In the collect before the Epistle we prayed this:

Graft in our hearts the love of your name,

Increase in us true religion,

Nourish us with all goodness

And of your great mercy keep us in the same.

I want to try and discover what is meant by ‘true religion’ and how we can increase it. Let’s start with some theologians.  John Henry Newman said this:

True religion is a hidden life in the heart; and though it cannot exist without deeds, yet these are for the most part secret deeds, secret charities, secret prayers, secret self-denials, secret struggles, secret victories.

So whatever constitutes ‘true religion’ is secret and doesn’t seem to include God! I am also worried that this may be a bit introspective, possibly very good at helping one to become ‘holy’ but not very inclusive or evangelising.

One thing I have learnt in Reader Training is that if in doubt there is almost certainly a German theologian who can help! Friedrich Schleiermacher, said this:

The true nature of religion is immediate consciousness of the Deity as he is found in ourselves and in the world.

Quite good for a German theologian, but Schleiermacher was very keen on feelings in religion, which I believe can be misleading.  Surprisingly this quite succinct quote comes from,  Albert Einstein, a bit more accessible than his theory of relativity, although also sadly lacking a mention of God!

True religion is real living; living with all one's soul, with all one's goodness and righteousness.

So true religion is real because it permeates every part of us.

What do today's Bible readings have to say to us about ‘true religion’?   Just before the passage that we read in Matthew we learn that John was in prison and was hearing different messages about Jesus. He wanted to know what was really going and on and sent some of his disciples to Jesus.   “Are you the one that is to come?” they said. “Report back to John what you see” said Jesus – healings, resurrection and the preaching of Good News to the poor, bringing blessing and not judgement!  Jesus then took the opportunity to talk to the crowd about John, a great prophet sent to announce the coming of the Kingdom. And now the time of prophecy was at an end, and the time of the fulfilment of God’s promises has begun, the start of the ‘real’ thing.  This then is the background to Jesus’ words to the fickle crowd.

Apparently they thought that John the Baptist was too ascetic and otherworldly, his was the ‘severe way’ and the crowd concluded that ‘he has a demon’.  Jesus on the other hand is supposedly too lax, mixing with all sorts of unsuitable people, and behaving very badly - ‘a glutton and a drunkard.’  Jesus dismisses the views of the crowd, telling them that those who listen to God will find His way. Don’t try and best guess God’s way though; God’s wisdom may not be comprehensible to us and is shown to be true by its results, not by human logic.  The use of the word ‘wisdom’ in this passage would have been understood by the Jewish audience, to be the embodiment of the Law. What was the heavy burden of the Law comparable to the yoke borne by oxen, has been replaced by Jesus’ yoke, which he will help us to carry, providing we are willing to learn from him, listen and put our trust in God.

The Gospel reading also reminds us of Christ’s high calling – the divine Son to whom the Father has given all things. One could say that he is the embodiment of ‘true religion’. So we are called to cast our heavy burdens on to Christ who will give us his easy yoke and light burden. However of course we often find it isn’t quite that simple! That may be because we find the whole concept of grace difficult to accept and I will come back to this a little later.

In the Romans reading that we heard, Paul looks at the law and points out that it is by knowing the law that we understand sin. Surely therefore the law is a good thing, by providing us with a standard. It’s not that straightforward Paul tells us – for if we are not careful ‘keeping the law’ becomes an end in itself. It could even justify us before God, if we kept it. Now, of course, Paul would have understood this concept very well. He had been a Pharisee before conversion and Pharisees were very hot on the Law, looking at it in every detail. Paul now admits that unfortunately even if you set out to do what it correct by the Law, it just doesn’t seem to work out right.

So what is the solution?   In Romans 3:24 it says:  

“But now, irrespective of law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, ²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ^* for all who believe. For there is no distinction, ²³since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”. 

God wants us to love Him as He loves us, wants to have a relationship with us. The Law can get in the way of this because it encourages us to believe that we have earned God’s love, when in fact it is through grace that we are justified: God’s love freely poured out for us.  So we are reminded that it is because of God’s grace that we come into His Kingdom. I believe that for many of us the concept of grace is one that we really struggle with. Although we know we are sinners we feel we need to justify ourselves, show God that we have tried our best, didn’t just want to take the easy route, or yoke. Of course it is very good of God to try and help us out but we’re not so bad really. Just make the rules a bit easier to follow and I’m sure we’ll make the mark.  No, no, no!   That isn’t God’s way at all.

One of our problems is that we try to understand God, even while we know that isn’t possible. Theologians call this anthropomorphism.  We feel sure that grace cannot really be free with no strings attached. And in a way we’re right because if we accept God’s grace we are accepting our need for Him, and ironically for His ‘need’ to be loved by us. 

Well perhaps we can convince ourselves that we are just about good enough to put ourselves forward for some grace, but we have a problem when we look around at others: we are clean and upright citizens but surely salvation can’t be for really bad sinners.  Surely not for tax collectors, or prostitutes, or criminals.  Surely God doesn’t mean them to benefit from grace. The Bible would seem to be saying to us that actually God’s grace IS for all.

Grace is sometimes depicted as a river flowing between the quagmire of sin and our failure to live to God’s standard.  I heard Bridget Plass describe this, this week in Chelmsford Cathedral, as being like a tightrope which we walk along with our arms outstretched, to keep our balance, welcoming others to meet with the crucified Lord.  In surgery this week I saw someone who showed the difference between living under the Law, as opposed to Grace. I saw him a few months ago and we talked a bit about God – he told me that as a child he was told that when bad things happened it was because God was upset, because of something he had done wrong.  He couldn’t worship that God. This week he told me that he now knows that God loves him and that has completely turned his life round.  As Christians we need to have these conversations with people because there many who worship, or reject, a vengeful God in fear rather that a graceful God with love.

Let’s go back to the Romans reading – Paul says that the law of sin is making him captive. Where can he go?  Who will rescue him?  Jesus will.  Thanks be to God!

I started this sermon by looking at quotes about true religion but I have kept what I believe to be the best until last.  This quote is quite long but I feel it tells us a lot about true religion. It is from J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) – Anglican Bishop of Liverpool:

“Your religion, if it is real, and given by the Holy Ghost, must be in your heart. It must occupy the citadel. It must hold the reins. It must sway the affections. It must lead the will. It must direct the tastes. It must influence the choices and decisions. It must fill the deepest, lowest, inmost seat in your soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God.”

So what Bishop Ryle is saying is that the heart, by being the centre of our being, determines our whole outlook and priorities.  The heart must change if we have really embraced God and He us.  His love is free and it is for sinners and is gracefully given to us by God. ‘True religion’ gets to the heart of the matter by changing that heart.  Now although I think that quote is very good and helpful I accept that it is a bit long. So to end I want to use the Methodist tradition of giving some theology in the form of a hymn.   During Communion the choir will sing an anthem with words by John Newton, a contemporary of the Wesleys, and someone who knew something about grace. Listen to the words:

May the grace of Christ, our Saviour,

And the Father's boundless love,

With the Holy Spirit's favour,

Rest upon us from above.

 

Thus may we abide in union

With each other and the Lord

And possess, in sweet communion,

Joys which earth cannot afford.   Amen.