Make Sure Your Religion Has “Holy” in It
Scriptures: Ezra 8, Mark 12, James 4, 1 John 4, 1 John 3
True Religion Requires Holiness
Ezra 8 challenges us with a powerful reminder:
Make sure your religion is religious enough.
And even more—
Make sure your religion has “holy” in it.
A faith that does not change you is not faith.
A religion without holiness is just routine.
Some people don’t struggle because they don’t know what’s in the Bible—
they DON’T care what’s in the Bible.
Their issue is not knowledge; it’s refusal. Their problem is not clarity; it’s rebellion.
Faith Requires Self-Denial
Ask yourself:
What do you do personally to deny yourself to make sure you maintain focus on God?
What sacrifices do you make?
What boundaries do you set?
What temptations do you refuse?
When you think about your life—who/what do you think about?
Because whatever consumes your thoughts will govern your direction.
And remember: Represent God in this world.
Every conversation, every decision, every attitude is a chance to display Christ.
Fasting Teaches Prayer, and Prayer Teaches Desire
Ezra 8 teaches an important principle:
When you begin to understand fasting you will also begin to understand prayer.
Fasting purifies your appetite—prayer purifies your intentions.
When you pray, you should not be asking for junk YOU want all of the time.
Prayer is not a shopping list.
It’s surrender.
And here is a convicting question:
How can you ask God for something that is going to take you away from God?
Why request blessings that would weaken your commitment?
Why pursue opportunities that will cost you your soul?
Love God With Your Mind
Mark 12 asks:
Do your thoughts love God?
It’s easy to love God emotionally or occasionally.
But loving God mentally—intellectually—consistently—reveals true devotion.
And consider this:
How much energy does your life in God take?
Your faith should cost you something.
If your spiritual life is effortless, it is probably powerless.
Life Is Short—Make Today Matter
James 4 warns us:
Your life is a PUFF of smoke.
Here for a moment.
Gone without notice.
So if your life is a vapor, then TODAY is what matters.
You should be talking about spiritual stuff with other believers and not just the NOTHINGNESS of life.
Meaningless conversations lead to meaningless influence.
Ask yourself boldly:
Are you willfully & open faced rejecting God?
Because your guilt will condemn you long before people ever do.
1 John 4 and 1 John 3 remind us that the defining mark of a believer is love—love for God, and love for His children.
Your life should reflect the One who saved it.
Challenge:
Examine whether your religion actually contains holiness.
Practice intentional self-denial to stay focused on God.
Purify your desires—pray for what strengthens your soul, not what distracts it.
Represent God boldly in every space you enter.
Remember your life is a vapor—make today spiritually meaningful.
Reject willful rebellion and embrace active obedience.