The Oberlin Evangelist

February 13, 1839

Lecture IV.

TRUE AND FALSE RELIGION

by the Rev. Charles G. Finney

Modernized by Cliff Collins

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1)

The observances of the ceremonial law were designed to represent the gospel. The Jews had misunderstood them, and believed that observing them was the ground of their justification and acceptance by God. After the introduction of Christianity, many of the Christian Jews were very zealous to observe those ceremonies, and they wanted to unite the ceremonial dispensation with Christianity. However, Paul, “the great Apostle of the Gentiles”, insisted on justification by faith alone, which did not depend on any legal observances and conditions whatever. A group of teachers in the early days of Christianity called Judaizers, insisted on uniting legal observances with Christianity as a ground of justification. Soon after Paul began establishing Churches in Galatia, these Judaizers succeeded in introducing this corruption into the Christian Churches. It was Paul’s desire to rebuke this error and overthrow it. The yoke and bondage spoken of in our passage today, was the yoke of legal observances. The liberty mentioned here is the liberty of love, of justification and of sanctification by faith alone.

In discussing this subject, I plan to show,

I. What it means to make a man a slave.

II. What it means to be a slave.

III. What true liberty is.

IV. That the religion of many people is mere slavery.

V. That true religion is genuine liberty.

I. What does it mean to make a man a slave?

To enslave a man is to treat a person as a thing, to set aside moral agency and to treat a moral agent as a mere piece of property.

II. What does it mean to be a slave?

It does not mean that you are in a state of involuntary servitude, for, strictly speaking, such a state is impossible. Strictly speaking, the slaves in the Southern States are not in a state of involuntary servitude. Overall, they choose to serve their masters, rather than suffer something worse. A man can’t act against his will, but his will may be influenced by considerations that set aside his freedom. To be a slave, is to be forced to choose between two evils. Thus, the slaves in the Southern States prefer being as they are to being in a worse situation; to being imprisoned or whipped for attempting to escape. But clearly, this is a choice between two evils, neither of which, if left to themselves would they choose. So a wicked man may choose to obey human laws, rather than suffer the consequences of disobedience. Still, he may hate the laws, and yet he feels forced to choose between two evils. Therefore, a wife who does not love her husband may choose to live with him, rather than break up her family, lose her character, and subject herself to poverty and reproach. Yet, if she does not love her husband, she will consider living with him, merely as the lesser of two evils. She feels forced to choose between two courses, neither of which she likes or wants. All that can be said is that she chooses that course which, overall, is the least disagreeable.

Having to choose against our feelings and inclinations, being forced to pursue a course of life not chosen for its own sake, but as the least of two evils is the very essence of slavery.

III. What is true liberty?

1. True liberty does not consist in unrestrained indulgence in lust and selfishness.

2. True liberty does not consist in freedom from all laws, or rules of action.

3. But true liberty consists in the privilege of choosing and pursuing that course of life in which our whole moral being will harmonize, where no violence is done to the law of our mind.

4. In other words, liberty consists in pursuing that course which is preferred for its own sake. Liberty is not choosing the least of two evils. Liberty is that course of life that the mind prefers out of all the possible courses. For example, a wife, who loves her husband and prefers his company to that of any other man is free, in the proper sense of the term, in living with him; whereas, if she preferred another man to him, and lived with her own husband, because of other considerations than love, she would be a slave, and not free.

A person, who obeys wholesome laws because he loves virtue and good order, is free in the highest sense; but when he obeys laws from restraint, not because he loves virtue, but because he is afraid of punishment, he is a slave. Here we see that he considers his choice of obedience as a choice between two evils, and not a decision that he prefers for its own sake.

IV. The Religion of many people is mere Slavery.

1. Their religion is not something that they are deeply interested in. Their conduct shows that many other things interest them more deeply than the subject of religion; many other things excite and interest them. Their religion seems to be like the labor of children. Children choose to play for its own sake, they are deeply interested in playing, and they are excited about it. You can see their excitement and zeal when you watch them play. But when you make them work, it is clear that they view this as the lesser of two evils. They don’t love work for its own sake, but prefer it to punishment. The same is true with the religion of many professing Christians. They don’t naturally turn to religion as the great central object of their affections, and they don’t return to religion with a force like gravity, as soon as the pressure of any object, that diverts their attention for a while, is removed. On the other hand, their attention is somewhere else, even while they are outwardly, and listlessly attending to what they call religion.

2. Their religion is altogether a secondary business. It is not the great, absorbing, commanding, prominent object of their lives; but is so far huddled into a corner, that everyone can see that religion is not their most important business, that they have some other, more important, business to attend to, and that religion has little importance in their lives.

Thus, what they call their religious duties; their prayers, their scripture reading, and so much more are hurried over, or for the tiniest excuses, completely omitted. Something other than religion constitutes their main business, commands their time, their thoughts, and their hearts.

