21 Bible Verses about Nominal Religion

Thou have planted them. Yea, they have taken root, they grow. Yea, they bring forth fruit. Thou are near in their mouth, and far from their heart.

Fervent lips and a wicked heart are an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways. As a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.

And they come to thee as the people come, and they sit before thee as my people. And they hear thy words, but do not do them. For with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain. And, lo, thou are to them as a very lovely song of he who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument. For they hear thy words, but they do not do them.

Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. In this way also, ye indeed outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying, This people comes near me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips, but their heart is far distant from me. And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

And having answered, he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far distant from me. But in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

And LORD said, Inasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, but have removed their heart far from me, {but in vain they worship me (LXX/NT)}, {teaching the commandments and doctrines of men

They profess to know God, but in their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and worthless for every good work.

But beware of FALSE prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are predatory wolves. From their fruits ye will know them. Do they gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree produces good fruits, but the corrupt tree produces bad fruits.read more.
A good tree cannot produce bad fruits, nor a corrupt tree produce good fruits. Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire. So then from their fruits ye will know them. Not every man who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of my Father in the heavens. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then I will profess to them, I never acknowledged you. Depart from me, ye who work lawlessness.

As I urged thee, while going to Macedonia, remain in Ephesis, so that thou might command certain men not to teach something different, nor to heed myths and endless genealogies, which cause controversies rather than stewardship of God in faith. But the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and non-hypocritical faith.read more.
From which some having swerved have turned aside to empty talk, desiring to be law teachers, understanding neither what they say, nor about what they confidently assert.

He who says, I know him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this man.

And Samuel said, Has LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says LORD. I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts. And I do not delight in the blood of bullocks or of lambs or of he-goats. When ye come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand--to trample my courts? Bring no more vain oblations. Incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies--I cannot bear iniquity and the solemn meeting.read more.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They are a trouble to me. I am weary of bearing them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.read more.
But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

But after going, learn what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners for repentance.

But if ye had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the innocent.

For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to LORD, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

He who slaughters an ox is as he who kills a man. He who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog's neck. He who offers an oblation, [as] swine's blood. He who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yea, they have chosen t I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them. Because when I called, none answered. When I spoke, they did not hear. But they did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, impious, devoid of natural affection, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, savage, no lovers of good,read more.
traitors, reckless, beclouded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of piety, but repudiating the power of it. Now turn away from these men,