“Have you obeyed the Ten Commandments?”
Several years ago I helped survey people with this question. Surprisingly, many Americans answered “yes” without hesitation or qualification.
However, the very First Commandment blows all of us out of the water.
“Do not worship any other gods besides me.” Exodus 20:3
This means always giving God first priority in our lives.
Our other gods can be obvious like drugs, alcohol, or sex, but more often they are subtle like job, money, position, popularity.
We can even prioritize our family or Christian ministry above God!
And we all worship occasionally at the altar of Self (self-pity, self-righteousness, self-pride, selfishness).
The First Commandment is the most important (Matthew 22:37--38).
It’s the message of the Bible, the purpose of our lives. Christ gives us power to obey it, so today let’s ask Him to help us identify the other gods in our lives and dethrone them.
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i agree. i committed myself since 1998 to read 2 chapters out of the old & new testaments every day. i try to put God first in my life.
ReplyDeleteIt's all true,sometimes we put everything first,our job security, love of money and self.am talking as a pastor, spend more time with church programs and agendas,.we truly become lukewarm and thinking that mere reading without repentance is good. Thank you very much for the wake up call post.
ReplyDeleteThe one commandment the world has forgotten is the 4th commandment
ReplyDeleteThe commandment that most of the world ignores is the one that starts with remember! Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy!
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that your comment and the comment above feel that the fourth commandment is the one that is most violated. In my perspective, the most serious and most violated of the commands is the one addressed in this devotion. And when it is violated, all other commandments are violated.
DeleteIn addition, when we come to Christ, each day is our Sabbath. This is clearly expressed in Hebrews 4:9-11:
"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience."
The fourth commandment is the only commandment not specifically commanded in the New Testament because each day is a Sabbath for the Christian. Each day is the Lord's Day when we should focus on Him and do His will. Yes, there are purposes in resting from our work each week and spending time in fellowship, but claiming it is the most ignored is totally incorrect.
The commandment in this devotion is the most neglected, most ignored, and least regarded by the world. Failing to set aside a day of the week to worship and rest is not as serious as having no regard for God and His laws.
Sin is Sin, as is disobedience, therefore each Commandment is as important as the other. We must keep them all. I start my day in prayer asking God to guide and direct my thoughts, actions and speech, thereby keeping all Commandments. When I sin I repent, staying in God's will and not my own.
ReplyDeleteHi Child of God,
DeleteSin is sin, but not all sins are the same in God's eyes. Some people teach that, but it's not true. Scripture refutes that belief.