Rituals and liturgies are good. They can shape our hearts, train our bodies, and draw us into God’s service. They teach us to pray, to worship, and to repent. But when these practices lose their substance and become routine rather than response, they can hollow out our faith instead of strengthening it. In Joel, Paul, and the words of Jesus, God calls us not to abandon these sacred rhythms but to fill them with true repentance, real reconciliation, and sincere devotion.
This Lent, we must ask:
Are we allowing these holy practices to form us, or have we emptied them of meaning?
1. Return with True Repentance (Joel 2:12–17)
Joel does not call God’s people to abandon their worship, but to renew it—to Return with True Repentance.
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning” (Joel 2:12).
Joel’s call to repentance is not directed at pagans but at God’s own people. They had drifted from Him, embracing external rituals while their hearts remained unchanged. God’s command to return is urgent.
“Rend your hearts and not your garments,” He says. The problem is not the act of repentance itself—fasting, weeping, mourning—but that these acts had become hollow performances. True repentance is more than avoiding consequences; it is a return to the blessings of covenant with God.
And why do we return? Because He is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (v. 13). His call is an invitation to grace.
But we must ask ourselves: Are we truly repenting, or simply managing guilt? Do we turn to God in sincere humility, or do we settle for empty gestures? True repentance is more than what we do—it is about what God does in us. It is His grace that moves us from self-reliance to complete dependence on Christ.
2. Reconcile with Real Sincerity (2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2)
Joel calls us to return to the Lord, but Paul takes it further—calling us not just to repentance, but to Reconcile with Real Sincerity.
“We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God“ (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Paul’s words echo Joel’s: Repentance is not an occasional religious exercise but the essence of our restored relationship with God. This reconciliation is not optional.
Sin has shattered our communion with God, but Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (v. 21). This is the great exchange: He took our sin, and we are clothed in His righteousness.
Yet how often do we treat this reconciliation as a theological idea rather than a present reality? Paul warns: “Now is the favorable time; now is the day of salvation.” (6:2) There is no neutral ground—we are either reconciled to God or remain in opposition to Him.
And this reconciliation must transform our relationships with others. If we have been forgiven, how can we withhold forgiveness? If we have been reconciled, how can we live in bitterness, division, or self-righteousness? True faith does not stop at personal salvation—it manifests in how we love, how we forgive, and how we serve.
3. Reflecting Faith with Integrity (Matthew 6:1–6)
Joel calls us to repent, Paul calls us to be reconciled, and now Jesus calls us to examine our faith. True repentance and reconciliation must lead to a life of genuine devotion—not empty performance. And so, we turn to our final focus: Reflecting Faith with Integrity.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).
Jesus does not condemn public acts of faith but warns against self-righteousness in religious practice. The issue is not that others witness our good works, but that we perform them to be seen. The Pharisees prayed, fasted, and gave generously—but all for human approval. And Jesus makes it clear: “They have received their reward” (v. 2). Their righteousness was not about honoring God but about exalting themselves.
But Jesus, the true and better Son, never sought the applause of men. He prayed in secret, fasted with sincerity, and obeyed His Father with perfect humility. In the wilderness, He fasted not for show, but in obedience to the Father. In Gethsemane, He prayed not to be admired, but to submit to the Father’s will. At the cross, He gave Himself fully—not for human recognition, but for the glory of the Father and the redemption of His people.
Where we have failed in our devotion, He has succeeded. Where we have sought recognition, He emptied Himself. And in His perfect righteousness, we are covered.
True faith does not come from suppressing hypocrisy but from fixing our eyes on Christ.
When we abide in Him, we do not need human approval because we already have the full acceptance of the Father.
But make no mistake—this is not a call to private faith. Some have misread Jesus’ words as a reason to withdraw from the church. But faith was never meant to be lived in solitude. Scripture commands us to gather as the church (Heb. 10:25), encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11), and let our light shine before men (Matt. 5:16). Jesus rebukes performative faith, not public faith.
The one who prays in secret is not rejecting the church—he is rejecting self-righteousness. The one who gives quietly is not refusing generosity—he is refusing pride. The one who fasts privately is not ashamed of devotion—he simply refuses to make a spectacle of it.
How Shall We Then Live?
Lent calls us to honest reflection. Are we truly rending our hearts, or merely going through religious routines? God does not call us to repentance to burden us—He calls us to restore us. “Return to Me with all your heart.”
During this season, commit to a daily moment of honest confession. Take 10 minutes before bed to pray Psalm 51 or journal one way you’ve relied on yourself instead of God. Let this be your ‘rending of the heart’—not to earn His favor, but to return to His grace.
Paul reminds us that we are ambassadors for Christ. But an ambassador who does not reflect his King’s values is a fraud. Have we truly been reconciled to God, or are we wearing the title without transformation?
Is there a relationship in your life marked by bitterness or distance? This week, take one step toward reconciliation—write a letter, make a call, or begin to pray, asking God for healing. Not because you must fix it alone, but because Christ’s reconciliation empowers you to extend His grace.
So why do we worship, serve, and give? Do we seek God or elevate ourselves? Do we gather with the church out of hunger for the Word, or because we want to appear godly? If no one saw our acts of devotion, would our faith still be vibrant?
During our covenant renewal, challenge yourself to engage with the liturgy on a deeper level. Instead of focusing solely on the order of service or the familiarity of hymns and prayers, surrender your heart in the act of worship. This week, arrive early so you can get settled before the call to worship (and so you have a good seat). Allow God to use the gathering to provoke genuine transformation in your heart rather than simply attending out of habit.
Do not delay. Let us return—not just in word, but in heart. Let us walk—not in self-righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ. Let us live—not for the fleeting approval of men, but for the eternal reward of our Father in heaven.
Because in Christ, we are already accepted, already reconciled, already whole.
Now is the favorable time. Now is the day of salvation.
So come to Christ, who calls you not to empty ritual, but to life everlasting.