Playing at Faith

The preeminent English theologian John Owen (1616-1683) averred, “The great abuse of religion in the world is that a pretence of it deludes the minds of men to apprehend that it is not necessary” (Works, 1:422).

Here, Owen echoes the great concern of the prophets that the people of God would go through the outward motions of following the Lord all the while failing to live according to their faith. Consider the Lord’s words through Isaiah in Isaiah 1:12-17. God rejects his people’s prayers and worship because they fail to do good, seek justice, and correct oppression (Isa 1:17). Our Lord Jesus condemns religious in his day by picking up the words of Isaiah 29: “These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matt 15:8; cf. Isa 29:13).

Such a lack of integrity is personally damning, but Owen pushes us to consider the effect that playing at our faith has on those around us: “it deludes the minds of men to apprehend that it is not necessary.” The pretense of religion proves to be a powerful prophylactic against true faith.