When Nimrod built Babylon he gathered and united the people together for the purpose of making a name for themselves (see Genesis 11:4). They were convinced that they had the power to control their own destiny. As I was listening to the victory speech of the President elect of the United States, I was amazed how he waxed eloquent in his attempt to bring hope to the nation. At the same time he noticeably stayed away from any mention of God, except when he ended with a "God bless you" and "God bless America". The rest of his speech was based on pure humanism. The prophet Isaiah warned Israel regarding this very thing, saying: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).
The philosophy of humanism is actually nothing less than a form of idolatry. In fact it is the worse kind of adulation, for when humanity worships itself it sends the whole creation into "gross, thick and black darkness". How so? Because unredeemed man is still a slave to the nature and power of Sin and certainly should not be the object of worship. In the beginning Man/Adam was given dominion over all living things that were created in the fifth and sixth days. However, he was not to rule over himself; that was the Creator's prerogative and position. Man was to be YHVH's servant, to bring His Life and Light to all living things. The glory that Adam manifested while walking with and worshipping his Elohim emanated the glory of the Creator, and was even transmitted to the creation. When Man fell out of relationship with his Master/Elohim, through disobedience, the whole of Man's cosmos fell along with it into a state of spiritual darkness. Man began to worship and to serve the creation rather than the Creator. "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible Elohim for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures" (Romans 1:23).
In Psalm 106:20 it says that "they changed their glory into the image of an ox that eats grass". If man worships or serves an ox, he will receive the glory of the ox, thus keeping the creation at a very low level of life. However, in the last days, before the Light dawns, the Word tells us that gross darkness will be on the earth (ref. Isaiah 60:2). The reason for this deep darkness (as Paul explains in 1st Corinthians 15: 40-52), is that every thing that YHVH created has a glory, except for one - "natural Man". The latter receives his glory from that which he worships, as we noted in the above Psalm. Thus the reason for the gross darkness is that man is worshiping and serving himself, the creature, rather than the Creator.
We, who have been taken out of the kingdom of darkness and have been transferred to the kingdom of YHVH's dear Son Yeshua (ref. Colossians 1:13), are in a position to worship in Spirit and in Truth. Having been redeemed and placed in the Messiah in heavenly places, we are given the opportunity to again bring the true Light into this cosmos. The condition that our Master of Light places upon us is the same one that He had placed in the beginning - obedience to serve and walk with the Creator. If we give ourselves as a living sacrifice (ref. Romans 12: 1), through the obedience of faith, believing what is true about our death, burial and resurrected life in the Spirit of Holiness, we will again be the conduit of spiritual Light and Life to the creation. The creation is still groaning in travail waiting for the revealing of the sons of Elohim (ref. Romans 8:19). Who are they? "For as many as are led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim" (Romans 8:14).
These sons are to walk in paths of righteousness, a righteousness that is not their own, anything else would constitute the sin of self-righteousness. They are to serve YHVH's righteousness. The Apostle explains this position of sonship in Romans 6: 16: "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as bond servants for obedience, you are servants of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?"
Yeshua reminds us that one cannot serve two masters: "No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve Elohim and mammon" (Luke 16:13). When we apply this principle to Sin, we have to ask ourselves: is Yeshua indeed LORD/Master over us, or is it Satan? Paul is making it very clear; if we continue to serve Sin than our master is not Yeshua. Yeshua Himself illustrated this point by using the example of those who were doing mighty works in His name but yet were not known or acknowledged by Him, for their hearts were not in right relationship to Him (ref. Mathew 7: 21-23).
We are invited to be obedient servants to His righteousness. How is this righteousness defined? The answer is the "fruit of the Spirit" which is: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5: 22-23). If, for example, we serve impatience, which is an embodiment of an unloving nature that kills relationships, who is ruling in that instance? Right then it is certainly not Yeshua. We are to serve the Spirit of Holiness/Righteousness at all times, and do so voluntarily as He will not drag us along and force us into that position. It is up to us to be His obedient bond-servants: "For it is Elohim who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of Elohim in the face of Yeshua the Messiah. We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of Elohim and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
Ephraim
The philosophy of humanism is actually nothing less than a form of idolatry. In fact it is the worse kind of adulation, for when humanity worships itself it sends the whole creation into "gross, thick and black darkness". How so? Because unredeemed man is still a slave to the nature and power of Sin and certainly should not be the object of worship. In the beginning Man/Adam was given dominion over all living things that were created in the fifth and sixth days. However, he was not to rule over himself; that was the Creator's prerogative and position. Man was to be YHVH's servant, to bring His Life and Light to all living things. The glory that Adam manifested while walking with and worshipping his Elohim emanated the glory of the Creator, and was even transmitted to the creation. When Man fell out of relationship with his Master/Elohim, through disobedience, the whole of Man's cosmos fell along with it into a state of spiritual darkness. Man began to worship and to serve the creation rather than the Creator. "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible Elohim for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures" (Romans 1:23).
In Psalm 106:20 it says that "they changed their glory into the image of an ox that eats grass". If man worships or serves an ox, he will receive the glory of the ox, thus keeping the creation at a very low level of life. However, in the last days, before the Light dawns, the Word tells us that gross darkness will be on the earth (ref. Isaiah 60:2). The reason for this deep darkness (as Paul explains in 1st Corinthians 15: 40-52), is that every thing that YHVH created has a glory, except for one - "natural Man". The latter receives his glory from that which he worships, as we noted in the above Psalm. Thus the reason for the gross darkness is that man is worshiping and serving himself, the creature, rather than the Creator.
We, who have been taken out of the kingdom of darkness and have been transferred to the kingdom of YHVH's dear Son Yeshua (ref. Colossians 1:13), are in a position to worship in Spirit and in Truth. Having been redeemed and placed in the Messiah in heavenly places, we are given the opportunity to again bring the true Light into this cosmos. The condition that our Master of Light places upon us is the same one that He had placed in the beginning - obedience to serve and walk with the Creator. If we give ourselves as a living sacrifice (ref. Romans 12: 1), through the obedience of faith, believing what is true about our death, burial and resurrected life in the Spirit of Holiness, we will again be the conduit of spiritual Light and Life to the creation. The creation is still groaning in travail waiting for the revealing of the sons of Elohim (ref. Romans 8:19). Who are they? "For as many as are led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim" (Romans 8:14).
These sons are to walk in paths of righteousness, a righteousness that is not their own, anything else would constitute the sin of self-righteousness. They are to serve YHVH's righteousness. The Apostle explains this position of sonship in Romans 6: 16: "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as bond servants for obedience, you are servants of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?"
Yeshua reminds us that one cannot serve two masters: "No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve Elohim and mammon" (Luke 16:13). When we apply this principle to Sin, we have to ask ourselves: is Yeshua indeed LORD/Master over us, or is it Satan? Paul is making it very clear; if we continue to serve Sin than our master is not Yeshua. Yeshua Himself illustrated this point by using the example of those who were doing mighty works in His name but yet were not known or acknowledged by Him, for their hearts were not in right relationship to Him (ref. Mathew 7: 21-23).
We are invited to be obedient servants to His righteousness. How is this righteousness defined? The answer is the "fruit of the Spirit" which is: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5: 22-23). If, for example, we serve impatience, which is an embodiment of an unloving nature that kills relationships, who is ruling in that instance? Right then it is certainly not Yeshua. We are to serve the Spirit of Holiness/Righteousness at all times, and do so voluntarily as He will not drag us along and force us into that position. It is up to us to be His obedient bond-servants: "For it is Elohim who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of Elohim in the face of Yeshua the Messiah. We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of Elohim and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
Ephraim
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