Mark 7: 17-23, 'When he had entered the house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. So He said to them, 'Are you thus without understanding also?'
Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside
cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his
stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”And
He said, “What comes out of a man that defiles a man. For
from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these
evil things come from within and defile a man.”
1. Any formal or institutionalized expression of such belief
2.
The Practice of Sacred Ritual observances
3.
Sacred rites and ceremonies
4 Now
Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have
acquired a man from the Lord.”2 Then she bore again, this
time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of
the ground.3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought
an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their
fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not
respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance
fell.
6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why
are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do
well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the
door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
The origin of religion came from Adam and Eve! Since they
failed to trust in God fully, they were left to fend for themselves…they
relegated their relationship with God to only what they can get from God…not
give to Him! In other words…religion is one-sided.
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Religion will praise the worker, not the object
of the faith
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Religion exalts mankind, not deity
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Religion focuses on the work, not the reason for
the work
All of this is seen at the very beginning of creation!
Cain’s name is the epitome of religion: ‘I have acquired a
man from the Lord’
In other words…’Look what I got from God!’
Abel was a rejected sort…his name means, ‘The breath’ or
‘Vanity’ Giving us the impression that Abel wasn't meant to be born because the
family was satisfied with Cain! This application is connected to Christ by
these 2 verses…
John 1:10-12
10 He was in the world, and though
the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to
that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who
did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
Psalm 118:22-23
22 The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
23 This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
Although Abel was a reject…his sacrifices to God rescued his
family because what he sacrificed gained God’s respect…unfortunately, man chose
religion over the satisfaction of God because Cain killed Abel. Having said all this…which do
you prefer? So, are you satisfied with religion?
