Jesus Warns Religious Leaders They Are Not Heaven Bound

Mark Virkler's picture

What a scary concept, that religious leaders are not going to make it to heaven! Here is what Jesus said: "For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20). 

Two things come to mind: 1) I don't want to be a Pharisee; 2) I don't want to be shepherded by a Pharisee.


Paul presents the contrast between when he was a Pharisee to when he was a true follower of Christ

The false circumcision: (dogs, evil workers. put confidence in the flesh Phil. 3:1-11).

  1. Did all the right religious ceremonies – circumcised
  2. Had the right heritage – trained by the best religious leaders
  3. Righteous behavior – kept the laws of God perfectly
  4. Zeal for God – A persecutor of those he thought were heretics

The true circumcision: (worship in the Spirit of God, glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh)

  1. Suffer the loss of all things to gain Christ
  2. Know Christ intimately - found in Christ
  3. Righteous through faith in Christ's work on my behalf
  4. Experience Christ’s power flowing out through me

I have made the same transition Paul made in my own life, from a pharisee to a true believer in Jesus Christ, and I pray that if you need to make this transition, this blog will illumine your path.

Jesus speaks about corrupt religious leaders (their character, actions, and ultimate judgment)

  1. They don’t practice what they preach (Matt. 23:3)
  2. They make the path to God hard. "You shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Matt. 23:4,13)
  3. You make your followers twice as much a son of hell as yourselves (Matt. 23:15)
  4. They love titles, being noticed and honored, and they are NOT servant leaders (Matt. 23:5-12)
  5. Their hearts are full of robbery and self-indulgence (Matt. 23:25)
  6. They have a twisted focus on legalism rather than seeing truth (Matt. 23:16-24)
  7. For a pretense they make long prayers; they will receive greater condemnation (Matt. 23:14)
  8. They kill the prophets, they are of their father the devil (Matt. 23:29-38; Jn. 8:44)
  9. They reject sinners (Lk. 7:36-50)
  10. They attribute the miracles of the Holy Spirit to satan (Lk.11:14-23)

More discussion by Jesus about false religious leaders is found in Luke 11 and 18 and John 8.

Choosing to be free from phariseeism

Wow! OK, so they are not saved and not going to heaven. That means I do NOT want to have the traits of phariseeism, nor do I want to be mentored, pastored or shepherded by a pharisee, as it will lead me on the path of eternal destruction. I need to find fellowship with true believers who are pursuing the path of the Spirit and the righteousness which comes by faith in the finished work of Christ.

What is the path to freedom from phariseeism?

Graciously, God saw that Paul’s heart was fervent for Him, so God dramatically intercepted Paul’s life on the Damascus road with a blinding vision and a direct spoken word from heaven: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9)

This got Paul’s attention, so he got alone with God, spending time in the wilderness (Gal. 1:15-18), allowing the Holy Spirit to teach him and reveal truth to him. He came back from the wilderness having put away his bad theology, which was created by the traditions of man and which invalidated the Word of God. This is something Jesus specifically addressed.

'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men. He was also saying to them, 'You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition'" (Mk. 7:7-9).

If you're reading this in an email, click here to watch the video on our website.

My personal story of freedom from phariseeism

Since I was taught by my religious leaders that God no longer speaks today, I did what I believed to be the next best thing. I lived out of the Bible. However, the Bible says to live and walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). From Genesis to Revelation we see that people heard God's voice and honored it. Jesus' guarantee is: "My sheep hear My voice" (Jn. 10:27).

My passionate search for the voice of God was rewarded in 1979 as I took a year to simply focus on learning how to identify God’s voice within me. As with Paul, God honored my passionate heart, and woke me up with a booming bass voice, saying, "Get up, I am going to teach you to hear My voice.”

I went to my pastoral study and God showed me Habakkuk 2:1,2 and the four keys the prophet used to hear God’s voice. He taught me to do as Habakkuk did: quiet myself down, fix my eyes on the Lord, recognize His voice as spontaneous flowing thoughts and then journal out this flow within me.

On this day I was transformed. Now I could actually live and walk by the Spirit because I could hear God's voice and see His visions. I stepped from living out of religious laws into a relationship with Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I write about it in 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice. I estimate that by now well over a million believers have learned how to use these four keys and enter into communion with God through two-way journaling and returned to God's original intent, walking and talking with Him in the garden in the cool of the day.

The TRUE CHURCH offers the ONLY answer to the pain the world is in today

At this point, most people feel they are not getting the truth from the newscasters, the government, the CDC, the health care profession, or the educational system. I agree. These are all failing, and it is probably because the Church has itself failed to provide Truth and power. The church in which I was saved told me that God was not speaking and there were no more miracles today. They lied. They did not offer me Truth or power. The Church and the world need Truth and power. These are both available through the Holy Spirit.

