The Unwillingness of a Merely Religious Heart

May 27, 2024

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” (John 5:39)

They were there in Jesus' day and are with us now. Purely religious people. Those who “hold to a form of godliness, but deny the power.” People who read the Bible about Christ but fail to kneel before Christ.

THE SOURCE OF OUR UNWILLINGNESS

This springs, as every sin does, from pride. It is our arrogance that thinks we can make ourselves right before God. That somehow, our good works are sufficient before a holy God.

The Bible points to Christ on every page. It is designed to lead us to Him—both mentally and spiritually. But if we are proud, the cataracts of arrogance cloud our eyes to Him. We see nothing that matters and last. In fact, like the Pharisees, we can look at the true things of God and attribute them to Satan himself.

Jesus pinpointed the problem with laser precision: unwillingness … “you are unwilling to come to Me.” Their wills were unbending, and they would not humbly admit their depravity and yield before Christ. They wanted their will and way and no one else's. They loved to be in control. Even though Christ stood right before them, and every page they were reading testified of Him, they were unwilling to come to Him so that they would have life.

OPEN YOUR EYES

Is there any pride that fosters an unwilling spirit in you? An unwillingness to bend the knee before Christ? To look to Him and Him alone in humble dependency?

You can evaluate the Biblical accuracy of your spiritual experience by this: Is my daily experience breaking my will and bringing me into deeper dependency upon Christ? Greater surrender? Greater submission? Greater love? Deeper prayer? Increased passion for Christ alone?

If not, it may be a religious experience but not a spiritual one. Even a true believer can slip for a season into this blinding arrogance.

It is a worse-than-deadly exchange. Deal with it quickly and ruthlessly. Such a religious spirit will keep you from Christ and the true spiritual life He alone can provide.

(The picture above is of the mural "The Encounter" in Magdala, Israel. It is the women with the issue of blood who came humbly, dependently to Christ and received healing and life.)

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