#91 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – July 13, 2003 p.m.

THE ORIGINS OF HUMAN MORAL RELIGION IN THE WORLD SYSTEM

There is a wide divergence of opinion in the secular world concerning the origins of religion. They have no concept of the fact that after the fall the sin nature had religious elements that became the basis for religious responses to mankind and the universe. Inherently the sin nature is religious in its own ways. It seeks a measure of gratification for its religious appetites. A wide selection of religions in the world system is available to the human race. Each is designed to appeal to specific cultures, mindsets, perspectives and desires. The great religions of the world system provide specific opportunities to gratify specific appetites of specific peoples in the world. The core purpose of these religions is to keep the minds of men from the Creator of the Universe and to substitute other things for Him.

The roots of human moral religion are evident in the book of Genesis. As we have seen before, the world system was established by Satan with the murder of Abel by Cain (cf. Lu. 11:50, 51). One of the religious works of the flesh motivated both Cain and Abel to bring their specific sacrifices to Jehovah – it was the only nature they had. Abel's sacrifice was accepted by Jehovah while Cain's was not. In Genesis six there is an indication of the mechanism of the religious world system to provide alternatives to the natural order provided by the Creator of the Universe. Mankind refused to accept divine standards for good and evil. Be reminded that Satan in Gen. 3:5 used this in the events leading to the fall. Adam and Even would be like Elohim. Let me translate the verse to make Satan's statement clear. "And the serpent proceeded to say unto the woman, You will not absolutely die. Because Elohim knows that in the day you eat from it, and your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Elohim, continually knowing good and evil." The knowledge of good and evil only led to mankind's polluting the human race with the union of their daughters with spirit beings – the sons of God. Their religious bent became pragmatic for their own advantage with the Amen of the world system. They needed the giants as farm labor in their labor-intensive society. Verse five identifies the fact that the evil was great, and the very formation of the thoughts was evil and this occurred throughout every waking moment of the day. They accepted fallen spirit beings as righteous ones. They rejected God's natural order. Their pragmatism permitted them to attempt to circumvent the curse upon the ground with hybrid help.

The next revelation of human moral religion in the world system is at the tower of Babel. It was designed as a religious structure extending toward the heavens. It was not a stairway to heaven but rather a structure honoring the heavens and their constellations. There were signs of the zodiac imposed on the sides of the structure. Romans 1 provides revelation of the events. In Romans one it is a good idea to note the events of the verses in one's Bible margin. Verse 21 describes the events immediately after the flood beginning with the eight (Noah, his sons and their wives) as recorded in Genesis 11. Verses 22, 23 refer to Babel also as recorded in Gen. 11. Verses 24, 25 refer to Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18, 19. Verse 23 describes the fact that mankind had changed the glory of the undecayable God into an image like that of decayable mankind and to animal life. This was likely the description of what was on the tower of Babel. Romans tells us that they then believed the lie (1:25). The lie involves the presentation of Satan that men and women can be like Elohim and therefore be independent of God. Passages in the Greek referring to "the lie" are John 8:44; Rom. 1:25; Eph. 4:25 and 2 Thess. 2:11. The Old Testament record demonstrates that early on the world system and its constituents were quick to substitute human standards for divine standards. As a result, the system redefines the terms for righteousness and evil changing their meaning and application.

II. gives a general overview of some of the concepts of religion that have a measure of acceptability in the moral religion of the system. These are all elements that have contributed to various religious systems.

