Worship: What is worshipping the Creator vs. worshipping creation?
God is the Creator of everyone and everything. God is independent, everyone and everything else is dependent upon God. Everyone and everything exist to glorify God. When we fail to worship the Creator, our only option is to worship the created.
When it comes to worship, there are only two options. One, we worship the Maker of all. Two, we worship something made by God, or people, like another person, pleasure, or sex. Romans 1:25-28, 32 says, “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error…God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” God made us male and female, marriage for one man and one woman, and sex for marriage. When we accept our God-given gender, God’s design for marriage, and reserve sex solely for marriage, we are worshippers of the Creator enjoying His creation. When we reject our God-given gender, redefine marriage, and have sex outside of marriage, we are idolaters worshipping creation instead of the Creator. These timeless words are perhaps timelier than ever.
Paul says that underlying idolatry is the lie and Jesus names Satan “the father of lies.” [ENDNOTE #5]
The truth is two-ism where Creator and creation are separate, and creation is subject to the Creator. Visually, you can think of this in terms of two circles with one being God the Creator and the other containing all of creation.
The lie is one-ism, also called monism. One-ism is the pagan and idolatrous denial of distinction between Creator and creation, and/or a denial that there is a Creator. This is a refusal of binary thinking that makes distinctions and divisions. One-ism is the eradication of boundaries and differences to bring opposites together as one. The materialistic form of one-ism is atheism. Spiritual one-ism is also often called New Age, New Spirituality, or Integrative Spirituality. According to spiritual one-ism, the universe is a living organism with a spiritual force present within everything. Thus, everything is interconnected by the life force or the world soul. This life force manifests as spiritual beings (Christians realize these are demons) that manipulate the course of world events. These spirits can be influenced to serve people by using the ancient magical arts. Humans possess divine power unlimited by any deity. Consciousness can be altered through the practice of rite and ritual. Magic is the manipulation of objects, substances, spirit entities, and minds, including humans and demons, by word (ritual, incantations, curses, spells, etc.) and objects (charms, amulets, crystals, herbs, potions, wands, candles, etc.)
Visually, you can think of this in terms of one circle in which everything is contained and interconnected as one. Often, the circle itself serves as the defining symbol of pagan idolatry. This includes the yantra in Hindu worship, the mandala circle of dharma and Dharmacakra in Buddhist and Taoist worship, the sun cross of Wiccans (who also gather in a circle), and Native American medicine wheels, dream catchers, and drum circles. A well-known expression of one-ism is found in the popular song from The Lion King, “the circle of life.”
Monism or one-ism is a religion. Although not always formal like Christianity, it is a view of the world that rejects dualistic thinking.
What God creates, Satan counterfeits. Satan creates nothing, but he does counterfeit, corrupt, and coopt what God creates. The lie is that there is no difference or distinction in value between what God creates and Satan counterfeits. Here are some examples:
God Creates Satan Counterfeits
God Satan
angels demons
obedience rebellion
truth lies
two genders gender spectrum
people and animals no distinction between human and animal life
Spirit-filled demon-possessed
cleansing defilement
humility pride
forgiveness bitterness
worship idolatry
peace fear
unity division
shepherds wolves
God-esteem self-esteem
covenant with God inner vow with self
spirit flesh
freedom slavery
life death
church world
kingdom hell
As a worldview, one-ism is antithetical to biblical two-ism. Christians think in terms of black and white (binary thinking). Non-Christians think in terms of shades of gray. Biblical thinking is binary thinking.
When we do not worship the Creator, we end up worshipping created things. This essential truth explains why so many social, culture, moral, and religious conflicts are ultimately spiritual warfare and the war between worshipping God the Creator or worshipping creation as god. Plainly stated, everything from radical environmentalism to radical animal rights activism, gender confusion, the redefinition of marriage, pornography and all sexual sin, along with all religious and spiritual activity apart from the Holy Spirit is all paganism and idolatry. The world we live in is deeply and profoundly spiritual, but not of the Holy Spirit.