Old Testament Reading: Psalm 22

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE DOE OF THE DAWN. A PSALM OF DAVID. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.” (Psalm 22, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 18:31-34

“And taking the twelve, he said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.’ But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” (Luke 18:31–34, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

I left some things unaddressed and underdeveloped in the sermon I delivered on the previous passage, knowing I would return to them today.  

I would like you to think again about the question the rich young ruler asked Jesus. He came to Jesus and said, Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? (Luke 18:18). This man wanted eternal life. He believed it existed and could be obtained. And he thought Jesus, whom he regarded as a “good teacher”, would know how to obtain it.

Here are a couple of questions I left unaddressed when I preached on that passage. 

First of all, what is eternal life, biblically speaking? Three things must be said. One, it is life unending—life without the fear of death. Two, eternal life is a life of a different quality than the one we now have. This life is characterized by sin, conflict, sickness, pain, sorrow, and the fear of death. To have eternal life is to enjoy an unending life of bliss, free from these concerns and sorrows that plague us now. Three, to have eternal life is to be right with God and to live forever at peace with him in his glorious presence.

We should not be surprised that this ruler of the Jews believed that eternal life exists and thought it could be obtained. This rich young man was a ruler within Israel. He believed in the Old Testament Scriptures. And the Old Testament Scriptures do speak of the hope of eternal life. I could take you to many passages within the Old Testament to demonstrate this. Psalm 16:11 comes immediately to mind. There, the Psalmist speaks to God, saying, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11, ESV). This single verse mentions the three aspects of eternal life I mentioned a moment ago. Eternal life is life that lasts forevermore. It is a life of pleasure.  It is a life of joy in the presence of God. As I have said, we should not be surprised that this rich young ruler brought this question to Jesus. He regarded Jesus as a good teacher, that is to say, a good teacher of the Holy Scriptures, which speak of life eternal.  

The second question I left undressed in the previous sermon is about Jesus’s response to the rich young ruler. After speaking to the man about the law, he said, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22, ESV).

I will not repeat everything I said in the previous sermon about this exchange that Jesus had with the rich young ruler. For our purposes today, I wish to draw your attention to the fact that Jesus Christ claims to have the ability to give eternal life to all who turn from their sin, forsake the world, and follow after him. When you think of it, this truly is an astonishing claim. Most of you and I are accustomed to this idea that Jesus Christ is able to give eternal life to all who turn from their sins to follow after him.  But to those unfamiliar with this idea—to those unaquainted with the teaching of Holy Scripture on this subject—the claim sounds shocking. Here is the question that must be answered: Why does this man, Jesus of Nazareth, have the power to give eternal life to those who follow him? 

The ability to obtain eternal life has been the pursuit of mankind ever since death entered the world through Adam’s sin. Those who built the tower of Babel were pursuing this—they wanted to make a name for themselves and to reach heaven. This has been the goal of every false religion. Each one, in its way, seeks to obtain some form of eternal life. Even some who claim to be non-religious and atheistic will chase after eternal life in their own way. Today, transhumanists are trying to obtain immortality through the merging of human beings with technology.  According to the Scriptures, all of these efforts will fail. It is Jesus Christ alone who has the power to give eternal life to those who are united to him by faith, who forsake the world and follow after him.  This is what Jesus claimed when he spoke to his disciples, saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV). And this is what he taught when he responded to the question of the rich young ruler, what must I do to inherit eternal life, with the words, come follow me.  Again, the question that must be asked is, why? Why does this man, Jesus of Nazareth, have the power to give eternal life to those who follow him?  

I believe the passage that is open before us today answers this question. 

Jesus Predicted His Death A Third Time

Here in Luke 18:31-34, Christ predicts his death for the third time. 

It was in Luke 9:22 that Christ predicted his death for the first time. He spoke to his disciples, “saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’” It’s interesting, at this time he also delivered a call to the multitudes very similar to the call he delivered to the rich young ruler—“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:22–24, ESV). Christ called both the rich young ruler and the multitudes to deny themselves and follow after him. 

