 The Ten Commandments "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," requires
that you love God supremely, adore and worship Him as the only true
God; that you glory in Him alone, obey Him and trust Him with your
whole being. In love, you find Him to be your chief interest, delight,
and treasure. You desire Him above every creature and thing. Love for God refuses to
put Him in second place. It dethrones all idols, whether they be
pleasure, fame, power material wealth, or a man-centered philosophy.
Love for God expels doubt and fear or apprehension. Perfect love for
God "casteth out all fear" (1 John 4:18). Love could never ignore,
deny, or belittle Him in any way. Love dethrones self with its pride
and self-seeking interests. Love "seeketh not her own" (1 Corth.
13:5). Love shrinks from disobedience to the Loved One. Even though
you may not understand the Lord's dealings with you, love for God
forbids distrust or despair; because knowing that the Lord "worketh all
things," love confidently "bears all things,, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corth. 13: 7) The sins forbidden in the first commandant are
atheism, idolatry, omission or neglect of any thing due to Him,
required in this commandment; ignorance, forgetfulness,
mis-apprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and wicked thoughts of him;
bold and curious searchings into his secrets; all profaneness, hatred
of God, self-love, self-seeking, and all other inordinate and
immoderate setting of our mind, will or affections upon other things,
and taking them off from him in whole or in part; vain credulity;
unbelief; heresy; misbelief; distrust; despair; hardness of heart;
pride; presumption; carnal security; carnal delights and joys;
corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal; lukewarmness, and deadness in the
things of God; estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God;
praying, or giving any religious worship, to saints, angels, or any
other creatures; all compacts ands consulting with the devil, and
hearkening to his suggestions: making men the lords of our faith and
conscience; slighting and despising God and his commands, resisting and
grieving of his Spirit, discontent and impatience at his dispensations,
charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us; and ascribing
the praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune,
idols, ourselves, or any other creature. (taken from the Larger
Catechism of the Presbyterian Church - Answer to Question 105) Forbidden: Loving, worshipping, trusting any creature more than God. ©2005 CopperCountry.com,Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. |