"You Shall Have No Other Gods before Me"
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September 28, 2014 |
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 "Then God spoke all these words, saying, I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:1-3).
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
God's children must keep and practice the Ten Commandments even if they cannot remember all Words in the 66 books of the Bible.
The ten points were given by God to His dear children through Moses. They are a summary of all Words of the living God and also serve as a framework for the Bible.
1. Ten Commandments: Believers must keep and can keep
Just as there is the law of this world that we must keep, there is also the law of those who accept Jesus Christ and belong to God that must be kept.
The law refers to the commandments in the Bible. They are divided into four major categories: "Do this," "Don't do that," "Keep this," and "Throw that away." If we keep them we can stay under the protection of God and Satan can't bring tests and trials against us. If we break them, it is to sin and puts us under the power of sin and Satan, consequently leading us to Hell.
We should understand the reason God gave us such commandments and tells us to keep them. God didn't mean to bind us or give us hard time, but instead He wanted to lead us into Heaven in which there is no tear, no pain, no death, and no disease. They are also to let us enjoy blessed lives on the earth. Some may say, "How can a man keep all Ten Commandments? We can only just try to keep them." However, 1 John 5:3 reads, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome."
If we love someone, even though he asks us a big favor, we may be happy just to help him. Similarly, with true love for God it is not hard to keep His commandments.
Moreover, things are different for us living in the New Testament time from people in the Old Testament time who had to keep them with their own willpower and efforts.
Jesus redeemed us from all our sins by being crucified as atoning sacrifice, and anyone who believes this and accepts Jesus Christ receives the Holy Spirit and His help.
With the power of the Spirit, we can keep even the things that we cannot really keep with only our ability or willpower. If the Words of God, the truth are in us, we cannot sin and we will live by the truth.
2. God is the Creator, Savior, and the one and only Deity
Exodus 20:1-3 reads, "Then God spoke all these words, saying, I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me".
'You' in this passage refers to Moses and the people of Israel who received the word. Furthermore, today it also refers to all children of God.
He not only delivered the sons of Israel from slavery in Egypt by manifesting great wonders and signs, but He has also saved us who were slaves to sin. Therefore, as God's children we must never have any other gods but Him.
God is the only true Deity who is alive and almighty, and He created the heavens and the earth and all things in them.
He masters all things in the universe: the history of mankind; the life, death, fortune, and misfortune of men; and He gives us true and eternal life.
But the worldly people worship many other gods in vain causing themselves to be separated from God. Some worship a solar deity, Polaris, and some worship rocks or old trees, and even animals, even though none of these can save or bless them.
Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." The Creator's power is clearly seen in all things around us, and they evidence there is the only one Creator.
All the basic structures and functions of every man on this earth are the same. Africans, Caucasians, and Asians all have two eyes and two ears, and one nose and one mouth. Even their locations are the same.
It is not the same just for men but also animals. This tells us that there is the only Creator. In addition, many natural phenomena reveal the proof of God the Creator.
The earth rotates and revolves, which causes day and night; four seasons; ebbs and the flows of the tide; and circulation of the atmosphere. Many celestial bodies are located and are moving to make the best environment for men and other living things to keep their lives on earth. The sun and the earth also have been moving at the most appropriate distance for immeasurable time, without a single error.
It is possible because the universe and all things in it were designed, created, and are being operated by God's wisdom. God the Creator made everything and is running everything with His power.
Due to these clear proofs, nobody can give excuse on the final Day of Judgment and say, "I didn't know there was a God."
In history, some people recognized the Creator and followed the right way, though they had never heard the gospel.
Admiral Yi Sun-shin of Joseon dynasty always walked the right path and served God only. He didn't know about God or the Lord, but he didn't worship the exorcists or meaningless gods. With his good conscience, he only looked up to heaven and feared only the Creator.
The God of justice opened the way to save this kind of people, through what is known as 'the judgment of conscience' as read in Romans 2:14-16.
Among people in the Old Testament time and who didn't hear of the gospel and didn't know the law of God, if they followed their good conscience and believed in God, He opened the way of salvation for them.
3. The reason God tells us not to have other gods than Him
Some believers resort to or serve other gods. They go to fortunetellers or rely on other kinds of sorceries or magic. Some of them even have lucky charms or amulets. Or some attend the ceremonies of Gentile religions that worship false gods. Then they say it is something sensible and that they are being tolerant. Some unbelievers say, "Christianity tells people to believe in only one God. Isn't it too inflexible?"
God is the one and only Creator, and no one else but Him can give us blessings and life. Against Him are the futile gods that people worship. They belong to darkness and come from Satan the enemy of God. Satan misleads people and makes them serve things in vain. It receives the worship and leads them to the way of destruction.
That is why if you have other gods in you, though you say you believe God, you have constant trials and tests in your life and suffer in tears, sorrow, or diseases. God of love does not want us to fall into destruction by worshipping other gods, so He commands us to have no other gods. He wants us to gain eternal life and live a blessed life on the earth by serving only Him.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you have seen, heard, and experienced evidences of the living God.
I urge you to unchangingly serve and depend only on Him who created all things and takes control over them. I pray in the name of the Lord by doing so you will enjoy overflowing blessing as His children.
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