3. Religion, with them, is a matter of their conscience, rather than a matter of heart. They feel that they are driven by the rebuke of their conscience to perform their religious duties, rather than drawn by the deep love of religion itself.

4. That their religion is slavery is obvious from the fact that it does not constitute their happiness. This demonstrates that it is not something that they choose for its own sake. True, they can’t be happy without it; but they can’t be happy with it. Their conscience will not allow them to rest without doing something they can call religion. And yet, they do not choose it for its own sake. Their mind is not satisfied with it, nor are they made happy by it.

5. They are religious on the same principle that people take medicine when they become sick. They engage in it simply for its benefits. The medicine may be nauseous and offensive all by itself, but they take it as the lesser of two evils.

6. In the same way, many submit to religion as something they must attend to, and not because they love it for its own sake. Their mind does not choose religion as that course that their mind desires and values the most; but they choose it as something that they are afraid to neglect.

7. These people regard religion as extremely important, but they don’t love being involved in it. Their reason tells them that it is important and necessary; but their hearts do not affirm that they love it any more than they love anything else. They do not rejoice in it for its own sake.

8. We can learn the real state of mind that these people are in by watching them exhort others to attend to the subject of religion. They would rather dwell on the danger of neglecting religion, than on the blessedness of religion all by itself.

9. And that this isn’t because they expect such considerations, like the dangers of neglecting religion, to be most influential with those people they talk to. You will notice that, in speaking about or considering their own lives, they are mainly influenced by the same reasons they present to others. With them, religion is something that is not good to neglect. The danger of neglecting religion, the stings of conscience, and the misery that neglect brings with it, are the things that influence them the most.

10. They are under circumstances of constraint. They must serve God! They must attend to their duty! They must prepare for death!

11. Their enjoyment consists mostly in their hope, and not in the exercise of religion itself. If they never expected to be any happier in their religion than they are now, they would be “of all men the most miserable”. Therefore, they drag out their religion in obedience to the dictates of their conscience, knowing that it does not constitute their happiness here, but somehow, they hope it will be more agreeable to them in heaven.

12. Their religion acts by way of restraint and constraint. Religion acts like a bridle to rein in, and control their rampant, sinful tendencies on one hand, and it acts like a whip to urge them forward in their religious duties on the other hand. It is not that course of life, which of all possible or conceivable courses, is the most agreeable to them for its own sake. But they have an existence, and there is no alternative. They must be religious, or they must be damned. They must continually be thrown on the terrors of their conscience, or drag on in their duty, no matter how much their heart is reluctant.

13. As a result, you hear them thinking about how much they are involved in any religious or benevolent enterprise; and they seem to be glad when they think they have done what they believe is their fair share. Then they think they have done their duty, they feel like they can rest awhile, or attend to their own affairs.

14. Therefore, the question arises, “how little can they do, give, and pray, and still maintain a hope for heaven? How much religion is needed to get to heaven?”

In short, it is clear that their religion, instead of being their happiness, instead of being something chosen for its own sake, and pursued on its own account, is their misery. Their religion is the least of two evils. Instead of making them happy, lots of religion would be hell.

V. True religion is genuine liberty.

1. Because true religion, which is chosen for its own sake, is that course that the mind prefers to all other conceivable courses of life.

2. The mind that possesses true religion, feels as if it is the highest good.

3. If left completely unbiased by every other consideration, and having all other possible and conceivable courses of life and conduct spread out before it, the religion of Christ would be its supreme, eternal choice.

4. Our whole being, in all its powers, unites and harmonizes in true religion. Our reason, our conscience, our understanding and, all our affections and emotions; in short, our willful acts, and everything that makes up our moral being, unite and sweetly harmonize, in the exercise of this divine religion.

5. As a result, true religion constitutes real and permanent happiness.

6. It casts out fear. It casts out the fear of hell, the fear of disgrace, the fear of man, and every tormenting fear is annihilated, and the mind sweetly bathes itself in an ocean of love and peace.

7. Our soul yields obedience to all the requirements of God joyfully, for the will of God maps out to our soul the very course that our soul joyfully wants to pursue. The affectionate wife obeys her husband, and his wish is her law, not from constraint but willingly, because her happiness is wrapped up in doing his will. She loves him, and to please him is her joy and her life. The same is true with the true Christian. To please God is his supreme joy.

8. The true Christian never yields to the will of God by constraint; but always prefers the will of God whenever that will is known. In other words, the true Christian really desires what God wills, as soon, and as far as he knows what that is. He may have desires for this thing or that object, and may express those desires to God in prayer. He may think this, or that course would be best for the glory of God. But true religion always prefers that God’s will should be done. His will is controlled by infinite wisdom and love. Therefore, it is impossible that true religion should ever be made miserable, by being obliged, or constrained to submit to God’s will.

9. True religion is not submitted to, by the one who possesses it, as if it was medicine, but it is like food that we eat for its own sake. We love our food, and we enjoy eating food, whether we expect to be benefited by it or not. The same is true in religion. Our mind is not mainly influenced by the benefit to be received; but it lives on the mental food of religion.

