Forms

Form can be a very dangerous thing. When Paul summed up for Timothy the men of the last days he included this phrase--"having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof." In other words, some modern men will seem to be godly, but the source of that godliness will be their own human will. The goal of such men? To gain the approval of men.
When our Savior walked this earth and found men trapped by immorality, by impurity, by faithlessness, by ignorance, and by disease, He was saddened. He was moved by compassion and love to meet those needs. However, when our Savior found men whose form of godliness was intended to gain the praise of men, He was moved with indignation. He moved among them with a whip and a warning of impending doom.
The frightening thing is that such an attitude can creep into my Christian walk. Is my "spirituality" an external covering designed to hide a life of rebellion against the leading of the Holy Spirit? Am I just following the "rules" in order that men will be impressed with my "holiness"? Am I using external conformity to keep the Holy Spirit from having access to my heart and loves? Obviously, if there's one sin that stirs up the ire of a Holy God, it's a sham holiness in the lives of those who have at their disposal the omnipotent transforming power of the Holy Spirit.