Essentials of Religion

"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." (James 1: 26-27 kjv)

In this series we will speak of the essentials of religion, especially as spoken of in the holy scriptures. Years ago I preached a message to the church I pastored titled "Five Things Necessary For Religion." After about fifty years later I want to return to that theme, with however some additions so that it is now far more than five essential things. 

I have heard some sermons through the years where I heard a preacher say "religion cannot save you sinner; only Jesus can save you." Ironically I would hear some of these same preachers sing "give me that ole time religion, give me that ole time religion..." Of course, what they meant to say was this: just being involved in religious activities or being members of a religious group or performing some religious exercises, does not guarantee salvation or acceptance with God. We see this from these words of Christ:

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt. 7: 22-24 kjv)

Here are people who had religion but were never known by the Lord and who go to Hell. Jesus also often spoke against the religious leaders of his day, be they Sadducees or Pharisees, declaring that they were lost in sin in spite of all their religiosity. See for instance his rebuke of them in Matthew chapter twenty three. 

But, we must not go to extremes or "throw the baby out with the bathwater" when we speak against "religion." For the fact is, we are saved by truly and sincerely embracing the Christian religion as defined in the new testament scriptures. The text above from James, the Lord's brother, shows us that there is both a "vain religion" and a "pure and undefiled religion," and "that before God." False religions will not be of any use to anyone, and can actually be a means of sealing one's doom. 

The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith in chapter ten of "Effectual Calling" write this in section 4:

"4. Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess." (Mt 22:14; 13:20-21; Heb 6:4-5;  Jn 6:44-45,65; 1Jn 2:24-25; Ac 4:12; Jn 4:22; 17:3)

If this is true (and it is), then 1) accepting the Christian religion (which is to accept the gospel) is necessary to be eternally saved, and 2) following any other religion saves no one.

Excluding God, the object of worship in religion, what are the essentials or component elements of "religion." In fact, how does the dictionary define "religion"? The above image gives the most simple definition, which is a sociological one. Other sources give much longer definitions. Essentially it is the worship of a deity and involves doing the bidding of that deity, or being engaged in service to him or her.

However, we cannot exclude the deity being religiously served. True religion only exists where the true deity is worshiped. All vain and false religion that does not worship only "the one true and living God" (Jer. 10: 10; I Thess. 1: 9; etc.) saves no one. 

Word Study

The sociological definition in the above heading is good simple concise definition of "religion." However, it does not detail the essential elements of religion, which is what we will do in this series. Many other social scientists also are concerned about studying the world's religions, as are theologians, and so in many colleges you can find classes in "the sociology of religion," and in the role of religion in psychology, and in "the philosophy of religion" (a class I took in college), etc. But, how do the scriptures speak of the idea of religion? As we will see, some texts give the word "religion" (or its cognates, such as worship, serve, etc.) a negative connotation, and others give a positive connotation. In the text above from James we have both kinds of religion referred to. Notice these texts about what Paul said about his native religion.

"My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee." (Acts 26: 4-5 kjv)

"For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." (Gal. 1: 13-14 kjv)

Vine's NT Words says this about the Greek words translated "religion":

"Religion (threseia) signifies religion in its external aspect (akin to threskos), "religious worship," especially the ceremonial service of "religion;" it is used of the "religion" of the Jews, Acts 26:5; of the "worshiping" of angels, Colossians 2:18, which they themselves repudiate (Revelation 22:8-Revelation 22:9)...in James 1:26-James 1:27 the writer purposely uses the word to set in contrast that which is unreal and deceptive, and the "pure religion" which consists in visiting "the fatherless and widows in their affliction," and in keeping oneself "unspotted from the world." He is "not herein affirming...these offices to be the sum total, nor yet the great essentials, of true religion, but declares them to be the body, the threskeia, of which godliness, or the love of God, is the informing soul" (Trench)."

In the Galatians passage the Greek word is "ioudaismos" and means religion of the Jews and on this word Vine says that it "denotes "the Jews' religion," and stands, not for their religious beliefs, but for their religious practices, not as instituted by God, but as developed and extended from these by the traditions of the Pharisees and scribes. In the Apocrypha it denotes comprehensively "the Government, laws, institutions and religion of the Jews." 

Essentials of Religion

1. Temple or place of worship

2. Priests

3. Worshipers

4. Prayer

5. Praise and Adoration

6. Altars

7. Religious Rules 

8. Sacrifices

9. Rites and Ceremonies

10. Oracles and Sacred Writings.

11. Holy or Feast Days

12. Religious Duties (religious life)

13. Creed or Confession of Faith

14. Belief and religious feelings (psychological)

Some might include other things, things that are not essential, but accompaniments, such as:

1. Relics and holy objects

2. Anointings

3. Ordinations

4. Etc.

As we will see, there are both internal and external elements of religion, what corresponds to the thoughts and emotions of the worshipers, and what corresponds to the physical activities of the worshiper. In our next chapter we will begin examining each of these listed essentials one by one. We will show how in all these essentials that the Christian religion far excels that of all other religions.