10. The truly religious man does not ask how little religion he can get along with; but how much he may possess.

11.The truly religious person does not ask how much sin he can indulge in, and still get to heaven; but how he can get rid of all sin, whether he goes to heaven or not. He doesn’t ask how sinful he can be and still be a child of God; but how holy he may and can be.

12. His religion makes up his happiness. The continual exercise of religion blesses him, and enough of this religion would make heaven.

REMARKS

1. From what I have said, it is clear, that many professing Christians really regard God as a great slaveholder. I don’t mean that they would say this in words. Nor do they understand that they see God in this light. The reason is that they don’t realize they are slaves. If they realized what slavery is, and that they have the spirit of slaves, and they are perfect examples of slaves in their religion, they would then be shocked with the irresistible conclusion that they regard God as a Slaveholder.

2. What an abomination such a religion must be in the sight of God! Instead of seeing His professing children engaged, heart and soul, in His service, finding the essence of true liberty there, and finding serving Him their supreme joy, God watches them groan under it, as if it was a severe burden; and they submit to God, only to escape His frown.

3. Can you now see the true distinction between the religion of law, and the religion of the gospel? The religion of many professing Christians seems to be so painful, it’s like a straitjacket. It is clearly not their natural element. It is the bondage of law, and not the religion of peace.

4. Many express indignation against Southern slavery, and they should, but they are slaves themselves. They know very well, that if they were honest with themselves, they would admit that their religion is a yoke of bondage. They are afraid of death, afraid of the judgment, and afraid of God.

They submit to religion as the only method of escaping “the wrath to come”. But, tell them that there is no hell and no solemn judgment; that people will universally be saved no matter what they do, and they will feel relieved of a weighty burden. They will feel relieved of the responsibilities of moral agents, and throw off their religion as if it isn’t important.

5. This slavery is totally inexcusable. It is the result of the perverse state of the heart.

6. Such religion is worse than no religion.

(1) It is not any safer than no religion.

(2) It is more hypocritical than no religion.

(3) It confirms self-righteousness.

(4) It produces and perpetuates a delusion in the mind.

(5) It ruins people’s souls, and it is a stumbling block to others. What is a greater stumbling block, for example, than for an impenitent husband to see his wife possessing this painful, legal religion? Instead of observing her being happy, humble, sweet, heavenly minded and peaceful, like an angel; he senses that her religion makes her complaining, uneasy, and irritable; in short, that it is the lashings of conscience, by which she is motivated, and not the constant flow of the deep feelings of her heart.

(6) This kind of religion is more dishonorable to God than no religion at all. It is really the opposite of true religion. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) Now the religion that I have been talking about is the very opposite of all this. Certainly, an openly irreligious person dishonors God. Many people today claim that they are God’s representatives, they claim that they exhibit God’s spirit, and claim to be the reflection of His image, but they go about their religious duties like a task they are forced to submit to. Instead of being an example of God’s overflowing unselfish love, their lives demonstrate the worst misrepresentation of the character of God and the religion of the gospel that is possible.

(7) It is worse than no religion at all, because it actually prevents conviction, and true conversion. People in this state believe they are truly religious, and they don’t seem to realize that this is the very opposite of true religion.

Now, while under this delusion, it is useless to expect their eyes to be opened, and to anticipate a real and thorough conversion to God.

7. All who have left their first love are again entangled in the yoke of bondage! If any of you have known what it was like to love God with all your heart, you have known what it was to be free. You know, by your own consciousness, that your religion was then the essence of true liberty. But if you have laid aside your love, no matter by what other principles you are motivated by, you are “entangled again in the yoke of bondage”. (Galatians 5:1) Your religion has ceased to be free, and you have become a slave. Now I ask you, where is the blessedness you once spoke about? Do you have that great peace that those who love the law of God possess? Does the peace of God rule in your hearts? Is Christ’s joy fulfilled in you? Or, are you lashed along by your conscience, motivated by hope and fear; and motivated by any, and every other principle than love?

Now beloved, I ask you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether you have the religion of the gospel. In today’s discussion, I have tried to set before you, as simply as is possible, the tremendous difference between true saints and hypocrites. To which of these groups do you belong? Remember the eye of God is on you. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (Galatians 6:7) “If the Son has made you free, then you are free indeed”. (John 8:36) And I exhort you in the words of our passage, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” But, on the other hand, if the Holy Ghost sees you with the chains of slavery on your soul, driven on by conscience, as if your conscience was a slave-holder; and you are working out your painful religion, lest you should lose your soul, I beg you, in the name of Christ, get up out of this bondage. Lay aside your chains, “loose yourself from the bands of your neck, 0h captive daughter of Zion,” (Isaiah 52:2) lay aside this legal yoke, and come forth from slavery and death, that Christ may give you liberty and life!