Different Life: 1st CommandmentSample

Here’s the start of the 1st Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3 NIV). Look at how Martin Luther goes about explaining it in his Small Catechism. He writes: “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”

That phrase “fear and love,” you’ll find it’s the way he starts explaining every commandment. We do it because we fear and love God.

God is great. He’s powerful and can be quite scary. There are consequences to violating his will and way. Fear can be a great motivator. But even more, God abounds in love. He wants you to love him too. God doesn’t want you to put him first just because you’re afraid of the consequences. He wants you to put him first because you want to!

Some say the 1st commandment shouldn’t even be read as a command, but more like a simple matter-of-fact statement. Something like: “There won’t be to you other gods…” Why? Because you love me. I am the God who rescued you. I am the God who loves you. I am the God who brought you out of Egypt as my own. I can’t imagine you’d even think of trading me in! Love of God is what really makes us different.