Bible Reading: Genesis 4:1-5
Key Verse: Verse 3 – “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.”
Key Words: Cain brought of the fruit of the ground
It didn’t take long after God created man, and Adam and Eve had disobeyed, for man to form the world’s first false religion.
There are at least three characteristics of this and all false salvations.
First of all, Cain’s salvation was based on a human scheme (Genesis 4:1-2). True salvation involves the Word of God, the work of Jesus Christ, and the witness of the Spirit. Cain’s salvation involved none of these.
Secondly, Cain’s salvation was based on a human sacrifice (Genesis 4:3-4). If you’ll notice, Cain “brought of the fruit of the ground an offering.” Cain brought an offering, not a sacrifice.
Thirdly, Cain’s salvation was based on a human satisfaction (Genesis 4:5-7). Cain’s philosophy was “I’ve done my best.” God wasn’t looking for his best, He was looking for the blood!
Cain, like many of our day, was religious – but lost.
America is being inoculated with a mild form of Christianity that is making its citizens immune to the real thing. There are several types of this religious false Christianity.
Psychological Christianity – an obsession that makes God a good “pepper-upper” and religion a comforting thought. Its devotees see theology as a waste of time, shutter at the mention of sin, go to church to seek psycho-religious adjustment for tension and frustration. Their heaven is health and wealth.
Social Christianity – a good-time religion with special appeal to those who cannot get into lodges, clubs, or the society column. It expresses itself in a round of socials, banquets, or – in its more liberal manifestations – theater parties, dances and bridge.
Political Christianity – a reform movement with a social gospel, that is so busy with surveys, committee meetings, projects, campaigns, etc., to clean up society that individuals are starving to death for spiritual food.
Emotional Christianity – a type of inoculation that gives the patient divine thrills and mystical exaltations, but often leaves him spiritually dead.
Atavistic Christianity – a sort of religious loyalty to the beliefs of our dead forebears. The Chinese have it in a bit different form and call it ancestor worship.
Sacramental Christianity – a blind loyalty to certain rites or ceremonies, the faithful performance of which is supposed to give one a “pass” to glory. Its devotees have a “form of godliness,” but “deny the power thereof.”
Theological Christianity – an intellectual and coldly scientific acceptance of the abstract truth in the New Testament Scriptures. Those who have been immunized by this serum can split hairs with the same finesse that Nero played his fiddle while Rome burned.
But genuine salvation is not found in religion – genuine salvation is found only in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:10-12).
What to do:
✞ Don’t trust in religion for salvation; trust in Jesus! Show me how.
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