NO other gods

I recently spoke over the last couple of weeks with the primary theme that we are no longer under the Law of Moses as New Testament Christians, but we are under grace with the only laws we are to follow written in our hearts. "And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us" (1 John 3:23 NLT). This most important commandment to love Jesus Christ, who is God, is reflected in that first commandment ever given to the Israelites: "You must not have any other god but me" (Exodus 20:3 NLT). To those who truly follow Christ, God is not just first in your life. He is central to everything in your life. D. James Kennedy said it this way, "You cannot say, 'No, Lord,' and mean both words. One annuls the other. If you say no to him, he is not your Lord." That is because, as I mentioned in my last blog post, the word "Lord" as used here is a reflection of him being the master of your life, not just of his deity. In one sense, Jesus is Lord of all, but he is not your Lord unless you have submitted to him.

But doesn't God say that he is the only one? Yes, he does. “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone" (Deuteronomy 6:4 NLT). "I am the Lord. There is no other God" (Isaiah 45:5 NLT). But in reality, anything can be made an idol or false god. Even though the God of the Bible is the only true God, anything that is most important in your life is essentially your master, whether that is God or something else. For some people, money is their god. And that can be true whether someone is rich or poor. There are plenty of rich people who aren't greedy and there are plenty of poor people who think of nothing but money. For some, fame is their idol. As much as I enjoy social media because it allows me to see what's happening in the lives of people I care about,. many people use social media in pursuit of fame. This is not the same as using it to promote a church, business, product, blog, etc., but the idea of using it just for the sole purpose of getting likes and comments as I heard someone explain earlier this morning. I have been guilty of this in the past. It's an easy trap to fall into. Entertainment can be an idol. Who doesn't like to be entertained? "Americans do find some time to enjoy their lives, as reflected in the $2,564 the average household devotes to entertainment each year" (Average Household Budget). But entertainment can become an idol if that is the centerpiece of your life. Family relationships: spouses, parents, children can also become idols. We are to love everyone, especially those that I just listed. But when "a large crowd was following Jesus, he turned around and said to them, 'If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple'" (Luke 14:25-26 NLT). Jesus isn't teaching that we should hate everyone, but that we love him so far above anyone or anything else, that we don't give our lives to anything but him. Even if it means losing any of those people to obey Christ, that is the only correct course of action IF that is the only option. What it means to love God is clear: Nothing and no one can replace him for you to truly be his follower.

Most of humanity has such a shallow understanding of what God requires of them because the Good News is hidden behind a veil, hidden from people who are perishing. "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NLT). Despite my own clear understanding of God's requirement, the number of ways that I can think of--not counting the ones I may have forgotten--in which I have transgressed this commandment are countless. I am not pointing a finger at anyone who could not point it back at me, but all that does is leave us in the same boat. "As the Scriptures say, 'No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies. Snake venom drips from their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace. They have no fear of God at all'" (Romans 3:10-18 NLT). We are all in need of the blood of Christ to cleanse us from our sins. Only when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us when we put our trust solely in him are we empowered to live this out and truly keep God first in our lives. Jesus demonstrated this commandment in its most pure form when he was in the Garden of  Gethsemane right before going to the cross when he said, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42 NLT). We should put God first because he put us first during the greatest event of all time.

Ray Comfort tells the story of a father who "once purchased a TV for his kids to watch cartoons in the afternoon. When he arrived home that night, his kids didn't come to greet him; they were busy watching TV. His homecoming had become a non-event. He walked over to the TV and turned it off, explaining to them that he purchased the TV for their pleasure, but if it came between him and their love for him, it was going. They were setting their affection on the gift, rather than on the giver. If we love anything more than God--our spouse, child, car, sport, or even our own life--we are setting our affection on the gift rather on than the giver."