III. describes major religions in the world today. I gave a thumbnail sketch of each religion in the message. Eastern religions generally originate east of the Indus River. Hinduism, Buddhism Sikhism and Jainism all have their origins in India. Confucianism is a religious, ethical and political system with its roots in China as is Taoism. Shintoism is of Japanese origin. Middle Eastern Religions include Zoastrianism (Iran and India), Islam (Arabia), Judaism and Christianity (Palestine). Some may question the putting of Judaism and Christianity in the category of the religions of the world system. All of modern Judaism is a part of the world system in that it is deviant from the original provisions of Jehovah's law. A major portion of Christianity is also a part of human moral religion. 300 AD brought the amalgamation of "Christianity" and pagan religions at the time of Constantine the Great. This was a great deviation from New Testament Christianity. In the years to that date already Christianity had many elements of the world system instead of the clear revelation given to the Church in the New Testament. A huge percentage of "Christian" churches that meet are simply gatherings in the moral system of religion in the world system.

IV. is a general overview of elements of human moral religion in the world system. Without a doubt religion gratifies certain appetites of human beings or else they would have all failed long ago. Some also find gratification outside of major religions. Religion is stratified by many elements. The whole caste system in India is a reflection of Hinduism. This involves national and racial distinctions. Nationality often determines religion in the world system. Arabians are normally Mohammedans. They resent any who become anything else. Specific places often determine levels of religious distinction. Religion modifies itself to channel the religious works of the flesh in order to control them. New religions come and go. Some refuse them while others tolerate them but they all manipulate the sin nature.

V. includes three questions that are important when looking at the religions of the world system. These involve origins of these religions. How much world religion has its origin from the flesh? How much world religion has its origins from the Satanic world system having its beliefs designed by Satan and demons? How far would religion have gone without the world system? These questions formed the material in my conclusion. From this point I transitioned into the communion service. Every part of the real meaning of the Lordian table service is seen as ridiculous by the world system religion. The very service is a great divider among "Christian" churches. The significance of the fact that we participate in one Loaf, one Body and that we share the benefits of the new covenant by Christ's blood is that which unifies true Christians.

Framed in the heavenlies,

DKS

THE ORIGINS OF HUMAN MORAL RELIGION IN THE WORLD SYSTEM

1 John 2:15

Proposition: To introduce the reasons for and the results of the organization of human moral religion in the world system. The idea is to produce a perspective of what is involved in the human moral religion of the world system.

Introduction

A. The Propensity in the Sin Nature of Human Beings for Religion

B. The Potential to Find Gratification for the Appetite for Religion in the System

C. The Provision of a Broad Selection of Religions in the World System

D. The Program for Keeping the Minds of Men from the God of the Bible

TRANS: Two passages in Genesis give us some sense of how man functioned religiously and how the world system attempted to compensate by encouraging mankind to act independent of God, as He had been revealed. These two passages bridge the Noahic flood.

I. THE ROOTS OF THE HUMAN MORAL RELIGION OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE ESTABLISHING OF HUMAN MORAL RELIGION IN THE WORLD SYSTEM – STAGES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN MORAL RELIGION IN THE WORLD SYSTEM

A. The Reality of the Foundation of the World System with the Murder of Cain – Gen. 4:1-

15 (cf. Luke 11:50)

B. The Refusal to Accept God's Standards for Righteousness and Evil – Gen. 6:1-6

1. The Pollution of the Race – Vss. 1-4

2. The Presence and Practice of the Holy Spirit – Vs. 3

3. The Persistence of the Wickedness of Mankind – Vs. 5

a. Evil Was Great

b. Every Formation of Thoughts Only Evil

c. Every Moment of Every Day

4. The Program for Their Ignoring God and His Righteous Standards

a. Acceptance of Fallen Spirit Beings as Righteous

b. Rejection of God's Natural Order

c. Pragmatism for More Successful Lives Under the Curse on the Ground

d. Perversion of the Formation of Their Thoughts Was Only Evil

C. The Roots of Religion with the Construction of the Tower of Babel – Genesis 11

1. The Building of the City and the Tower – Vss. 3, 4

2. Their Disobedience and Ignoring of God

3. The Purpose of the Tower – Vs. 4

4. The Potential of Mankind – Vs. 6

5. Their Worshipping of the Creation Rather Than the Creator – Romans 1:21-25

6. Their Misusing of Revelation for Their Own Religious Purposes

7. Their Believing the Lie

D. The Refinement of the Idea of Evil

1. By Substitution of Human Standards of Righteousness

2. By Replacement of Divine Standards for Righteousness

3. By Redefining of the Terms for Evil and Righteousness

TRANS: There are some interesting results of the organization of human moral religion by the world system. It was natural for it to begin in some primitive ways as the sin nature developed its peculiar religious appetites.

