Religious Affiliations

Man is inherently "religious" by nature. That is a state of mind that we are born with. It has been described as a God-shaped void in our conscience. On the surface, the concept of a void existing that only God could fill sounds reasonable and provides fodder for flowery sermons. However, scripture teaches us that God didn't create us void of an understanding of him, but with a knowledge of him.
We are told in John Chapter 1 about the Lord Jesus Christ and his role in creation. Keeping in mind as well that, in the creation account, man is included along with the physical world as we know it.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John 1:1-9

Notice in verse 1, referring to Jesus, that his name, "the Word" is capitalized. We see, as well, in verse 9 that Christ himself is the "true Light", and that word is capitalized as well.
One of the facets of man's creation is that, at birth he is given internal "light", not a "void". Looking closely at verse 9 again we see concerning Christ, the "true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world".

We are told in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4,

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

The "god" of this world doesn't mind man being religious, as a matter of fact he prefers this to be the case. He is, however, extremely concerned with how man responds to that light that Christ has given everyone at birth.

In order to continually muddy the waters of man's enlightenment, he continues deploying the same tactic he introduced in the Garden of Eden. Visit again the original conversation with Eve that started mankind down the path of spiritual pragmatism. 

We read in Genesis 3:1-3,

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."

"Yea, hath God said."

 That same question is whispered in the ears every day of men and women claiming to be spiritual guides. It is raised in the minds of every un-regenerated person who hears the Gospel. It is asked by every individual or denomination that interprets the Bible's precepts by revising it in a "new" version that fits their own agenda or creed. 

Armed with the knowledge of God's word that tells us that our adversary desires to keep man's mind blinded, let's examine one of the principal ways he accomplishes this...Religious Affiliations. 

The National Association of Evangelicals gives this modest account of their humble beginnings on their website NAE.ORG. 

"NAE traces its beginnings to April of 1942, when a modest group of 147 people met in St. Louis with the hopes of reshaping the direction of evangelical Christianity in America."

While their hearts, hopes and intentions of "reshaping" culture to an acceptance of a biblical worldview were in the right place, man's darkened heart was far from receiving it. 

As much as we, as Christians, would love to see millions of lost souls come to Christ, we must be cognizant of what the Bible teaches. 

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:" Matthew 7:13

As much as many would like to see the efforts of evangelization become more effective, we must realize that the only way to do so is same way the early church accomplished it. They realized that it was only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit and the message of Christ crucified, buried, and risen for the remission of sins. 

The Apostle Paul was emphatic about the futility of joining hands with the unsaved to "reshape" the Gospel message. 

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"

In much the same way,  from a logical standpoint, that it makes sense that a God-shaped void exists in man, the feasibility of winning the world through collaboration with a lost "religious" man seems a good idea. 

We see however, that scripture does not support either of these notions.
We see Jesus, during his earthly ministry, not joining hands with the Pharisees in the propagation of salvation through the law, but rather preaching repentance towards God and faith in the one whom God sent. 

As a result of the success that Marxists in America have had in selling the masses on their theology, we are well on our way towards God's judgment as a nation. After years of indoctrination by tenured liberal professors in our institutions of higher learning, the masses have finally capitulated and have resolutely accepted the atheistic tenets of Marx and Engels. 

At this point some may raise the question of how does the adoption of Marxist Theology by Americans from a social standpoint, lead to a decline in spirituality and morality in the "religious sphere"? Furthermore, how could this decline lead to judgment by God?

Simply stated, when Marxism permeates the church, and Critical Theory becomes doctrine, the lines are blurred between the church and the world. With this blurring, the professing church becomes indistinguishable from an atheistic society.

One of the characteristics of the apostate church in the last days was given to us by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:5. Out of all the personality traits that the end time population possesses in the foregoing verses, the one most injurious to mankind is that of it's ecclesiastical leadership. They are described as,

"having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

As to how this Ecumenical leadership, and ultimately the whole world, incurs the wrath of God, verses 7-9 goes on to say,

"ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was."

Indictments against the ecclesiastical leadership of Christ's day were given by Jesus himself. This pronouncement of judgment against those in his day who claimed that they represented God and his message was very scathing. We see his words in Matthew 15:8.

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."

In essence, what Jesus was saying about the Pharisees of his day was same description Paul was giving Timothy concerning those that will possess a "form of godliness" in the last days. And just as we see in 2 Timothy chapter 3 that, "their folly shall be manifest unto all men ", so too was this pronouncement made to those religious leaders in Matthew 15:12-14. We have the account of the Pharisee's "folly" in these verses.

"Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

When the professing church joins hands with the world, it must, in essence let go of the hand of God.

In James 4:4, we are exhorted about the futility and dangers of joining hands with the world.

