Son, there is one thing that my Son and I find more detestable than just about anything. Do you want to know what that is? (Yes, please). Religion. I hate religion! The enemy has made people religious, instead of loving and being intimate with me. Religion puts people in bondage; relationship creates freedom to live an abundant life as sons and daughters rather than as slaves to performance. My son got angrier at the Pharisees than at anyone else during His time on earth because they lived a life of fraud. They wanted people to think of them as holy, when in fact they were nothing more than wicked posers. Son, I desire truth in the inward parts and I made you for relationship. Do me a favor. Don't ever try to be religious or spiritual. Your maturity is always a fruit of our relationship, not something you seek to achieve. Remember that.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:27-28