Religion False And True

Don Fortner | Added: Jul 08, 2025 | Category: Theology

The church at Philippi was truly a wonderful congregation. These saints had been dear to Paul’s heart for many years. He was the first man to preach the gospel of Christ to them. He was their spiritual father. He had watched this congregation grow from a few young believers, who met in a clearing by the riverside, to a large, flourishing congregation. By the sustaining grace of God, they had remained faithful to Christ and His gospel. They were a source of great joy to God’s servant.

The Philippians were doctrinally sound. They were also a very generous and charitable people. They were united in the faith of the gospel. They were zealous missionaries, anxiously seeking the furtherance of the gospel and the conversion of sinners.

When Paul heard that the church at Philippi was being harassed by false teachers, who denied the all-sufficiency of Christ’s righteousness and shed blood, he was deeply disturbed. It seemed that a real danger was threatening this beloved church. There were some who had crept into the church who were ‘the enemies of the cross of Christ’. They pretended to be God’s servants, but they were really the ministers of Satan. They claimed to be preachers of grace, but they were really preachers of works. They came in the name of Christ, but they really opposed Christ. These Judaizers, or legalists, had come in the name of the Lord seeking to impose upon God’s saints the law of Moses. They were wolves in sheep’s clothing. They did not openly deny Christ and the gospel of the grace of God. But they sought to mix law and grace.

Because of this danger, Paul used vigorous and unmistakable language to warn God’s church about these false prophets and the false religion which they were peddling. He knew the jeopardy the church was in. He knew any mixture of law and grace is total denial of grace (Romans 11:6). He knew any doctrine that teaches men that salvation can be attained, maintained, or improved by works of personal righteousness is total apostasy (Galatians 5:1-4). 

 I realise that the greatest danger to the souls of eternity bound sinners is the danger of false religion. The Word of God warns of this repeatedly. Untold multitudes have perished and are perishing today because false prophets have given them a false hope and deceived them with a false religion. Religion without Christ is the most deadly evil in the world. ‘There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death’ (Proverbs 16:25). ‘To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them’ (Isaiah 8:20). Read: Jeremiah 5:30, 31; 6:13, 14; Ezekiel 34:1-6; Amos 8:11; Matthew 7:13-15; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4, 13-15; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1.

An exhortation

Remember this Epistle was written under the direct inspiration of God the Holy Spirit. It was written for the Philippians and us too. What Paul says to them he says to us. These things were written for our learning and admonition.

Chapter 3 begins with Paul’s final admonition to his beloved brethren at Philippi. He had some strong, stern warnings to give. But his final word to his friends begins with a tender exhortation. He says, ‘Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord’ (v. 1). He is addressing God’s true children, continually admonishing those who truly belong to Christ to rejoice in him.

Life is full of disappointments, frustrations, and sorrows. But no matter our circumstances, as children of God, if we have Christ, if we are washed in His blood and robed in His righteousness, we always have reason to rejoice. The more we rejoice in Christ, the more willing we will be to do or suffer anything for His name’s sake, and the less likely it will be that anything will draw us away from him. God give us grace to believe Nehemiah’s words to the people, ‘The joy of the Lord is your strength’ (Nehemiah 8:10).

Paul had warned the people of Philippi before of false brethren; now he is about to warn them again, with good reason. ‘To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe’ (v. 1). This is what Paul is saying, ‘It is no irksome task to me to warn you of those who would ruin your souls, because I know that you need this safeguard.’ Then, in the spirit of faithfulness to Christ and love for the souls of men, Paul denounces all false religion in no uncertain terms, and describes the characteristics of true religion in the simplest terms possible.

A warning

‘Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision’ (v. 2). The apostle is here giving us a serious warning. He is not talking about men and women from some far eastern cult. He is not talking about those false religions of ancient history; Hinduism, Judaism, or Islam. He is not talking about the idolatrous false religions that have sprung up in more recent history; the Campbellites, Pentecostals, Mormons or Russellites. Paul is talking about people who claim to be true Christians, men who claim to preach Christ and worship God.

These men and women were members of a church very much like our own, but they had a false religion. Paul says to the true people of God, ‘Beware! Beware! Beware!’ He uses that word ‘Beware’ like the blows of a gavel, saying, ‘Give me your attention. The danger of false religion is threatening you!’ Here he is warning them to take heed and beware of false prophets (Matthew 7:15). 

He is talking about every preacher of free-will, works religion. He is talking about every preacher who would attempt to bring us under the yoke of bondage to the law. He is talking about every preacher who makes salvation to be, in any way or to any degree, the work of man. Paul is talking about every false prophet in the world, every man who comes in the name of God, but does not preach the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. 

Very few people today have ever heard the gospel of the grace of God. Today’s gospel emphasizes what the sinner does for God, rather than what God does for the sinner. Mark this well, salvation is something God does for you, not something you do for God. Today’s gospel emphasises heaven and hell, rather than the real issues of Christ and sin. Today’s gospel is a message to the head, rather than a message to the heart. Today’s gospel calls on men to stand up and be counted, whereas the gospel of God calls on men to bow down and worship.

