2 Timothy 3:4-5, "Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them!" Titus 1:16, "They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him--being detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good." These verses pierce like a double-edged sword, exposing the solemn danger of mere external religion. They speak of those who have all the appearance of godliness--the vocabulary, the rituals, the reputation--but are inwardly estranged from the transforming power of God. They are not described as atheists or pagans, but as professors of the truth. They are not outside the church, but within its walls. Their conduct, however, betrays them. While their lips speak of God--their lives declare allegiance to self, sin, and the world. This strikes at the heart of false religion: people content with the form of godliness, while their hearts chase worldly pleasure! Paul warns that such people are "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." This is the spiritual climate of our age: entertainment reigns, self is worshiped, and personal fulfillment is the supreme good. But the genuine believer has been crucified with Jesus. He no longer lives for fleeting pleasures, but for the glory of God. The Spirit who dwells within him produces genuine holiness, not just the shell of religion. Where the Spirit has not wrought new birth, there may be "a form of godliness," but never its life-giving power. Titus 1:16 goes deeper. It describes those who "profess to know God, but by their deeds deny Him." Here is the sobering reality: a profession of faith is not the same as possession of faith. Words are cheap. Do our