The First Commandment: “You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me”

30 Jan The First Commandment: “You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me”

Posted at 15:03h in English Service by

Pastor Vincent - 23 October 2014

Lie Weakens, Truth Stengthen

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭27-28‬ NIV) We often live our lives in isolation to the meaning of this verse. In the beginning, God had created with all spiritual and physical goodness, given the ability to control and manage all things (desires, emotions, will, inclinations) and bless us with the ability and longing to spread the blessings we have to those around us.  However, we all know that such is not the case today. Today, despite going to church, believers cannot resist the pressure of the world to pursue success and having more in life; despite praying believers still do not feel joyful, assured and peaceful about what come may is truly plans of God that will prosper them and not to harm them.  Man, even believers, have become so occupied with the lies of Satan to the extent of not knowing they are living in untruths. Because of the lack of truth, we start looking at our creator, ourselves and our conditions incorrectly, subjecting ourselves to the slowly and insidious attacks of Satan, repeatedly. Yet unless one comes to the knowledge of the truth of God, he will never know the greatest problem of his life is not the problems he can see with his naked eyes but the deeper spiritual problem of being separated from the One who gives life to him. Through today's message, may the truths we hear become the strength in our hearts and generate the right need, will, sensibility and emotions in all things. If we cannot see how victimised we are by the Lies, we will never realise how great is the grace that God has given us.  When truth strengthens, it brings us into full resistance to the devil through repeated submission to God's words. And that's how the influence of lies weaken in us and our loved ones.

Related Topics: Regeneration & Sanctification | More Messages from Pastor Vincent

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<Ex 20> 1 And God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

 

 

2 questions:

(1) What does this commandment teach me about God?

(2) What does this commandment teach me about our Christian response and duty?

 

“First” commandment: Most important >>> Foundation to other commands

 

First commandment: The object of our faith; are we worshipping the right God?

 

“What does the Lord require in the first commandment?”

  • HEIDELBERG CATECHISM: “What does the Lord require in the first commandment?” [Q&A 94]
    • That I, not wanting to endanger my own salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, sorcery, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I rightly know the only true God, trust Him alone, and look to God for every good thing humbly and patiently, and love, fear, and honor God with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against God’s will in any way.
  • Challenges faced today in obeying this first commandment: Pluralism, relativism and liberalism
  • “No other gods before me” may sound like God just wants to be the Number 1 God among many other ‘gods’, but no!
  • “Before me”: Besides me, to my face, in my presence

 

Idolatry is a BIG problem for mankind

  • Idolatry is the Number 1 enemy of our relationship with God
  • It’s so hard for the human heart to stay single-hearted
  • HEIDELBERG CATECHISM: “What is idolatry?” [Q&A 95]
    • Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed Himself in the Word.
  • 2 tests:
    • (1) What do you love most?
    • (2) What do you trust most? 

 

Exclusive devotion

  • “Forsaking all others”
  • Similar to exclusive relationship in marriage
  • Problem: We may not reject God altogether, but we also want other ‘gods’
  • God is a jealous God <Ex 20:5>
  • We are called to worship God with our everything <cf. Lk 10:27>
  • Though salvation is God’s free gift, following Jesus will cost us everything <cf. <Lk 14:25-33; Mt 16:24-26>

 

 Reflection

  1. Share about your struggles with idolatry. What are your idols? How can you set them in their right places (e.g. let money really be a ‘tool’ instead of ‘master’), and not let them usurp God’s place in your heart? How can you test whether you have succeeded in so doing?
  2. How have the pluralism, relativism and liberalism of our times challenged your obedience to the First Commandment? How can you restore the exclusive and singlehearted devotion to God? Are you willing to exclusively worship God even if it costs you everything?
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Preacher Hui Jun
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Huijun serves as Secretary of The Blessed RUN Ministries. She is also the Preacher at The Life Church and Missions (Singapore). She graduated from Singapore Bible College and currently lives in Singapore with her husband, Chengji.

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