Paul denounced those who preached a false gospel in the strongest terms possible. He said, ‘Beware of dogs’. He calls them dogs because that is what the Word of God calls male prostitutes (Deuteronomy 23:18; Isaiah 56:10, 11). They are those men who prostitute the gospel of Christ and the glory of God for gain. As a dog returns to its own vomit, these men return to legal works. Like mad dogs, they bite and devour God’s saints. Being greedy, covetous, self-serving dogs, they make merchandise of the souls of men, and though they claim to be building up the kingdom of God, they are not even in it. 

Then, he says, ‘Beware of evil workers’, referring to those same dogs (preachers) who appear sincere and zealous, but draw attention away from Christ and what He has done, to man and what man is to do. They teach, preach and promote man-centred, works-based, free-will religion (Matthew 7:22, 23). The good works of religion without Christ are the most abominably evil works done in this world. All works of religion, morality and righteousness performed by men with the hope of meriting God’s favour or turning away His anger are evil works!

Next, Paul warns, ‘Beware of the concision’. They called themselves ‘the circumcision; Paul calls them ‘the concision’, flesh cutters. They called themselves preservers of truth; Paul called them perverters of truth. They called themselves healers of strife; Paul called them promoters of strife and division. Those who are of the concision are men and women who teach, in hope of winning God’s favour, one should cut, mutilate, and otherwise punish the body. They are men who mutilate the gospel of Christ and the souls of men, not by an avowed denial of the gospel, but by a deceitful corruption of the gospel. Paul is urging us to beware any preacher or any doctrine that elevates man, and what man does. In other words, beware of Christless religion.

False religion

We are plagued in our day with men who have prostituted the gospel of Christ. They are prophets of deceit. The religion they peddle is a false religion and those who follow them will awake in the day of judgment to find their preachers have led them headlong to destruction. I warn you, for Christ’s sake, beware of dogs! Beware of evil workers! Beware of the concision! I lay nine solemn charges against the preachers of our day. I speak plainly and candidly, because the souls of men, the gospel of Christ, and the glory of God are at stake.

1. They preach in the name of God, but rob Him of His essential glory as God: His absolute sovereignty, His perfect holiness, and His inflexible justice.

2. They talk much about the sins of men, but say nothing about the sin of man.

3. They preach much about the death of Christ, but deny the efficacy of His blood and the merits of His atonement.

4. They preach much about the love of God, but reduce His love to nothing but a sentimental, helpless goodwill.

5. They preach ‘salvation by grace alone’, but the grace they preach is entirely dependent upon the sinner for its power.

6. They preach righteousness, but the righteousness they preach is the righteousness men perform, not the righteousness of God imputed to men in Christ.

7. They preach salvation as an act of the mind and body, rather than a renewal of the heart by sovereign grace.

8. They preach Christ as a Saviour to keep men out of hell, but deny the necessity of surrender to Christ as Lord.

9. They preach those things which men want to hear, and conceal or deny those things which are offensive to men as a whole.

Modern religion reduces the triune God to nothing but a weak, defeated, frustrated figment of man’s imagination. Modern fundamentalism worships an idol moulded from the corruption of the human heart, garnished with the ornaments of depraved brains, and painted with the words of false preachers. Modern religion makes God a spectator, helplessly watching to see what men will do with His creation. It makes Christ a frustrated, defeated failure who has done His best to save men, but His best was not enough. It makes the Holy Spirit a helpless influence for good which man may either obey or refuse.

True religion

True religion is an effectual operation of divine grace in the heart. True religion rejoices in Christ (Jeremiah 9:23, 24; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 31). The word ‘rejoice’ has the idea of confident joy, or such confidence and faith as produces joy. We who believe, ‘Rejoice in Christ Jesus’. We rejoice in His Person, in His work, in His Word, in His will, in His providence, in His promise, and in His love. 

True religion is not outward but inward and spiritual. False religion is outward and carnal. True religion is a matter of the heart. It is the spiritual, heart worship of God (1 Samuel 16:7; Isaiah 66:1-4; John 4:24). True religion is a Person. False religion emphasises things. True religion looks to Christ and rests in what He has done. False religion looks to and rests in what man has done. True religion has no confidence in the flesh; no, not in the experiences, emotions, or works of the flesh. Our complete confidence is in Christ, not in ourselves, but in Christ alone. True religion is a personal, living, and continual knowledge of Christ. Christ is the foundation, the centre, the sum, and the essence of all saving faith. 

God’s true servants, those who are called and sent of God to preach the true gospel, are not at all like the prophets of deceit. They are different in their motives and in their message. The test of every preacher is this: What does he preach?

I can tell you five things that will characterise the ministry of every man who is sent of God to preach the gospel:

1. He will preach that man is nothing but a loathsome mass of sin (Romans 3:9-19).

2. He will preach that God is a God of sovereign purpose and irresistible power (Romans 11:33-36).

3. He will preach Christ as an effectual Redeemer and prevailing Intercessor (Hebrews 10:11-14).

4. He will preach that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Giver and Preserver of life (John 6:63).

5. He will preach that all the fulness of grace and glory is in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30).

I have warned you plainly of false religion. It is the greatest danger you will ever face. Give it no credibility and offer it no support. God our Father is a Spirit and He is seeking men to worship Him in spirit and in truth. To worship Him you must worship Him in the truth of the gospel, you must worship Him in your heart, and you must worship Him by confident faith in Christ alone. In true religion, Christ is all!

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