  • Truth: When He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth (Jn. 16:13)
  • Power: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8)

Action Steps

  1. Learn to hear God’s voice and move in the power of the Spirit.
  2. Do not follow a religious leader who has the characteristics which Jesus describes as being present in dangerous religious leaders who are not going to heaven.
  3. Register for our free worldwide video event, 49 LIES – 49 Religious Lies Jesus Told Me to Stop Believing beginning April 8, 2022.
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A Stroll Along the Sea of Galilee 50/50 Pack

50 CDs and 50 DVDs

The #1 Tool in the World for Introducing People to Hearing God's Voice! Pop these into your CD or DVD player during your morning devotional time and let us paint a scene of you and Jesus walking together along the Sea of Galilee.

Price: $100.00

Everyday Angels CDs

by Charity Virkler Kayembe

You can partner with Heaven’s angelic hosts!

Do you have guardian angels? Does God want you to know them? Find out what Scripture reveals and how YOU can interact with the company of Heaven!

The supernatural realm permeates our natural world! Therefore, experiencing angels should be an everyday occurrence–we simply need to open our spiritual eyes to their reality and role in our lives.

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Hear God Through Your Dreams Audio CDs

Hear God Through Your Dreams Audio CDs

by Mark Virkler | 5 Sessions

These CDs correspond with the Hear God Through Your Dreams workbook by Mark and Patti Virkler. For maximum growth and internalization, we recommend utilizing the book together with either the CD or DVD set. The book provides an outline to follow as you listen to the CDs. Also included are application exercises and classroom activities. (NOTE: There are 5 sessions on 3 discs.)

Price: $24.95

Hearing God Through Your Dreams CDs

by Mark Virkler and Charity Virkler Kayembe | 10 Sessions on 4 Discs

Learn How to Hear God’s Voice, Even When You Are Sleeping

Receive divine counsel nightly. Increase emotional health, wisdom and creativity.

Recorded live at Catch the Fire in Toronto!

Price: $39.95

River of Life and New Creation Celebration CD Set

3 CDs containing 5 devotionals set to music

This series contains five Interactive meditations set to music. Each devotional guides you into an encounter with the Wonderful Counselor. Each one contains 1) a spoken prayer, 2) with a musical background and 3) draws you into two-way journaling

River of Life where you are immersed in the River of the Holy Spirit. Don’t worry, as in a dream, you can breathe underwater! Drift off to sleep listening to this devotional. (12 minutes)

Price: $19.95

Unleashing Healing Power Through Spirit-Born Emotions CDs

by Mark Virkler and Charity Kayembe | 14 Sessions | 6 discs | 6.5 hours

Build a theology and experience the role of Kingdom emotions to engage and release Kingdom power! Jesus, moved by compassion, healed (Matt. 14:14). You can, too! Discover how Kingdom emotions can be born in your heart to carry the Holy Spirit's power to perform healing, as well as turn on healing genes while turning off inflammatory genes. Experience God's Kingdom which is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17)!

Price: $59.95
Lamad Syllabi CD

120+ Bible College Level Course Syllabi on CD-ROM

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 1 Disc

You don't need to re-invent the wheel. We have spent 30 years developing and improving college-level curricula that is revelation-based. These 100+ course syllabi are available for you to purchase and utilize in your church-centered Bible school, School of Ministry, college or university. A "Lamad Curriculum License Agreement" (available at the end of this filemust be signed and submitted before  this CD is shipped.

Price: $900.00

49 Lies CDs – 49 Religious Lies Jesus Told Me to Stop Believing

by Mark Virkler | 7 Discs

49 Audio Sessions are included 

This package includes 49 professionally taped sessions, each 5-12 minutes long which is my testimony of breaking free from each lie. I discuss what the lie is, its impact on my life, what Jesus spoke, my prayer of repentance and the new freedom I experienced which allows me to step into a new life in Christ.

If you have ever believed any of the following lies, then this book is for you: "Emotions are soulish;" "Money is evil or secular;" "It is wrong to seek vision;" "Don’t trust experiences;" "God gave me a mind and expects me to use it;" "Politics are evil;" God is always beating on me;" or one of 43 more such detestable lies...

Price: $49.00
Appropriating Covenant Blessings Audio CD

Appropriating Covenant Blessings Audio CD

by Mark Virkler | 1 Disc

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 is one of the most complete lists recording the blessings which God wants to bestow upon His children. He wants us to be the head and not the tail, to be above and not underneath, and to lend and not borrow. This CD helps you capture a vision for this divinely-ordained lifestyle, and gives you steps to take so that you may begin to walk in these blessings.

Price: $6.00

From Oppression to Victory MP3 Downloads

Mark Virkler

This eight-part training series takes you through the key biblical principles you need to know so that you can walk in the light and live free of demonic harassment. Ideal for personal or group study. Live free from oppression and demonic attack. Thrive in the victory of love, joy, peace, blessing, anointing and fruitfulness!

Price: $39.95

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