon that limits the usefulness of the offer. The coupon becomes void, invalid or worthless at the end date. Some things are void just by their very nature. A warranty that makes you do a bunch of stuff to get satisfaction is almost worthless. The rules make getting satisfaction too laborious to be worth the effort.
The Many Void Religions
Sadly, there are many well-intentioned people who follow a lifeless god. Their god(s) are unable to help them, and they waste huge amounts of time, energy, and money serving their hopeless and helpless god. This includes organized religion and even the god of evolution or “natural selection.” It includes the god of self, otherwise known as atheism.
The Resurrection Matters
Paul wanted believers to know that they have hope based on the resurrection of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, chapter 15, he said having a worthless faith is futile. It is worse than void, it should cause one to be pitied. He wanted the believers to see that they should abandon their faith if there is no resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
Tradition and Religion
Jesus rebuked the religious for their misuse of tradition to avoid their family obligations. He said we need to have the right perspective about the word of God.
“But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” – Matthew 15:5-9
Here is the passage Jesus quoted: “And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,…” – Isaiah 29:13
Works Do Not Save, But…
Your faith is void if your faith doesn’t drive you to action. A person can think they are religious and may even do religious routines and still neglect a life grounded in faith in the finished work of Jesus. Jesus is worthy of our worship, and our worship is void if it isn’t accompanied by how we treat those who need our practical help. Is your religion void (worthless)? Don’t live life with a voided religion.
“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” – James 1:26-27
The Reality About Faith and Works
Faith without works is worthless. It is void. Why? Because faith always works like the Father.
Works without faith are worthless too. They are void.
A Sermon Link – Sunday Morning Service -November 10th, 2024
Sometimes I have an opportunity to preach. On this past Sunday the text for the message was 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. There is more than one way to view or listen to the message. If you use the first link you will see the entire service, but you can move to the preaching portion if you have limited time. SERMON ON FACEBOOK
If you just want to listen to the message, go to this link: SERMON ON MBCVERONA
Know Your Flocks & Herds 
They worship Mother Nature,
and worship Darwin too.
Hoping to be a satyr,
they can’t have God be true,
’cause then they would be strictly called
to account for what they’ve done.
They’d see their lives as fenced and walled,
and there goes all the fun,
but what they do not understand
is that libertines are yoked
to a life in greying land
that is sodden-soaked
with need for ever-greater highs,
the death of freedom now despised.
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