Most people today have been religionated by man, not regenerated by the Holy Ghost. The religious man must have some righteousness or other, he knows he's a good-for-nothing rascal, he knows he doesn't have a moral righteousness, so he tries to get a religious, ceremonial one. The Roman Catholic that swears and drinks all week is very often the most superstitious and reverent man at mass. He will take off his hat and speak reverently immediately when he enters the church building. But he will cuss and swear and smoke as soon as he steps outside in the parking lot, and his conscience never bothers him because it is seared. But he is frightened to do so inside a religious building or in front of his priest. He feels he will be lost forever to speak a wrong word in a sanctuary. He will never forget to tithe or go to confessional, and he feels so much better about himself after he has completed his weekly religious activity.
A religion of ceremonies is so much easier than true and pure religion. To say your Hail Marys, eat your wafer, and sip your wine is easy enough; it is soon over, and it doesn't check your conscience. Turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart is much too hard for someone delighting in sin. Since outward religion is so easy, people like it better. Self-salvation through religiousness flatters a man's pride - he thinks he can get rid of his own guilt in his own way. Human nature loves working for its own forgiveness. The more religion binds a man up, the better he likes it. If the religion doesn't touch the heart, the better people like the religion. Empty religion pleases human nature, because the Gospel is too pure, too simple, too humbling.
Trusting in Christ alone casts down self-righteousness and man's high looks. Man will turn to anything rather than to the pureness of Christ. The religion of ceremonies does not require the giving up of your favorite sins. The lost man will take the sacrament from the priest when it comes time to die. He can drink, swear, smoke, lust, cheat and cuss as much as he likes. He just has to get confirmed, and then get a little holy oil on his deathbed, and sometimes go to church on Christmas and Easter. Take a nice Bible with you, be very attentive and observant, and the priest will think you are all right. This type of religion suits most men, he has no trouble with this kind of religion. They can keep on with their sins and think they are going to heaven with them. With the Gospel, sin and the sinner must part. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Ye must be born again. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity.
The pure Gospel that goes after a man's sins is never palatable to human nature. Human nature doesn't care what you tell it to do, as long as you don't tell it to Repent and Believe on Christ. The main problem with human nature is that it is always trying to find a means by which it can earn the Salvation that the Lord Jesus Christ wants to give away. If you are a sinner, you can't do good deeds. *Romans 3:12* Nobody could buy Salvation but Jesus, and He paid for it with His own life's blood. You can tell a man to observe this thing or the other, and he will do it. The harder it is, the better he will like it. But if you tell him, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. *Acts 16:31; Matthew 1:18-21* His pride is all up at once, for he hates the pure and simple Gospel, and seeks to drive the very thought of it from his soul. If you die without Christ, you will be held responsible before God for all your sins. If you think you deserve Salvation, or that you can earn eternal life, or that you can pay for the forgiveness of sins, you are lost, that's for sure.
You go to church regularly, and act so piously, you've been confirmed and baptized, you dress modestly, and never do anything wrong that people know about. You say the Gospel is for harlots, blasphemers, thieves, and drunkards, but not for good people such as you are. You think you can save yourself. But if you try it, and you will perish in the doing of it. The same free grace that saves a degraded prostitute must save you, or you can never be saved. Come along to the Cross with the rest of us sinners. We are all guilty, some more, some less, but we are all hopelessly guilty.
You've never been converted, you don't fear God. You love your sin and your drunken companions. You must go down into the pit of hell with the harlots and the profane. You are careless and thoughtless and Christless. You could do as well without a God as with one. Where are you going when you die? Without Christ, you are going to dwell the devils and fiends. They will be your companions forever. You are going to make your bed in hell and abide in everlasting torment. Ye must be born again. Don't reject Christ again like you've done in the past.
The thought of God and the world to come strikes you with terror, and with no delight. You are not reconciled to God, you have not the Spirit of adoption, your sins are not forgiven, you must become a child of God by grace through faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. Seek Jesus with all your heart, and He will found of you. Your proud nature will not stoop. You will not bend the kneed, and come down among us common sinners. Only the Spirit of God can bring you there. Only Christ's bleeding love can save you from your sins. Your past sinful life deserves the wrath of God. If you ever get to Heaven, you will have to get there through the Righteousness of Another. You must be rewarded for what Another man has already accomplished for you.
Come now and receive Christ's mercy, trust to His Precious Blood. Seek to know Christ personally. Jesus promised and He can deliver to you eternal life freely, only He can deliver the goods, He is able and willing, He is dependable, He always keeps His word. Cleave to Him with purpose of heart. Go directly to the only place of mercy, the bloody foot of Calvary's Cross. Lie down in the dust and cry to God - Lord, have mercy upon me a sinner for Jesus' sake. Come now, I beseech and entreat you, have mercy on your poor soul.
