Many people discover a god whose existence is a product of their individual searching. From the viewpoint of the Bible, there is only one God and only One worthy of worship. Since the Bible speaks of demons and Jesus and the Apostles casted out demons and demons can impersonate different characters, this question is worth diving into.
People spend a lifetime developing their sense of reality, sometimes this involves spiritual models. They trust a personally created entity or human philosophy-driven god that governs their world. If they believe in a god, the deity may very well be a creation of their own thoughts and experiences. It could even be categorized as a “higher power.”
Now let’s think about this.
Let’s say everyone does this and we have a few hundred million versions of gods that are presumably autonomous and accommodating millions of varieties of human imagination.
What makes sense? Allow me to generalize a question: Is there is a powerful God that is compatible with the concept, imagination and feeling of every human on earth; or, there is one supreme and all powerful God who dictates the natural and spiritual laws that the universe runs on and we are part of that Creation?
If you believe there is an God, what resonates more: A God who is All powerful and sovereign, or a God who is exists to meet the expectations of everyone purposely allowing every individual to create a ‘higher power’ of their own choosing?
Then there are others, just for instance…
There are people who seem to get most of their concepts of who God from secret files, reports of mysterious phenomena, or bizarre subjects found on TV programming.To some, God is an enigma and will or must always be an enigma, and considering any possibility of a powerful God is merely an intellectual tickle.
To others, God is only something to be trifled with by weak people, and its always other people who are the weak ones. They certainly have the freedom to choose this way of thinking. Remember that oft repeated belief that is not in the Bible: “Religion is for weak minded people”?
If you grew up believing that axiomatic saying as part of your philosophy, then you would never sincerely associate yourself with anything deemed “religious”. As a result of that mindset, you could go the wrong way or not any direction at all. Based on the Bible, both could be wrong.
Taking the same sentiment, It’s a little like those who say “I hate rich people” then wonder why they never become rich, perhaps even putting laziness on a pedestal. The resistance is, the unconscious force that tells you, “I don’t want to be a what I imagine a loser is.”
A friend of mine had a wise way of looking at that when he told me, “God is for all people including the weak minded.”
I might take a slightly different tack, “God is for weak minded people, because we all are weak minded compared to God.”
There’s the old adage, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” In the case of Christianity, “Don’t ignore Jesus Christ (God) just because all religion (the world) is bad.” It’s like avoiding the enemy deployed toxic smoke screen even though your true destination is being hidden behind it.
There appears to be hardness built in his conscience of humans that blocks their openness to the Truth. Self-righteousness and self-pride can do that.
Let’s go back to the individually or corporately creating of deity.
Blind of Evidenced-Based Faith?
If you know your god personally, what is the evidence that your faith in that person, entity, or deity is based on Truth? In reality, there’s some manipulative or heretical people ready to declare themselves God in every generation someplace around the world, maybe hidden under the guise of some benevolent society (or even a massive exploitation ring, be it sex or otherwise) offering you just enough truth to hook a mass of people, AND PLENTY OF PEOPLE GIVE THEMSELVES TO IT and many of those will find out sooner or later they’ve been scammed. It’s like Adam an Eve on an epic scale.
We’re all wired to worship but is the object of your faith founded in Truth?
I urge you to consider the evidence of found in the Bible, see how it compares to whichever faith you are otherwise pursuing, because your eternal salvation depends on it.
Jesus warns: For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it. -Matthew 7:14. That verse should set off the ignorant alarm making to challenge self-awareness if they could be standing on quicksand when they thought they were on a stable foundation.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is, many people HAVE sought the Truth through the church or some Christian denomination and I can tell you from personal experience and from much anecdotal evidence, many people have been led astray by heretical teaching and hypocrisy. I can only urge you seek the light through Jesus Christ. We are all sinners and you should only place your eternal trust in Christ.
You may believe in reincarnation, but is it truly reincarnation or supernatural manipulation?
You may believe in the hope AI offers. We are affected by this booming industry or the prospects of this technology day in and a day out.
I’ve come to an assessment of technology. The more powerful the technology, the more you need to be protected from it. That protection must come from within.
There are systems on earth that have gained people’s trust to such an extent that it causes people to miss by a few degrees or by many degrees the Truth in Jesus Christ. When you discover a system of belief that seems to handle all of your life needs, how does it address eternity? What does it do to your spiritual health? Does it make you a better person? Cause you to seek God and become more like God? Does morality have to do with the system of belief you discover and what are those moral definitions? What is your relationship to the “supreme being”.
Un-MYSTIFYING THE BIBLE
If the Bible does not impress you yet, you may consider the un-mythological manner that it describes nature and the universe. There are some amazing stories, some that are hard to imagine on the surface, but if Creation and the Resurrection are both true, why couldn’t everything in-between be possible for God?
Although it is not a book of science, per se, you would expect that if the writings in the Bible are of divine origin, the description of those things humans have discovered through science thousands of years later, give the Bible credibility. Just a few examples: The origins of the universe, the shape of the planet(s), the hydrological cycle, the innumerability of the stars just go to show you that long before humans ever developed the technology or the empirical data to support these claims, the Bible had stated these as a matter of illustration to support spiritual points. This indicates how The Moral Law established by God is as concrete in the Spiritual realm as the Physical Laws are to the physically realm.
All I can recommend is, look deeper into your spiritual fortress and determine whether it is a built on the designs of powerful people, powerful institutions, superstitions, cultural traditions, the practice of your family ancestors, or personal pride. Or could it only come from a divine Creator?