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

When the "church" ultimately becomes the enemy of God they, like Rome, invite the wrath and judgment of Almighty God. 

Although there are some in America who have not totally capitulated to the attack on our values, we are nonetheless edging ever closer.

The major evidence is some of the astounding data that is being compiled through research polls regarding our spiritual temperature. On the subject of temperature, it's interesting to see what Christ has to say about the church in the last days.

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Revelation 3:16

In an article that appeared in ChristianHeadlines.com on September 24, 2014
Rob Schwarzwalder, Senior Vice President at Family Research Council made this statement,

"The respected Pew Research organization recently published studies of how Americans feel about religion in our country. It's clear from the Pew surveys that millions of our fellow citizens are both ambivalent and deeply concerned about the status and role of faith in their personal lives and in the public life of the nation."

Further insight into this cultural slide is research conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.

"Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults hold to a mixture of worldviews, otherwise known as syncretism, and only a small percentage have a biblical worldview, a new study by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows."

They go on to explain the "mixture of worldviews" that make up syncretism. Further, the researchers contrast a biblical worldview with what they refer to as "six prominent competing worldviews."

"The worldviews are Secular Humanism, Postmodernism, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, Nihilism, Marxism (including Critical Theory), and Eastern Mysticism, also known as "New Age," according to new research from George Barna and the center."
 
It is interesting as well to see how these "prominent competing worldviews" work together to bring about "confusing beliefs". When we start to consider who the perpetrator of confusion is, let's consider 1 Corinthians 14:33.

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

One of the major byproducts of Marxist Theology is the move from a Biblical worldview of it's citizenry to a humanistic approach to all aspects of life. The more humanistic a society becomes the further it moves away from God. The further away from God they become, the closer they move to incurring the wrath and judgment of Almighty God. We see that judgement in Romans 1:21-25,

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

Both America and the professing church are at a major crossroads today. The fact that Rome had rejected the Creator, even after being given every evidence of His existence, brought this dreadful indictment,

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" Romans 1:18-20

The marks of an atheistic society are essentially one that, even though they are given every evidence of an Almighty God, through the manifestation of his "eternal power and Godhead " through creation, still refuses to acknowledge and glorify him as God. As a result of this rejection, they set in motion a chain of events that progressively leads them down the road to destruction.

We could spend a lifetime reading the voluminous accounts of men who have analyzed the various reasons for the eventual collapse of the mighty Roman Empire. The Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, gives us the outline, step by step in the space of 15 verses, of exactly how the world power of it's day collapsed.

In subsequent chapters we will use this outline as a template. We will analyze, through the disinfecting light of God's word, how America is following in the footsteps of that great nation that "was" Rome.

As we see the world, and America, looking down the road to global governance by accepting and embracing Marxism, many are not aware that the professing church has been on that path for decades. 

The major catalyst for this unholy alliance of a global church-state is the National Association of Evangelicals. 

We find, on the NAE's website, their goals and aspirations concerning their evangelistic efforts. 

"The NAE Statement of Faith, adopted in 1942, provides a theological touchstone for evangelicals across the country — bringing together Calvinist, Arminian, Wesleyan, Anabaptist and Charismatic traditions. Among these diverse groups, the NAE facilitates united action, cooperative ministry and strategic planning to achieve shared goals." NAE.org

Again, from a human standpoint, this seems to be a noble and logical method to reach a lost world with the Gospel message. However, research conducted as to the effectiveness of this evangelist approach, seems to dispel the notion. 

"The American Worldview Inventory 2020, conducted by CRC Director of Research Dr. George Barna, surveyed 51 beliefs and behaviors among Christian groups and found that rather than transforming the culture around them with biblical truth, the opposite is happening. American Christianity is rapidly conforming to the values of the post-Christian secular culture."

The research conducted by the CRChas been an excellent representation of how our culture is either accepting or rejecting "Christianity".
If we look at the data and numbers he has compiled from a purely subjective standpoint, I think we can all agree that the past and current methods we have employed have not been effective.
A lost and dying world is doing exactly what man's fallen nature inherently causes...rejection of Christ as Lord and Savior. And rather than making the world more "churchy", the world has made the church more "worldly".
 

The early church knew their mission. We are told of their exploits and what they were about in Act 17:6-7. 

They did indeed "reshape" the world...we see they were described as having, "turned the world upside down". The reshaping was in all actuality "transforming" the world with the Gospel of the finished work of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection at Calvary. 

"And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus."

Going forward, we will examine the various ways that a man-made approach to evangelization has hindered the cause of Christ rather than further it worldwide. 

Lord Jesus, I come before you now confessing my sins. I believe that you bore my sins in your body on the cross of Calvary, that you were buried, and rose again the third day. As best as I know how, I ask you to forgive me of my sins, and come into my heart  and save me. Amen.