The choice of Joshua 24:15. Here under the core of 'Serving God' unlike 'serve idols' to help keep it sharp on our retinas[1]. There is much more to say about it and it also raises new questions, but I think this is the gist. Also about the work of the Holy Spirit I say - for brevity's sake - nothing here (see for example here).
We humans cannot see God, the One who made heaven and earth. He is 'the invisible God' (eg in 1 Timothy 1:17;6:16). The 'seeing' means 'to perceive', so more than just seeing with our eyes. That God is invisible to us humans means that we cannot perceive Him with our senses.
What God asks of people is to believe Him. From the beginning of human history, that has been God's way of dealing with us. He speaks and then we have to believe that word of His. 'Faith' is then not only 'accepting', but also answering with 'obedience of faith' (Romans 1:5). Faith and obedience go together and is God's way of dealing with us and we with Him.
This requires us - "believers"! - that we ask ourselves what then God is speaking to us. Therefore, a believer cannot help but read and examine God's Word. He questions the meaning of that Word in order to believe and obey it. That is a lifelong exercise in "believing.
One of the reasons God has ordained this is because it requires man to use his mind (1 John 5:20). Man was created 'in God's image', which means that we are able to think about things, make choices and act accordingly. When a person learns to understand the things of God and he reacts positively to them, his heart is also involved.
Satan, the invisible and highest spirit creature, tries to take the place of God and tempt men to serve him. He is cunning and he seduces man in a way that is contrary to 'the way of God'.
To begin with, he begins to cast doubt on what God has spoken. Not only concerning God's Word, but also 'His first Word', the creation. After all, who still believes in a creation of 6 days? It already starts with that.
Then you don't have to believe with Satan, he lets you 'experience'. He lets you experience the invisible supernatural things through your senses. You can feel it in your body, you can hear 'the invisible' speak, it feels like you are in another world. It is what Paul calls 'the consciousness of idols' (1 Corinthians 8:7,10,12). All you have to do is open up to it and long for it. Sometimes you have to put in a little effort and practice, but then it will definitely work.
Satan has a whole bag of tricks to provide each one with what suits him. Each one can get in touch with the gods that are dearest to him. For Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian or atheist, each can find that divine source within himself. And the search methods are endless; from house party and drugs for a trip, meditation and mindgym to the r.c. Mass and Lectio Divina and everything in between. What all these tricks have in common is that you switch off your thinking (your mind) with it, so that you enter a state of higher consciousness. Then you perceive inwardly things that you normally - in normal consciousness - do not perceive. The Bible also calls this that you 'leave the way of the mind' (see here).
The person who seeks this comes into contact with the demons, Satan's helpers, and Paul calls this 'communion with demons' (1 Corinthians 10:20). The experience it evokes in man is a deep emotional experience in man's soul that makes him think that this comes at least from 'god'. He then gets the idea that he has a divine core or even is god.
Along with these deep experiences, Satan causes his demons to change man's conceptions so that "teachings of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1) make their appearance in man's heart and mind. These conceptions, of course, are contrary to the truth of God's Word, but - because they go together with deep inner experiences - are seen as the real reality, as the real truth. Man then thinks of himself as fantastic, believes in himself and thinks that God will not judge him. Always "you are loved" it sounds.
This is Satan's way of fighting for the soul of man; he makes him feel 'like god'. But it leads man to eternal desolation. The final piece of Satan's temptation is his god-man, the antichrist, who will soon sit in the temple and proclaim that he is 'God'. It is the ultimate deception that will be judged by the Lord Jesus Himself when He appears!
Satan's Plan: Make Humans Gods to Drive Out God
God's plan: My Son became man to reconcile them to Me
How different is our God, who Himself came in the person of His Son to become man. What an incredible privilege it is to know Him and love Him. Let us cling to Him and testify to those around us of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who became man to die on the cross of Calvary. There He bore the judgment of our sins and made atonement for all who believe in Him.
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