It was in Luke 9:44 that Christ predicted his death for the second time. He spoke again to his disciples, saying, “‘Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.’ But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying” (Luke 9:44–45, ESV).

Here in Luke 18:31-33, we are told that Jesus was very specific about what would soon happen to him. “And taking the twelve, he said to them, ‘See [this is a command, by the way], we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.’ But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said” (Luke 18:31–34, ESV).

These three predictions that Jesus made concerning the suffering and death he would endure in Jerusalem are important for several reasons. They reveal that Jesus knew he would suffer and die, and yet he went to Jerusalem anyway. He went to Jerusalem to be killed, for this was his mission—the purpose for which he came. We must know, therefore, that when he was shamefully treated and crucified, his plans were not thwarted but fulfilled! His life was not taken from him. He laid it down freely. Christ said this dirrcetly as recorded in John 10:18:  “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:18, ESV).

Jesus Predicted That He Would Pass Through Death Into Life Eternal

But here is the truth that I wish to draw your attention to this morning. Jesus did not only predict he would die in Jerusalem; he also predicted he would rise from the dead there. Hear his words again: “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.’”

It should be clear to all that it’s one thing to predict your death; it’s another thing altogether to predict your resurrection. Men die all the time. Death is as common to man as birth. And if the circumstances were just right, it would not be impossible for a man to predict his death. If a man is hated by a group of people who have a history of killing those they hate, it would not be hard for the one who is hated to anticipate that he would be shamefully treated and killed after walking into their base of operations. Granted, Jesus was very specific about how he would be treated and how he would be killed. The thing I am now drawing your attention to is that Jesus did not only predict his death; he also predicted his resurrection from the dead on the third day. 

Jesus Predicted That He Would Die And Rise In Fulfilment Of What Is Written In The Prophets

Furthermore, Christ taught that his sufferings, death, and resurrection on the third day would be in fulfillment of what is written about him in the prophets. 

Isn’t this marvelous to consider? It was not only that Jesus foretold his death and resurrection a short time before these things occurred, but that the Spirit of Christ predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories hundreds of years beforehand through the mouth of the holy prophets.   

Peter speaks of this fact in his first letter. In chapter one verse ten, we read, “Concerning this salvation [that is to say, the salvation secured by Christ], the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories” (1 Peter 1:10–11, ESV). So then, the same Spirit—the Holy Spirit— who enabled the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, to predict his death and resurrection, had also moved the prophets of Old to prophesy concerning these things long before the Christ was born. This is a major theme in Luke’s writings. In Luke 24:26, we hear Jesus say, “‘Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:26–27, ESV). In Acts 3:18, the Apostle Peter preaches the Gospel to the Jews, saying, “But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” (Acts 3:18–21, ESV)

The prophets of old predicted that the Christ (the Son of Man) would be handed over to the Gentiles to be killed. See Psalm 2:1-3: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:1–3, ESV). See also Psalm 22:16. There we hear the Spirit of Christ say, “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—” (Psalm 22:16, ESV)

The prophets of old predicted that the Christ would be mocked and shamefully treated. See Psalm 22:6-8. There, the Spirit of Christ says, “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; ‘He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!’” (Psalm 22:6–8, ESV).

The prophets of old predicted that the Christ would be spit upon and flogged. See Isaiah 50:6-7. There, the Spirit of Christ says, “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame” (Isaiah 50:6–7, ESV).

The prophets of old predicted that the Christ would be killed. See Isaiah 53:7-9: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7–9, ESV).

Finally, the prophets of old predicted that the Christ would rise on the third day. Isaiah 53 goes on to say in verse 10, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10, ESV). In Psalm 16:10, the Spirit of Christ says, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption” (Psalm 16:10, ESV). The Spirit of Christ anticipated the third day resurrection through the prophet Hosah, saying, “Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” (Hosea 6:1–2, ESV). The story of the prophet Jonah’s deliverance from the abyss in the third day also anticipates the third day resurrection of the Christ from Sheol and from the grave.   

Dear friends, Jesus did not only predict his death; he also predicted his resurrection from the dead on the third day. He taught that all of this would happen to fulfill what the prophets of old had spoken.

