"...and Him Only you shall serve."
It is not unexpected, but disappointing, to see how man uses his wisdom and beliefs to apply scripture to defend his interpretation of God's teaching.
I have seen this "wisdom" used to promote and justify the right (the human right, freedom of religion) to worship any god / religion of man's choosing.
Satan tried to deceive our Lord Jesus Christ when Jesus was in the desert for 40 days. At the end of these 40 days, when Jesus was starving and close to death, Satan used this desperate situation of personal need to tempt Christ several times.
Knowing that Jesus was the Son of God, the adversary challenged and taunted Jesus to yield to the belief in the desire to serve one’s own will/interest/rights by using "scripture" in confronting Him with the conditional statement of “...If you are the Son of God, then command that these stones become bread”. Jesus, instead, stood fast in the service to God and said (Matthew 4:4) “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but will live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”.
Again, atop the highest mountain (i.e. most pwerful kingdom), Satan offered to give to Jesus all the kingdoms on the earth as long as Jesus would bow down to Satan. Satan, in effect, was saying that it would be acceptable to him to allow all of mankind to worship Jesus Christ, for Jesus to be “King of Kings”, as long as Jesus would serve Satan as a "god" above the Creator. Jesus refused this attempt by Satan to be lured into self-glorification " (the right to rule as king), and said... for it is written “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve”.
Finally, Satan tried to test Christ’s belief in God, to create doubt, by daring Christ to throw himself off the temple wall, thus forcing Christ to see if God’s word would really save Him from death. Again, Christ’s faith was true to God and He rebuked Satan.
It is clear that Christ confessed that man is not to serve any other "god / way of life/ religion" and that we are to serve Only the One True God and that we are to live our life by every Word that comes from the mouth of this One and Only God.
Our faith is to be true to Our Father, without doubt or exception.
Satan, however, has successfully used his powerful deception on man. Man has fully embraced the way of self will and self-rights without realizing that he is now serving the will of Satan. It is not important to Satan what recognized religion you follow (professing Christians included) or don’t follow, as long as the priority belief is to do it for a self-justified, self-serving reason.
Our Lord said in Matthew 24:24 that the signs and wonders (this deception) performed by false christs and false prophets would also be able, if possible (since powerful), to deceive even the elect. Jesus Christ warned “professing Christians” of the dire result of prioritizing this self-righteous “lawlessness” as seen in Matthew 7: 21-23.
God’s desire is for man to embrace and to do His will, which is absolute love for God first and for those around us, and to receive the gift of eternal life. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, summarized well this choice on the Mount of Olives prior to his capture, torture, death, and resurrection.
His words were: Mathew 26:42, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42;
“Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me;
nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
.....which He did as an act of sacrifice, love, and forgiveness for those who repent and follow Him.
Please note that when Christ will return to earth He will do so as King of kings. This also means that there will be only one way of life, one belief. This also means that there will not be any belief in freedom of religion and any freedom of rights. As God’s Holy Spirit is here now, we are also, NOW, to serve Christ as King.
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