To the Only God

Q 94: What does the Lord require in the first commandment? A: That I, not wanting to endanger my own salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, sorcery, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I rightly know the only true God, trust him alone, and look to God for every good thing humbly and patiently, and love, fear, and honor God with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against God’s will in any way. Q 95: What is idolatry? A: Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed himself in the Word.

Often times a command to not do something also implies a command to do something. When I tell my girls not to make a mess of their bedroom, I also imply the request to keep it clean. Similarly, God’s law has a number of explicit ‘thou shalt nots’ accompanied by implicit ‘thou shalts.’ In this first commandment we read, “You shall have no other gods before me.” What this means, implicitly, is that “you shall have me as your God.” Indeed, the catechism says that this command requires “that I sincerely acknowledge the only true God.”

What does God desire for his people? That we would look to him alone for security and for all good things. Only to him and nowhere else. Certainly, there are those who dabble with ouija boards, palm readers, horoscopes, and fortune tellers, thinking them innocent fun. But God desires for his people to look nowhere other than himself for hope for the future. Christians should look to no other will but God’s when seeking direction. Christians need not be scared that a demon will possess us if we see a ouija board–for the Spirit of Christ, who is strong enough to cast out demons, resides within us (Luke 11:20-26; 1 John 5:18; Romans 8:38-39)–but no invented thing may stand alongside our God.

No invented thing. People have long looked to created things for fulfillment, purpose, even hope. Strength (Habakkuk 1:11), gold (Job 31:24), military power (Psalm 20:7), food (Philippians 3:19), physical pleasures (Colossians 3:5) have all been tried, but fail. Nothing can stand alongside God for our trust. All else will crumble under the weight of the world.

What might you desire or invent that makes its way to the altar of your heart? What might you love, fear, honor, or trust too much? Our modern world has lost all notion of gods floating around above us, directing and affecting our daily living. But that doesn’t mean we have no gods. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16)–sometimes called the three-headed idol–still pervade our so modern and sophisticated lives. These nameless gods may be more insidious and dangerous than ever.

So may God’s people reject all things that vie for our allegiance. May we trust in his good and perfect will; may we trust that he is strong and mighty to save; may we look to him, “the only one who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 24).

“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!” (Jude 25) ~ Pastor Tim