External Religion Won't Cut It - A Reading From EveryDay Gospel by Paul David Tripp

Since January of this year, I've been reading with a group of friends through the entire Bible using the plan in and accompanied by the daily comments of Paul David Tripp's book, Everyday Gospel.  Twice each month we gather for breakfast and ask of each other: "So, what did you underline?"  It's been a great experience, that I want to give you a taste of. 

The reading for October 14 was Mark 12-13.  Portions of Tripp's comments include:

You might not think this indictment of the scribes has anything whatsoever to do with you, but it does.

When Jesus says, “Beware of the scribes,” he is not just warning his listeners to be careful because the scribes are up to no good. He is also warning his followers (and us) not to act like the scribes. Jesus finds the religiosity of the scribes deeply offensive, and we should too. In his condemnation of them, Jesus combines three things that should get our attention and cause us to do some self-examination: religious externalism, pride, and injustice. These things often go together. 

• Religious externalism concerns public displays of spirituality that do not come from the heart. True biblical religion is always about the capture and transformation of the heart. 
• Pride concerns drawing attention to yourself. Prideful actions are those that are motivated by the worship of self and seek the worship of others. Pride is the enemy of the work of God in the heart. 
• Injustice is a lack of compassion for or activity on behalf of those who are suffering or disadvantaged.

Here’s how these things work together. An externally religious person is proud because his religion is about personal accomplishment and not grace. And, because he thinks he has earned his success, he looks down on people who have less than he has, rather than showing them compassion. Externalism produces pride, and pride is the soil in which injustice grows.

Yes, we should be aware of the lifestyle of the scribes. Their public displays are an attractive form of false godliness. They lack a brokenhearted knowledge of sin, fail to celebrate God’s grace, and never give grace where grace is needed.

God will not be satisfied with our daily Bible reading, regular church attendance, or episodic moments of ministry if underneath these things are pride of accomplishment and a cold heart toward those in need. God will not be satisfied with external Christianity if he does not own and rule our hearts. May grace cause us to give ourselves to nothing less than a true Christianity of the heart.

CLICK HERE for an Amazon link to Everyday Gospel by Paul David Tripp.