Danger of Religious Bias
E.A. Johnston warns that religious bias blinds believers from truly serving Christ by neglecting those in need, emphasizing that genuine faith requires active compassion beyond ritualistic duties.
In this compelling sermon, E.A. Johnston challenges believers to examine their hearts for religious bias that hinders genuine compassion. Drawing from Matthew 25, Johnston highlights the eternal consequences of neglecting those in need and calls the church to move beyond mere religious rituals to active service. This message serves as a sobering reminder that true faith is demonstrated through love and care for 'the least of these.'
Full Transcript
In Matthew 25, we read, beginning in verse 40, And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, Ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, Prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungered, and ye gave me no meat.
I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in, Naked, and ye clothed me not, Sick and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a-hungered, or a-thirst, Or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, And did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these men, Ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, But the righteous into life eternal. If we are face to face with a person in need, And we have the means to meet that need, And to help them, and we refuse to help them, Or alleviate their need, Because we have a bias against them, Then that is a very dangerous place to be. We reject, not them, But we reject the Christ who represents them.
We feel we are safe, Because we have already done our duty Of tithing to our church, And this frees us from any other financial responsibility Toward another. We are like the priest passing through Jericho, Who, when he saw a man in need, He passed by on the other side. The priest chose not to help the man in need, Because of his bias toward him.
We are like the Levite passing through Jericho, Who looked on the man lying in the gutter, And saw his need, But he too refused to help, Because of his bias against him, So he passed by on the other side. Both these men were religious men, Who made their religious offerings Each week in the temple, And they assumed that was all That was required of them In their service to God. They were religious men, Engaged in religious work, But they weren't doing God's work, For it was Christ lying there, Wounded, stripped, and half-dead, But he was no concern to them, And Christ's words ring in their ear, You did it, not to me.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Scriptural foundation from Matthew 25 on serving Christ through others
- Description of the judgment based on acts of compassion
- The eternal consequences of neglecting the needy
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II
- The danger of religious bias in refusing to help others
- How bias leads to rejecting Christ Himself
- The false sense of security from fulfilling only religious duties
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III
- Illustration of the priest and Levite passing by the man in need
- Religious activity versus doing God’s work
- The call to recognize Christ in the vulnerable
Key Quotes
“If we are face to face with a person in need, and we have the means to meet that need, and to help them, and we refuse to help them... then that is a very dangerous place to be.” — E.A. Johnston
“We reject, not them, but we reject the Christ who represents them.” — E.A. Johnston
“They were religious men, engaged in religious work, but they weren't doing God's work.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Examine personal biases that may prevent you from helping those in need.
- Recognize that serving others is serving Christ Himself.
- Move beyond religious obligations to actively demonstrate compassion daily.