 This Passage Is An Answer To The Question, Why Does Jesus Have The Power To Give Eternal Life To Those Who Follow Him?

This passage that is open before us today (Luke 18:31-34) is a marvelous passage. In a way, it stands alone. In it, Jesus predicts his sufferings and death for the third time in Luke’s Gospel. More than this, he predicts that he will rise on the third day in fulfilment of prophesies previously made.  All of this is wonderful. But I do believe this passage is to be interpreted in connection with the previous one.  Jesus had just answered the rich young ruler’s question, what must I do to inherit eternal life, by saying, in essence, turn from your sins, forsake the world, and follow after me! This passage that we are considering today answers the question, why does Jesus have the power to give eternal life to those who follow him?

The answer to this question becomes exceedingly clear when we compare Jesus Christ with the rich young ruler of the previous passage.  

This rich young ruler was indeed a ruler within Israel, but Jesus was and is the ruler, the King, the Anointed one, that God had long ago promised to send. Jesus is the ruler prophesied in Micah 5:2: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2, ESV). Jesus is the ruler of Israel, the son of David promised from long ago, whose kingdom will have no end (see 2 Samuel 7).

The rich young ruler was concerned about the same thing Jesus was concerned about. What must I do to inherit eternal life, was the question he asked. And this is the very thing that Jesus was concerned with—the obtainment of eternal life for himself and all who were given to him by the Father in eternity. He says so in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV).

Jesus told the rich young ruler to obtain eternal life by keeping the commandments of God. This fact has confused some. Why would Jesus tell the rich young ruler to obtain eternal life through the keeping of God’s law, given that it is impossible for sinful men to do so, as Paul teh Apostle repeatsedly says in Galatians 2:16, “…by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16, ESV). The answer is twofold. One, Christ pointed the rich young ruler to the law so that he might see his sin and his need for a Redeemer. Two, to show that he himself—the rich young ruler of Israel who came down from above—would inherit eternal life by keeping all of the commandments of God perfectly and perpetually. When Christ responded to the question of the rich young ruler with the question, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Luke 18:19, ESV), it was to awaken him to the fact that no man is good, except one, Christ the Lord, for he God with us. And it is because he is good that he is able to inherit eternal life through the perfect keeping of God’s holy law. 

When the rich young ruler showed how blind he was to his sin by saying, “All these [commandments] I have kept from my youth,” (Luke 18:21, ESV), Jesus honed in on the fact that the man loved his money and possessions—he was filled with covetousness and greed. “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22, ESV). Luke tells us that this rich young ruler of Israel “became very sad” when he heard these things “for he was extremely rich” (Luke 18:23, ESV). This, dear friends, must be contrasted with the attitude of Christ, the Ruler of Israel that God has appointed and anointed to be our Savior and King. 

When Christ, the Son of God incarnate, was told (if I may speak in this way) by the Father in eternity that to inherit eternal life, he must sell all his possessions and distribute the poor, he did not become sad. To the contrary, he willingly submitted himself to the Father’s will for him as it pertains to the accomplishment of our Redemption. As Paul says, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6–8, ESV). In another place, the Apostle says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9, ESV).

I think you can see what I am doing here. I am asking you to go back to the story of the rich young ruler and to change the characters. Instead of the rich young ruler coming to Jesus to ask, What must I do to inherit eternal life, picture Jesus (God’s chosen and anointed Ruler of Israel) standing before God the Father asking the same question and receiving the same answers. Father, what must I do to inherit eternal life for myself and for all these you have given to me? What is the answer? Become incarnate. Keep all of the commandments. Sell all of your possessions and give to the poor. 

This was the mission of God’s anointed King. He was to earn eternal life through human obedience, suffering, and sacrificial death. The rich young ruler was sad and unwilling to walk this path. But Jesus Christ was happy to do it. It was for the “joy that was set before him [that he] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2, ESV). 

After the rich young ruler of Israel departed, and after Peter drew attention the sacrifices he and the other disciples of Jesus had made to follow after him, Christ reassured his disciples that “there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29–30, ESV). This is true of every disciple of Jesus only because it is true of Jesus first. 

