Is there such a thing as “private religion?” G. K. Chesterton said, “A man can no more possess a private religion than he can possess a private sun and moon.” Is that true or not? I just finished reading a report about religion in America and a great number, percentage wise, believe that religion is a private matter. The church isn’t as high on American’s priority list as it was only a few decades ago, but many of the respondents claim to be spiritual. A famous songwriter/singer wrote in 1977 a song with the words “Me and Jesus got our own thing going. We don’t need anybody to tell us what it’s all about.” That appeals to a great number of people. They get to take Jesus on their own terms, with their own sin, with their own beliefs about God, Jesus and religion in general. Is that possible biblically?
It is my contention that you can meet the Lord and might stay silent for a short time, but ultimately, it must come out. Genuine salvation is a new life. When a man or woman meets the Lord Jesus and is gloriously saved, the difference can’t be suppressed. II Corinthians 5:17, “therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away and all things become new.” You are clothed with a new set of clothes. The unrighteousness which dominated your life has been replaced with the righteousness of Christ and the change is seen by others and experienced by you. If there is no change in the life, biblically you weren’t saved. In the past two weeks, talking and witnessing to various people, this topic has arisen. One lady told me she’d made a profession as a little girl but wasn’t saved. It was only a few years ago that she genuinely gave her life to Christ and that’s made all the difference. I shared with her that such an experience was very common.
Are there biblical examples I could point to concerning “private religion?” The one that readily comes to mind is a man we find three times in the New Testament, specifically the Gospel of John. His name is Nicodemus. This man was curious, open to the words of Christ, yet he was a man of great position. A member of “the Seventy,” the Sanhedrin, of which just being a member came with respect, opportunities and ease of life. But Nicodemus knew he lacked. Very religious but lacking peace, contentment, and security that he truly was a man of God because of his position. John 3:1-21 is the famous passage where Jesus tells him about being born again. I think it was at this moment Nicodemus became a follower of Christ. What do we know about his encounter? We know he came by night. Incognito. He was trying to fly under the radar so as not to be raked by his fellow member of the Seventy. We don’t hear from him again until we get to John 7:50-52. In this portion of the Bible, the leaders of the Sanhedrin are wondering why Jesus hasn’t been brought before them. They are wrapped up in their own religion thinking they are righteous and Christ along with anyone who listens to him aren’t. Nicodemus, perhaps for the first time, has a choice to make. Will I be a private disciple or will I speak up? He goes half-way. Fearful and hesitant are two emotions no doubt he felt at this moment. He speaks, “Does our law just any man until we have heard him?” The men then look at him and ask “Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” We don’t get his response, but Nicodemus is confronted and almost says what he believes and has since the episode in John 3. The last time we meet him is John 19:39-42. Jesus has died on the cross and he along with a man named Joseph of Arimathea come to ask for the body of Christ. Nicodemus asking for the body is action enough for me. He met Jesus, almost spoke up for the Lord and now he’s publicly, with all the wagging tongues in Pilate’s palace, asking for permission to give Jesus a proper burial. It finally came to the surface. Fearfulness, hesitancy, finally meet courage. He took his stand, and no doubt cost him standing within the ranks of Judaism.
I want to close with a verse that was drilled into me as a new Christian. It is in a very well-known passage in Romans 10 but isn’t a verse that garners much attention compared to a couple of the others. Romans 10:9-13 is a go to passage for leading people to Christ. Focus is most often on verse 9 and verse 13. But notice verse 11. “For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” That verse is pretty simple to understand. If you have become a follower of Jesus, you let others know it. You may be scared at the beginning of not knowing or perhaps knowing the response of others. You may fail at various times. But at some point, true believers have to tell somebody they have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Their life is now different. Do we have a private sun or moon? No, we don’t. Neither do we have private religion. Our wonderful Jesus must be talked about.