The document discusses the difference between empty religion and real faith. It states that empty religion seeks to limit God, rejects God's word, is focused on works rather than grace, persecutes those with real faith, and leads to hell. In contrast, real faith is reverent towards God, trembles at God's word, relies on grace, endures persecution, and leads to eternal life. The document encourages developing real faith over empty religion.

1. Salvation and
Judgement
Isaiah 66

2. Real Faith and Empty Religion
Not all religion is empty
• Give proper recognition to those widows who are
really in need. But if a widow has children or
grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put
their religion into practice by caring for their own
family and so repaying their parents and
grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
(1Timothy 5:3-4)
• Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows
in their distress and to keep oneself from being
polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

3. Empty religion seeks limit to God but
real faith is reverent
• Verse one is quoted by Stephen in Acts 7:49-50
• God created the stars
• The earth is just somewhere to rest his feet
• God cannot be contained by a building
• Jesus was persecuted partly because he was
seen as a threat to the temple
• “If we let him go on like this, everyone will
believe in him, and then the Romans will come
and take away both our place and our nation.”
(John 11:48)

4. Empty religion rejects God’s word but
real faith trembles
• “For when I called, no one answered, when I
spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”
• “But the LORD God called to the man, “Where
are you?” (Genesis 3:9)
• The Israelites trembled at the word of the Lord
(Exodus 20:18)
• The way we respond to the word of the Lord is
crucial
• We must hear the word and put it into practice

5. Empty religion is focused on works but
real faith relies on grace
• God declared that sacrifices are disgusting if
not accompanied with broken hearts (Isaiah
29:13)
• 65:12 and 66:4 are similar
• In the previous chapter the focus had been
paganism
• Here it is ritualism

6. Empty religion is focused on works but
real faith relies on grace
• Paul puts paganism and legalism together
(Galatians 4:8-9)
• The word translated ‘humble’ means to be poor
or needy
• The word translated ‘contrite’ means to be
lame or crippled
• Real faith relies on grace since it is the only
hope

7. Empty religion persecutes those who
have real faith
• Empty religion hates real faith
• “They hated me without reason” (John 15:25)
• “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it
hated me first” (John 15:18)
• Empty religion excludes those with real faith
(John 16:2)
• Empty religion mocks those with real faith

8. Empty religion leads to hell but real
faith endures forever
• Isaiah is not all about blessing
• God will judge the wicked
• There is such a place as hell
• Jesus quoted verse 24
• “And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it
out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom
of God with one eye than to have two eyes
and be thrown into hell, where ‘their worm
does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’”
(Mark 9:48-49)

9. Empty religion leads to hell but real
faith endures forever
• “
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the
first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City,
the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed
for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the
throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with
men, and he will live with them. They will be his
people, and God himself will be with them and be
their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying
or pain, for the old order of things has passed
away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

10. Empty religion leads to hell but real
faith endures forever
• “Since everything will be destroyed in this
way, what kind of people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives as you
look forward to the day of God and speed its
coming. That day will bring about the
destruction of the heavens by fire, and the
elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping
with his promise we are looking forward to a
new heaven and a new earth, the home of
righteousness” (1 Peter 3:11-13