Brothers and sisters, need I remind you that we believe 

“…in one Lord Jesus Christ,

      the only Son of God,

      begotten from the Father before all ages,

           God from God,

           Light from Light,

           true God from true God,

      begotten, not made;

      of the same essence as the Father.

      Through him all things were made.

      For us and for our salvation

           he came down from heaven;

           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,

           and was made human.

           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;

           he suffered and was buried.

           The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.

           He ascended to heaven

           and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

           He will come again with glory

           to judge the living and the dead.

           His kingdom will never end.” (The Nicene Creed)

The point is this: The path that Christ commanded the rich young ruler to walk was the very path that Christ, the true Ruler and King of Israel, walked to inherit eternal life.  The Son of God became incarnate to keep the commandments of God so that he would be righteous and have a righteousness of his own to give. Though he was very rich, he sold all his possessions (metaphorically speaking) so that he might distribute his goods to the poor. And what did Christ give up, ultimately? His very life. He laid it down as a sacrifice for many (see Mark 14:24).

It was after the rich young ruler walked away sad and unwilling to obey Christ’s command, that Christ pulled his disciples to the side, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise” (Luke 18:31–33, ESV).

Conclusion

So the question is, why does Christ have the ability to give eternal life to those who turn from their sins, forsake the world, and follow after him?

When all is considered, there are three things to say.

Firstly, Christ inherited eternal life for himself and all given to him by the Father in eternity, through his active obedience. He kept the commandments of God perfectly and perpetually. This means he was righteous. Is it possible to obtain eternal life through the keeping of God’s commandments? Not for you or for me, for we are sinners! We violate God’s law in thought, word, and deed. But there is one exception. The man Jesus Christ inherited eternal life by obeying the commandments of God. 

Secondly, Christ inherited eternal life for himself and all given to him by the Father in eternity, through his passive obedience. He submitted himself to the will of the Father for him. Though he was rich, he became poor. He submitted himself to suffering in the who of his life. He endured temptations, sickness, sorrow, and distress. He was despised, rejected, mistreated, and abused by men. Supremely, he suffered on the cross. There, he experienced the trial of death. This he did for us and for our salvation in obedience to the Father’s will for him as expressed in eternity in what theologians call the covenant of redemption.   

Thirdly, Christ inherited eternal life for himself and all given to him by the Father in eternity by rising from the dead on the third day. He was able to rise because of his active and passive obedience. But when he rose, he won the victory over sin, Satan, and death and secured the right to set captives free from Sheol, or Hades, and to lead them into heaven and into life eternal. 

How do we know that Christ does in fact have the power to give eternal life to all who follow him? He rose from the dead and has entered into glory, that is to say, life eternal. At the beginning of the book of Revelation, we are told that when the Apostle John saw a vision of the risen and ascended Christ, he “fell at his feet as though dead. But [Christ] laid his right hand on [him], saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades’” (Revelation 1:17–18, ESV). “I have the keys of Death and Hades”, Christ said. He has the power to unlock the door of death and the door of Hades to set captives free. He proved that he has these keys when he died and rose again on the third day. 

Dear friends, do you wish to have life eternal— a life that is unending and perfectly blessed in the presence of our glorious God? You must turn from your sins, forsake the world, and follow Jesus to have it, for he is “the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [him]” (John 14:6, ESV).

Baptist Catechism 52 & 53

Q. 52. What is forbidden in the first commandment?

A. The first commandment forbideth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God, as God and our God; and the giving that worship and glory to any other, which is due unto Him alone. (Joshua 24:27; Rom. 1:20,21; Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:25)

Q. 53. What are we especially taught by these words, “before me,” in the first commandment?

A. These words, “before me”, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with the sin of having any other god. (Deut.30:17,18; Ps. 44:20,21; Ps. 90:8)

Scripture Reading: Romans 1:18-25

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:18–25, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

We have already learned what the first commandment is: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  And we have learned what the first commandment requires. It requires us “to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.” Now we ask, what does it forbid? Our, catechism identifies three things:

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Baptist Catechism 52 Explained

One, the first commandment forbids us from denying God. To deny or to refuse to acknowledge him as God is a very great sin. 

