Simply Lutheran

Midweek Lenten Devotion: “Only Two Religions; Only One God”

America is convinced that there are many types of religion in the world and that all of them pray and lead to the same God. But this isn’t so. The shocking truth is that there are only two religions and only one of the two is true, that being the religion of Christianity. The other religion which encompasses most of the world is paganism; teaching man that by his own works, and by his own righteousness, he can attain heaven.

But Jesus himself illustrates His position on this matter by means of a parable. This is what Jesus says: Luke 18:10-14 NKJV, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Yes, only one of the two men stood justified before God and thus had the forgiveness of his sins and declared to be righteous. This is the only true doctrine of justification that causes it to be the cardinal doctrine of Christianity. This is the only one, true religion, by which man attains salvation for the New Covenant is known in the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake and by His merits alone! As it was prophesied by Jeremiah 31, “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

This precious teaching brings joy in knowing that true repentance indeed is comprehended only by one’s desire to be free. The one, true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has revealed the one, true, faith: Christianity is known in the forgiveness of sins ad therefore begs mankind to confess and be reconciled to God. St, Paul explains it this way: “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

As Luther stated, concerning confession, in his Large Catechism: “…whoever is a Christian, or would like to be one, has here the faithful advice to go and obtain this precious treasure. If you are no Christian, and desire no such comfort, we shall leave you to another’s power. Hereby we abolish the pope’s tyranny, commandments, and coercion since we have no need of them. For our teaching, as I have said, is this: If anybody does not go to confession willingly and for the sake of absolution, let him just forget about it. Yes, and if anybody goes about relying on the purity of his confession, let him just stay away from it.

We urge you, however, to confess and express your needs, not for the purpose of performing a work but to hear what God wishes to say to you. The Word or absolution, I say, is what you should concentrate on, magnifying and cherishing it as a great and wonderful treasure to be accepted with all praise and gratitude.”

Our Lord Christ declared that the Pharisee, with all his civil good works and all his moral rectitude, was not acceptable before God the Father. This works-type religion stands as an affront to Christ and His Church, which is comprised of all who believe in the free Gospel of salvation by grace through faith; yes, all who trust in the merits of the only-begotten Son of God. The Christian religion identifies only with the penitent sinner, who looks alone to God for mercy.

Keep this thought in mind this coming week, namely, that Jesus entered into Jerusalem triumphantly and He, as the high Priest, offered Himself upon that old rugged cross of Calvary to defeat sin, death, and the devil for you. Don’t lament His sacrifice but rather lament your sins. It is as Jesus (Luke 23:27-29 NKJV) told the great multitude and the women who followed him as he was on His way to His crucifixion: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’”

Only when you truly lament your sins and desire to follow Christ to receive His blessing, then will you see how sweet this Gospel really is. Only then will you understand why we call next Friday, Good Friday. Any other understanding of Good Friday will stand in opposition to the one true religion for the religion of works, other than the works of Christ, no matter if it is combined with faith, is still a pagan concept. 

We pray: O God of all mercy, show to us all evil intentions in our worship and direct us to rely alone on the works of Your dear Son, our only Comfort and Salvation, Jesus Christ.  Amen.