Views: 1<\/p>
[<\/span>Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our <\/span>Brief\u00a0<\/strong>Articles 1<\/b><\/span><\/span>\u00a0page.]<\/span><\/p>\n The other day I asked a lady where she went to church. She told me and then explained, \u201cI am not a \u2018practicing _______.\u2019\u201d Then, pointing to her head, she continued, \u201cI\u2019m a _________, up here.\u201d\u00a0 The more I mused on this lady\u2019s comment, the more I thought how typical she is of most people in our nation who claim any religious affiliation anymore. So many have only a \u201creligion of the head,\u201d that is, they have been taught to think like their parents on religious matters, but in practice they are not at all religious. Anyone who preaches very long is going to run into some brethren like this, too. They can argue a fairly good case for the Lord and the church; they are insulted if left out of the new church directory. They want it known that they are members of the church of Christ, but when it comes to practicing the religion of Christ, they grade out at 0-. They are always \u201ctoo busy\u201d to cook a dish for a bereaved family or to visit someone who is discouraged or sick. They can\u2019t be depended upon to attend Bible classes and worship faithfully or give of their money consistently or generously. Moreover, they may be able to out-cuss, out-drink, out-lie and otherwise outdo their \u201cirreligious\u201d neighbors in worldliness and sin. All the while, mind you, answering unhesitantly when anyone asks what church they are a member of, they answer, \u201cchurch of Christ\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n What does the Lord think of such religious profession?\u00a0 To the Jews of His day who had a \u201chead only\u201d religion, Jesus said, \u201cThis people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me\u201d (Mat. 15:8). On another occasion He said of the Jewish leaders, \u201cbut do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not\u201d (Mat. 23:3). Paul addressed the subject of \u201chead-only\u201d religion when he wrote, \u201cFor he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart\u2026\u201d (Rom. 2:28\u201329). The people Paul addressed considered themselves good Jews simply because they had been born Jews. However, they had taken so much pride in being born Jews they had not bothered to practice the Law.<\/span><\/p>\n Perhaps the clearest statement the Lord makes on this subject is at the close of the Sermon on the Mount: \u201cNot everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven (Mat. 7:21). A \u201chead-only\u201d religion is vain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [Note:<\/strong> I wrote this article for and it was published in The Edifier, <\/em>weekly bulletin of Pearl Street Church of Christ, Denton, TX, June 10, 1982, of which I was editor.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution:<\/strong> From thescripturecache.com<\/em>; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 1[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief\u00a0Articles 1\u00a0page.] The other day I asked a lady where she went to church. She told me and then explained, \u201cI am not a \u2018practicing _______.\u2019\u201d Then, pointing to her head, she continued, \u201cI\u2019m…<\/p>\n