Are You Satisfied?

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.”

Religion:

 1. Any formal or institutionalized expression of such belief

2. The Practice of Sacred Ritual observances

3. Sacred rites and ceremonies

 Genesis 4:1-7

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.

-       Religion will praise the worker, not the object of the faith

-       Religion exalts mankind, not deity

-       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.

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?