II. THE RESULTS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF RELIGION IN THE WORLD SYSTEM – EXPANDING THE RELIGIOUS POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FLESH – SOMETHING FOR EVERY RELIGIOUS APPETITE OF THE FLESH

A. "Magic" and Religion

B. Animism – Created Things

1. Veneration of Stones

2. Veneration of Plants and Trees

3. Veneration of Animals

4. Veneration of Locations

5. Veneration of Solar Bodies and Formations

6. Veneration of the Elements of the World: Earth, Air, Fire and Water

C. Polytheism – Multiple Gods

1. Human Origin

2. Demon Origin

D. Other Religious Practices

1. Divination

2. Purification Ritual

3. Taboos

4. Mythology

5. Veneration of Ancestors

TRANS: Today we think in terms of major religions that are in the world. Often this is limited to seven. Every one of the religions listed has their origin in the world system or have been perverted by the world system and its human moral religion.

III. THE RELIGIONS DOMINATING THE WORLD SYSTEM TODAY – STANDING OF MODERN ORGANIZED RELIGION OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – SOMETHING FOR DISTINCT PARTS AND PERSONS IN THE WORLD SYSTEM

A. The Major Eastern Religions

1. Hinduism

2. Buddhism

3. Confucianism

4. Shintoism

5. Taoism

6. Sikhism

7. Jainism

B. Middle Eastern Religions

1. Zoastrianism

2. Judaism

3. Christianity

4. Islam

C. Other Major Forms of Religion of the World System

1. Humanism

2. Atheism and Agnosticism

3. Evolutionism

TRANS: There are many small systems of religion within the religion of the world system that all accomplish the purpose of gratifying the appetite of the flesh for religion.

IV. THE RELATIONSHIP OF OTHER ELEMENTS OF RELIGION IN THE WORLD SYSTEM – ARRANGING FOR OTHER RELIGION BY THE WORLD SYSTEM IN ADDITION TO MAJOR RELIGIONS – SHARING SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF RELIGION WITHIN THE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM WITH MINOR RELIGIONS

A. The Gratification of the Religious Appetites of the Flesh

1. Within the Major Religions

2. Outside the Major Religions

B. The Stratification of Religion

1. By Race

2. By Nationality

3. By Place

4. By Personality

5. By Interests

C. The Modification of Religion to Meet the Appetite

D. The Incorporation of New Religions by the World System

1. Intransigence

2. Flexibility

TRANS: The philosophy and vain deceit of the elements of the world system and its education openly confront and attempt to replace the fullness that the believer shares in Christ.

IV. THE REASON FOR HUMAN MORAL RELIGION IN THE WORLD SYSTEM – CHANNELING RELIGIOUS WORKS OF THE FLESH – SATISFYING THE RELIGIOUS APPETITES OF THE FLESH – Galatians 5:20

A. The Question of the Real Resources for World System Religion

1. How Much World Religion Has Its Origins from the Flesh?

2. How Much World Religion Has Its Origins from the Satanic World System?

3. How Far Would Religion Have Gone without the World System?

B. The Identification of the Religions Works of the Flesh

1. Idolatry

2. Religious Superstitious Awe/Witchcraft

3. Heresy

TRANS: "In Christ" truth stands in juxtaposition to the philosophy and wisdom of the world system. The world system always says that you can be better and get more while the believer in Christ is complete in Him with no need for more for now or eternity. The philosophy of the world system often draws the believers mind from that fullness or completion.

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119