How does the First Commandment compare to the other Commandments?

The First Commandment is the chief Commandment. It already includes the other Commandments because only he who in his heart obeys the First Commandment, obeys the other Commandments in the right way. For this reason the explanations to the other Commandments all begin with the words: “We should fear and love God that..”. Luther says: “If the heart relates to God in this way, it has kept this and all the other Commandments.On the other hand, he who fears and loves something else in heaven or on earth, keeps neither this Commandment nor any of the other Commandments.” All of us have to confess that we have not kept even the First Commandment, but have broken it. We can, however, confess our sin to God and believe that it has been forgiven for the sake of our Savior, Jesus Christ

What is true trust in God?

We truly trust God when we believe that God will faithfully take care of us throughout our life and will finally take us to heaven. When we truly trust in Him, we expect Him to give us only that which is for our good.

Matt. 4:4: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Prov. 3:5,6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Job 1:21: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

Assignment: Read Gen. 39:2,3, 45:4-8 and 50:20: God took care of
Joseph.

What is true love of God?

We love God above all things when we with our whole heart cling to Him as our dearest treasure and highest joy. A person who truly loves God will reject everything that would separate him from God, and will gladly live in accordance with His Commandments.

Ps. 73:25,26: Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Matt. 10:37: He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of me.

John 14:23,24: Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love Me, he will keep my words...He that loveth Me, keepeth not my sayings.

1 John 5:3: This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous..

Assignment: Read Gen. 22 and Heb. 11:17-19: Abraham´s faith is tested.

Discuss: Can falling in love (romantic love) keep one from loving God?

What is true fear of God?

We truly fear God when we always bear in mind that we are living in God´s presence and when we with child-like, respectful and holy fear avoid transgressing God´s will even in the least way. A God-fearing person will not live in terror of God nor try to flee from His presence, but will fear to commit sin and will avoid what displeases Him, because he loves and respects Him.

Gen. 17:1: I am Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect.

Ps. 33:8: Let all the earth fear the Lord.

Gen. 39:9: (Joseph´s word to the one who tempted him to commit sin:) How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

Ps. 111:10: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Assignment: Read Dan. 6: Daniel in the lions´ den, and Dan. 3: three men in a fiery furnace.

What are the three characteristics of a heart that trusts only in God?

1. True fear of God,
2. true love of God,
3. true trust in God.

What does God require of us in the First Commandment?

God requires that with our whole heart we trust only in Him and rely completely on Him as we live from day to day.

What kind of a sin is the sin of idolatry?

Idolatry is the first and chief sin. When a person practices idolatry he has rejected the living God, he trusts in something created, and is subject to eternal damnation.

Matt. 6:24: Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Jer. 17:5: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

Eph. 5:5: For this know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Philip. 3:19: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

What kind of a sin is the sin of idolatry?

Idolatry is the first and chief sin. When a person practices idolatry he has rejected the living God, he trusts in something created, and is subject to eternal damnation.

Matt. 6:24: Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Jer. 17:5: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

Eph. 5:5: For this know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Philip. 3:19: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

What types of idolatry are there?

There are two types of idolatry: Open and concealed.

1. Open idolatry can be observed or seen. Such idolatry is:
   
   
   • the type practiced by pagans, such as worshiping statues or pictures of false gods, worshiping heavenly bodies, animals, etc. Worshiping earthly rulers is also a form of open idolatry. Satan worship is an especially gross form of idolatry.
     
     Assignment: Consider: what type of people-worship is practiced today, and what kinds of needs does it satisfy? Why is it idol-worship?
     
     

     Rom.1:22-23: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

     
     
     Assignment: Read Ex. 32: the golden calf, Ps. 115:3-8 and Is. 44:15-19.
   
   
   
   • the worship of angels, the Virgin Mary, saints, pictures, holy places, etc. This type of worship is practiced by certain churches of external
     Christendom.
     
     

     Matt. 4:10: Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.
     
     Rev. 19:10: I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not; I am thy fellow- servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus; worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
     
     Is. 63:16: Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not. Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.
     
     Ex. 20:4-5: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.

     
     
     Assignment: Discuss: What are some groups of this type within the visible Christian Church?
   
   
   • those who deny that God is a Triune God. They may confess that there is only one God, but they refuse to confess that Christ is true God and that the Holy Ghost is true God. All those who call God “mother” belong to this group, because they deny the God of the Bible, who is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
     
     Assignment: Consider what religions belong to this group.
   
   


2. Concealed idolatry: This type of idolatry takes place in a person´s heart and does not involve outward worship. A person practicing this type of idolatry fears, loves and trusts some creature as if it were God. Some types of hidden idolatry are:
   
   
   • trusting in one´s possessions, wealth, money and material things.
     
     

     Job 31:24-25, 28 : If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, thou art my confidence; if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much..... this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge, for I should have denied the God that is above.

     
     
     Assignment: Read Luke 12:15-21: the rich man trusted in his crops; Luke 16:19: trust in a sumptuous life.
     
     Luther considered a person´s possessions to be the most common false god.
   
   
   • trust in power and authority, in one´s position, in one´s profession.
   
   
   • trust in one´s self or in others.
     
     

     Ps. 146:3,4: Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

     
     
     Assignment: Read what happened to Goliath 1 Sam. 17, to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4:27-29 and to Peter Matt. 26:33-35, 69-75. Read what the Bible says about one´s own wisdom Jer. 9:23, one´s own righteousness Luke 18:9-12, the idolization of one´s self Ps. 14:1.
   
   
   • d) being a slave to some lust.
     
     Assignment: Discuss; What does a person have as his god when he lusts after gambling, alchohol, honor and glory and power and authority? When can the opinion of the majority or the latest fashions be false gods? Our work or our hobbies can also become false gods if they revent us from hearing God´s Word. Cite some examples.
   
   
   • trusting that one´s fate is determined by the stars (astrology, horoscopes), believing in fortune telling (palm reading, looking into a crystal ball) withcraft, etc.
     
     Assignment: Discuss: Why is there a contradiction between astrology and true faith? Read: Is. 47:11-14.

What is idolatry? (Worship of false gods)

When a person trusts in something that has been created instead of trusting in God, such trust is idolatry or worshiping a false god. Everything that is more precious or more important than God to someone, is the god that he worships.

What is a god?

A person´s god is that from whom he expects all good things, in whom he trusts in all times of need, in whose hands he believes his life to be, and whom he thanks for all the good things he has. If a person trusts in the God of the Bible, he has the true God. But if he trusts in anything else, he has a false god.

Luther: “That to which your heart clings and in whom you trust, is in truth your god.”

What does God forbid in this Commandment?

God forbids us to have other gods.

Is. 42:8: I am the Lord; that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

What does God want of us in this Commandment?

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

God wants us sincerely from our hearts to have only Him as our God, and to love, worship and serve only Him.

Matt.4:10: Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

Deut.6:5: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God