Is Christianity an OPIATE?

Notice Karl Marx’s Hand in Coat Masonic Gesture

One of the greatest discoveries I made in adulthood is that no one can escape the grasp of religion. We all subscribe to a belief system, knowingly or unknowingly. This fact renders the claim made by Karl Marx, widely recognized as an atheist, largely inconsequential. Marx asserted that "religion is the opium of the masses" His quote has often been used to attack and demean the beliefs of those who truly worship God.

To better understand this important subject, we need to trace the roots of religious conflict back to the beginning. In Heaven, Lucifer challenged God's authority. His rebellion began subtly but eventually erupted into a full-blown revolt, leading to the expulsion of Satan and a third of the angels from heaven, as depicted in Revelation 12:9:

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him"

But what was the source of this conflict? Before Satan's rebellion, there was only one way of doing things: God's way.

As the Creator, God provided the blueprint for the behavior of all beings He created. This is the logical basis for the first and most important of the 10 commandment in Exodus 20:3: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Lucifer claimed that this divine system of governance was totalitarian and dictatorial. He persuaded the angels that if everyone were free to pursue their own desires, life would be much better for them. A third of the angelic host were convinced by his sophistry, "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth..." Revelation 12:4 (KJV). His reasoning was compelling: imagine being told that everything you've ever known could be improved by a method you had never considered. 

The only way would be to test it out!

Thus, the devil introduced an idea that was foreign to the reality loyal beings of God in Heaven had known. This concept is encapsulated by the prophet Isaiah: "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north..." (Isaiah 14:13, KJV). Essentially, Lucifer created a belief system that opposed God, the creator of all things. Therefore, no human being is free from religion; we are either with God or opposed to Him following the steps of Satan.

Indifference is not an option and it will never be. Yet today you will hear people utter all manner of contradictions such as "I am not religious" or "I am spiritual but not religious." All of these ideas have been carefully sown into humanity by the enemy of souls. We are even taught to believe that both the devil and God don't exist, that all life is simply energy and we become what we think about by the False Law of Attraction. These are Luciferian concepts cleverly developed to deceive, distract, and ultimately destroy. No wrong idea is harmless and the Dragon knows this too well. All lies about the true nature of life are poisons that destroy:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."

John 10:1 (KJV).

Indifference is a choice for the devil since we are rightfully required to love our neighbours as ourselves. Hence, we cannot escape responsibility for how we live. Jesus emphasized this when He stated, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad" (Matthew 12:30, KJV). Every being created by God will ultimately be subject to the scrutiny of the unerring eye of Heaven. Solomon echoes this eventuality in Ecclesiastes 12:14: "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil." God's judgment will encompass everyone and everything, no one is exempt from it.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul explains that the redeemed will participate in the judgment of fallen angels, even though angels are of a higher rank than humans: "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour" (Psalm 8:5). The certainty of God's judgment is underscored by the fact that even demons questioned why Jesus came for them "prematurely" when He cast them out of a possessed man in the Gadara region (Matthew 8:29). The devil understands that time is running out and he has intensified his efforts to distract humanity from the most critical event: the reckoning we must all face before God.

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Revelation 12:12, KJV).

Throughout history, the devil has employed various forms of negativity to malign and discourage those seeking God. Jesus was called many names during His time on Earth and was even accused of using Beelzebub to perform miracles. He was ultimately killed in the most humiliating manner possible. The devil understood that if he could provoke Jesus to use His divine power to save himself, humanity's salvation would be jeopardized. Jesus was mocked with a crown of thorns and derided as a "powerless King of the Jews." Few grasp the significance of these events; the devil aimed to compel Jesus to act against God's will by getting angry, which would have nullified His ministry:

"Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

Luke 22:42 (KJV).

This explains why, in the desert, he tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, a symbolic act of disobedience that could have derailed Jesus’ mission. Adam and Eve helped themselves, by using the devil and fell; all our help should come from God. In reading the Bible, we often forget that had Jesus committed even one sin, His ministry would have ended, as it was His purity that qualified Him as a Savior. Without that purity, He could also not have resurrected: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, KJV). If Jesus had sinned, He would not have had the ability to save humanity. Salvation depends on obedience to God.

Death was introduced by the disobedience of the first Adam. As the second Adam, Jesus could have overcome death only by living a sinless life, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ..." 1 Peter 2:22 (KJV). The resurrection is therefore the greatest Christian spectacle, if we understand it's true significance then, now, and in the future.

Karl Marx was an adversary to the teachings of Christ and his viral ideology has played a role in undermining Christian faith. However, the reality is that all humans are religiously inclined to God or Satan. In essence, communism and the ideas of Karl Marx are instruments used by the devil to oppose God. While we commonly regard communism as a socio-political ideology, it is actually part of a broader spiritual battle against God. It is Christianity that the devil fears for he knows that in it is the truth, the way, and the life:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 14:6 (KJV).

Lucifer isn't concerned with any other religion!

Though many countries undergo socio-economic cataclysms, there is no way for humanity to escape political and social oppression without Christ. All the challenges we face today stem from sin, yet the devil keeps us distracted with misguided social and political schemes and ideologies falsely presented as saviors. It is through God that all things are added (Mathew 6:33). Righteousness is the panacea to all human problems in all areas of life. True salvation does not come from financial independence or worldly success but from Christ alone:

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

- Mark 8:36 (KJV)

Even when we are in the presence of Christ, the source of all life, we can become preoccupied with trivial matters, much like Mary, who was distracted by tasks that held no real significance. Martha on the other hand, focused on Jesus (Luke 10:42). Christ is the greatest gift, one that, once received, cannot be taken away. Everything we find joy in outside of God will ultimately fade in importance.

The story of the Samaritan woman beautifully rounds up this truth. She had had five husbands and was living with sixth man who wasnt her husband but found true satisfaction only when she met Jesus, the seventh man (John 4:18). True rest is to be found only in Christ Jesus and His Word, which clarifies everything we need to know:

"For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."

Hebrews 4:10 (KJV).

Wishing you a Blessed Sabbath.