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The First Commandment states: “You shall have no other gods.” Martin Luther’s explanation says, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” This means that anything we fear, love, or trust above God becomes an idol, an “other god.”
Sometimes we make idols by making ideas, relationships, or things more important than the God of grace. Identify the idols in your life and determine in what ways these words apply to your idol.
Fear God above all things
What does it mean to fear God? Fear is sometimes defined as having awe and respect for God. He is almighty and holy, meaning that he can—and should—crush us like ants. However, for the sake of Jesus, he carried out this punishment on his Son at the cross. So we respect him and are in awe of his grace to us sinners.
To understand what it means to fear God is similar to the difference between a child saying, “I’m not going to do this because my father will kill me,” or, “I’m not going to do this because it will kill my father.”
Read 1 Samuel 12:24; Matthew 10:28; and Exodus 34:6,7.
How do these passages beautifully illustrate the balance we need to strike in defining “fear of God”? Give at least one biblical example of someone who feared God.
Love God above all things
Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). To love God above all else is to consider him and his Word dearer to us than anyone or anything else.
Read Genesis 22.
Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. That is love for God above all else. How could he do that? He trusted the promise of God completely (see Hebrews 11:17-19). Years later God would lead his only Son up the same mountain and place him on the wood of the cross for us!
What gift has God given you that would be the most difficult to sacrifice?
Trust God above all things
Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life” (Matthew 6:25). In other words, “Trust me!” We may think, “Of course we do!” But our hearts so easily deceive us. Would we feel more secure with $100,000 in the bank? Most would say yes. Is that because we wonder if God can take care of us even if we have nothing in the bank?
Read Matthew 6:24 and 10:37.
Think of other idols. In what way does the devil tempt us to trust them to provide so that we don’t need to rely on God as much?
Martin Luther said, “If the heart is in a right relationship with God and this commandment is kept, then all the other commandments will follow of themselves.” Identify how obedience to each commandment naturally follows if the First Commandment is kept.
Author: David Scharf
Volume 109, Number 01
Issue: January 2022
- Psalm 103: When you count your blessings
- Psalm 91: When God lifts you up on his lap
- Psalm 4: When you draw nearer to the end
- Psalm 42: When you ask, “Where is God when I’m hurting?”
- Psalm 32: When you need forgiveness
- Psalm 130: When rocks fall
- Bible study: Freedom in service
- What does this mean for me? Article 6
- Bible study: Spiritual gifts
- What does this mean for me? Article 5
- What does this mean for me? Article 4
- Bible study: Rejoice in your status!
- Bible study: Baptismal blessings
- What does this mean for me? Article 3
- What does this mean for me? Article 2
- Bible study: Gifts of tongues and miraculous healing
- What does this mean for me? Article 1
- Bible study: Jesus is everyone’s Savior
- Bible study: Love one another
- Bible study: Above all things!
- Bible study: The comfort of God’s providence
- The book of James: Waiting for Christ’s return
- Bible study: Precious grace
- The book of James: Active in using prayer
- Bible study: Rewards of grace
- The book of James: Active in showing love
- The book of James: Correctly evaluating riches
- Bible study: What’s going to happen on the Last Day?
- The book of James: Avoiding loveless judging
- Bible study: Interpretation practice
- The book of James: Taming the tongue
- Bible study: The Bible’s attributes
- Bible study: The importance of the family altar
- Bible study: God’s attitude is grace
- Bible study: The Bible’s account of Easter morning
- Bible study: Different types of sin
- Bible study: God’s inspiration
- Bible study: Giving God glory
- Bible study: Judge for yourself
- The book of James: Using the Word of Truth
- Bible study: The need for the Bible and worship
- Bible study: Citizens of two kingdoms
- The book of James: Active in good works
- The book of James: When battling temptation
- Bible study: God cares
- Bible study: God made the world
- The book of James: When facing trials
- Bible study: A loving God saved people from hell
- The book of James: A blueprint for living out our life of faith
- A Bible story just for me: Guilt
- Bible study: God provides victory over death!
- A Bible story just for me: Anxiety
- Bible study: God forgives and refuses to remember our sins
- A Bible story just for me: Grief
- Bible study: God helps those who cannot help themselves
- A Bible story just for me: Depression
- Bible study: God has not grown soft on sin
- Bible study: Only one path leads to God’s presence
- A Bible story just for me: Trauma
- A Bible story just for me
- Bible study: God wants me in heaven
- Bible study: The incarnation of our Lord