(James 1:26-27) If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Religion is worthless if it doesn’t involve seeking God’s face (His will and His guiding light) and allowing His Spirit to create a new heart within His people. There is no God in human ritual if the heart is absent. There is no God in lofty words if the source isn’t a Spirit filled heart. There is no God in focusing on the laws of the Old Testament if they don’t lead you to salvation through Christ and God’s Spirit filling your heart. There is no God in judgement, period! Religion created by man is worthless to God. Religion takes the focus from Jesus and puts it on human action. Religion takes the glory from God and puts it in a building made by man. God’s Religion is based on the two greatest commandments given in Jesus: (Mark 12:29-31) Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” If religion is based on anything other than these, it is like soiled rags, like all of our best efforts in the sight of a Holy God. God seeks our heart, not our lip service.