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

Deacon Hui Zhen - 28 August 2014

Preach Gospel To Yourself Daily

As children of God, we need to always examine ourselves if the truth we have always heard become have become our spiritual state. Can we look to Father, always listening and following Him in all things, just like Lord Jesus. There're moments in our journey of faith that we seem to enter into a spiritual stupor. As we continue serving in the church or hearing the gospel, our faith does not seem to grow deeper in Christ, and we do not seem to draw closer to God. Situations and information seem to rob away our joy easily, distorting our judgment core and peace without even us knowing. The truth that gives birth to us call us to be God's child, one with an unchanging relationship with God. It is this relationship that gives us strength to look to Father for strength and wisdom daily. With the complete truth, we ought to tear down the "old written code" that Satan hideously put in our lives that stop us from hearing the living and active conviction of the Holy Spirit. And often, we have entered into a complacent state, forgetting to repeatedly connect and confirm the truth we have heard through deep prayers. The fruit of genuine faith [vs religion] is strength, love, and grace of God, it means we should have daily recharge, daily renewal and daily regeneration. As much as preaching gospel to others is important, we should all the more preach the gospel to ourselves daily so that we will not fall into spiritual stupor. Be led by the living and active word of God daily. The Word of God does not only bring comfort, it operates into the depths of our souls, penetrating, exposing and revealing the spots that need healing. The journey with Abba Father is always so true and active.

From Series: All English Service, Topical Messages | More Messages from Deacon Hui Zhen

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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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