Genesis 11:4
And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

One of the most dangerous, yet subtle evil forces in our world today is the spirit of humanism. This philosophy accords fallen human nature final authority in all matters of morality and and conduct. It seeks to dethrone God from His rightful place. This system is centred purely on human values and human reason to the exclusion of the supernatural and all religion. It is the age old Babylonian spirit–the Nimrod syndrome illustrated in our text above.

It’s ironic that in the eleventh chapter of Genesis people attempt to make a name for themselves and invoke God’s wrath, but in the twelfth chapter God Himself promises to make Abraham’s name great. The implication is that God honours those who hallow His name. Our true greatness only unfolds when we function in harmony with the One in whose image we are made (Gen. 1:26). When we profane the Lord’s name, we are only hurting ourselves because our true identity and dignity are linked with our likeness to and relationship with God.

When we exclude God from our laws and societal standards, we only dehumanise ourselves. To be truly human is to be godly. To be humanistic is to be ungodly. The antidote to the spirit of humanism is to walk by faith. It’s about choosing to put all our trust in God and to depend upon His Word rather than leaning on our own understanding.

Even at a personal level, this spirit affects many saved and unsaved people. In short, you’re very likely under its influence if your own ideas and will are the final authority in your decisions. If you do exactly what you want without any restraint, you’re treading on dangerous ground. If public opinion matters to you more than the wisdom of God, you’re most probably afflicted by the spirit of humanism.

It’s time our lives, families, nations and institutions returned the Lord’s name where it belongs. We must stop making laws that contradict biblical standards. We must stop viewing life through exactly the same lenses as this crooked generation. We must cease justifying what God’s Word condemns. Our duty is to hallow the Heavenly Father’s name (Mat 6:9).

Pastor Josh