CULTURAL and SOCIETAL IMPACTS
I’ve had to consider my own cultural and denominational beliefs that have conflicted with Biblical Christianity and because the Biblical evidence is strong that Jesus Christ is God who became a man, had a 3 year ministry, taught many spiritual Truths, healed a multitude of sickness and suffered and died for the sins of humanity. He was righteous and without sin and was the only sacrifice worthy in God’s sight. He was resurrected from the grave after 3 days and lived for a month among hundreds of believers, including the Apostles before He ascended to Heaven. Jesus taught the Truth and the eye-witnesses to Jesus’s life, death, and Resurrection testify to what they observed, much of which have been documented in the Gospels as historically reliable, written while other eye witnesses could still corroborate the evidence they left for us.
It’s interesting to note that through most of my life, there’s been such an emphasis on “get along – go along” ecumenical approach to a world of different religious faiths, I understood the Bible to be some kind of enigma and because of that, not a true authority compared to my secular explorations. But once I was brought to surrender, I discovered, the Bible was being revealed for the first time, the Truths held in it were very clear, particularly the Gospels.
For Christians to take their faith seriously, we have to take God’s Word expressed in the Bible seriously and that raises existential issues.
DEMONS
What about my own culturally inspired inherited spiritual beliefs? The Bible reveals itself to be a credible and reliable authority as to the spiritual truths. One of the Truths is that there are angels and demons.
Demons are fallen angels who work at the behest of Satan and Satan is the power behind anti-Christ leaders, government and movements. Demons can manipulate and deceive. Demons can put themselves into characters that oppose the truth of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior or act as an idol that draws people to systems like an addiction, where it becomes a toxic sponge for your worship. These traps are successful even if they diverts your intended course and destination.
Demons can work in religions and systems that draw people away from the truth and away from the one manner of salvation that was explained by Jesus.
In my recent discoveries, there are ancient Chinese practices that more align with Biblical theology than modern Chinese culture. For example, the Emperor, was only one man who could act as an intercessor to an invisible God. A single unblemished animal needed to be sacrificed for the sins of the people. Another interesting detail is the ancient Chinese character for Righteous is “義 / 义 (yì, “righteousness”) — the radicals that compose this character are 羊 (“sheep/lamb”) above 我 (“I/me”)- In other words, a sheep over a man means “righteousness”. To me this fact is amazing. Eerily coincidental? I am willing to believe it points to God’s messaging to humanity outside of the Israelites.
The cross societal evidence points to how God gives everyone a conscience and signs of His choosing that corroborate and point to a greater truth. It can occur in our individual lives as well as across the tapestry of human history, gentile kingdoms, and civilizations.
It is also true that that China contains a rapidly growing Church despite the persecution in the Communist controlled society.
Warnings: idols, pagans and demons
Corroboratively, Romans 1 and 2 explain the good conscience of man that honors an invisible God, can change over time and be influenced by demons.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the likeness of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. – Romans 1:18-22
Even if you believe you’ve experience a “heavenly” reality, you should carefully test it against the Bible’s truths about God. Again, let me reemphasize, it is possible you could be given something close to the truth but still be led astray. If your Christian experience acknowledges Jesus but keeps you from claiming your full relationship with the Lord and Savior, you are in danger of falling into a heretical trap, a puppet of a demon or satan himself.
In the notes from the MacArthur Study Bible regarding Romans 1:23, MacArthur cites several scholars who have researched a variety of ancient civilization and they do not begin with idol worship.
The implication is how man is created to understand that God exists, not in the form of idols by through the evidence of Creation as seen through a clear conscience. Moreover, the wicked truth about the adulteration of the mind of man leads him to worshipping of false gods in all forms, helped along by the satanic spiritual forces. These worldly and satanic influences ultimately lead people to believe in their own ability to work towards their own salvation or through sacrifices to an idol and even human sacrifice.
Note the now in “liberated” Western society, there is heralded executions of babies and children and the distortion of Marriage. The consciences of many have been seared like a grilled pork chop. Pornography has for a long time been a problem as one research cites its addictive characteristics are worse than a controlled group of drug addicts (fightthenewdrug.org)). Sexual immorality and its consequences are commonly at the basis of pagan worship.
In Summary, MacArthur writes: “Although the false gods that people worship do not exist, demons often impersonate them (1 Corinthian 10:20).” (p.1544).
Satan is clever. He can speak of the truth enough to hook you into a lie. The purpose is to lead you away from the Truth and away from Salvation. That is the sum total of the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Just cause you to be unsure just enough so that God is not to be trusted or obeyed for the one simple rule he warned Adam and Eve of. Despite God having provided all that was good, Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation and executed acts of sin.
Eve was confronted, but Adam was complicit when he should have protected and lead. He could have protected Eve and family and humanity from the catastrophe. They had to make a decision to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan didn’t force them to eat it, they still had to choose.
It remains the cardinal lesson for us.
Have you arrived at that point to believing in God’s promises or succumbing to Satan’s deceptions?
For a one minute explanation of the Gospel from the late Pastor John MacArthur, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCP9UcC7BzE
For a review of the Ten Commandments: https://www.challenyee.com/the-ten-commandments/
ACT LIKE MEN a short talk given by John MacArthur (click on the link)
All quoted excerpts have footnotes removed, usually from Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), sometimes from New International Version (NIV), on rare occasion the Amplified Bible (AMP).
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