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The old covenant was only a shadow of things to come, and when the right time came, Jesus established the new covenant which provided the substance that cast the shadow (Co.2:16,17). The old covenant religion was centred around the tabernacle with its outer court, holy place and most holy place, indicating levels of holiness that were required to approach God. But in the new covenant, our body is the tabernacle where God dwells (1Co.6:19)! Holiness is to be within our body, where, not what we eat or drink, but our thoughts, attitudes and motives are what determine the state of our holiness (Mt.15:19,20). Our spirituality has to do with heart and mind and not the religious things we do externally.

Following religion on the outside misleads us, making us think that all is fine between us and God as long as we do those rituals. We can carry out Christian festivals with great pomp and show and even meticulous attention to details, but we may not be holy inside us at all. People imagine that they have become acceptable to God through their regular church attendance, Bible reading, family prayer, etc., which can all be done with religious fervour but without any inner connection with God. Even many who truly know God mix religion with spirituality, which actually spoils their spirituality.

No one could excel the Pharisees when it came to keeping of rituals and ceremonies. They tithed even their garden produce and had Bible verses strapped on their forehead and chest. They kept aloof from sinners and made a fanfare of their public prayers. But Jesus pointed out that with all this religiosity, they missed inner holiness and inner virtues (Mt.23:23).

Just think of it! What is the use of strict adherence to religious practices if inside our mind we are full of hatred, bitterness, unforgiving attitudes, impurity, complaints, etc.? What has all that religion ultimately done for us? Generally speaking, religious practices give a sense that people who follow them are doing what they need in terms of religious duties that will bring them certain blessings. Are we Christians to be reduced to mere external rituals, while our inner life remains just like that of common people?

The more attention we pay to the external practices, the less focus we will have on our inner life, which is what God looks at (1Sa.16:7). Instead of that, why don't we learn to look at what all is going on inside us? Don't we need to keep this temple holy for the Holy Spirit to live in? Don't we need to develop fellowship with God there, and allow Him to teach us His ways, lead us in the way He wants, correct us when we go wrong, and help us partake of His divine nature?

We can see where we stand if we look at what causes us more pain, when we cannot fulfil some external practice or when we find it difficult to forgive someone, just to take an example. Let us not allow ourselves to get deceived and waste our life, but let us seek to become truly spiritual.

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