The scriptures teach us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10, ESV). Wisdom is the art of living life well. To live well, we must live according to the truth. And here is the most important truth of all: God is. If we wish to be wise and to live according to the truth, we must start with the fear of the LORD. This means that we must acknowledge the LORD to be the one true God and to honor him as such. 

Two, the first commandment forbids us from failing to worship and glorify God, as God and our God. 

I’m afraid that some assume they are keeping the first commandment, which is, “you shall have no other gods before me”, so long as they do not actively bow to another god besides the LORD. Do you see what I am saying? They assume that as long as they keep themselves from bowing down to another God, then they are guiltless as it pertains to the first commandment. But no, the first commandment does not only forbid us from worshipping other so-called gods, it also forbids us from failing to worship and glorify the one true God as God. When God says, “you shall have no other God before me”, he must also mean, you shall have me as your God. So then, we sin against him when we fail to acknowledge him, worship him, and glorify him as he has prescribed in his word. 

Thirdly, our catechism rightly teaches that the first commandment forbids us from “giving that worship and glory to any other, which is due unto [God] alone.”

Brothers and sisters, please consider how prone we are to do this very thing. It is very, very easy for us to love the things of this world in a way that only God should be loved, to labor for the things of this world and not for God, and to trust in the things of this world instead of God. Think of how prone we are to give the “worship and glory… which is due to God alone” to created things rather than the Creator of all things seen and unseen.  

We should remember that this is the human tendency described in the Romans 1 passage that was read earlier. Though God has revealed himself generally to all men, so that all know him (in this general sense – he exists, is powerful, and worthy of worship), men in their sins do “not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts [are] darkened.” They live in sin. “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, [exchanging] the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things…” And here is their fundamental error: they have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and [worship] and [serve] the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Friends, if you have faith in Christ, you have been washed by his blood, you have been renewed by his Spirit, you have been reconciled to the Father by his finished work, and you have been freed from this bondage to sin. But I think you would agree that we do still struggle with this propensity. Because of the corruptions that remain in us, the temptation that comes from the world around us, and from the Evil One himself, we are still prone to “[worship] and [serve] the creature rather than the Creator…”

Christians stumble when they love their children, their spouses, or their comfort supremely with the kind of love that should be reserved for God alone. Christians stumble when they make money, possessions, a career, and good health their ultimate hope. Christians stumble when they place trust, not in God supremely, but in government, in family, in investments, and in their plans for the future. 

As I set these examples of misplaced faith, hope, and love before you, I hope that you can see how easy it is for us to go astray and to begin “giving that worship and glory which is due unto [God] alone” to other people and things.     

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Baptist Catechism 53 Explained

I’d like to now briefly consider Baptist Catechism 53 with you, and I think it will also allow me to make some clarifying remarks about what I have just said.  

Question 53 asks, “What are we especially taught by these words, ‘before me,’ in the first commandment?” This is a great question. The first commandment is, “you shall have no other god’s before me”, and here our catechism asks, what is meant by the words “before me”. 

The word “before” can be interpreted in two ways. First, it can mean “above” or in a “higher position or place”. If I say that Sally finished the race before Jimmy I mean that Sally finished in a higher place than Jimmy – maybe in first place! And if that were the meaning of the word “before” in the first commandment, then the first commandment would have this meaning: you shall not have any gods above me or in a higher position than me. And if this were the meaning of the word “before” then some might think it’s OK to have other gods besides the LORD, so long as they are placed under or beneath him somehow.

But the word “before” can also mean before my face, or in front of me and within my view. If you go to a restaurant and order a meal, at some point, the waiter or waitress will bring out your meal and set it before you. In this context, the word “before” does not mean above or in a higher position but in front of or within your sight and presence.    

Clearly, this second sense is the sense in which the word “before” is used in the first commandment. The Hebrew original is more clear than the English. Also, the rest of the Bible makes it quite clear that the LORD is not merely to be honored as the highest of many gods, but rather he is to be honored as the only true God, the Creator of all things seen and unseen.  Isaiah 46:9 states the matter clearly. There the LORD says, “remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me…” (Isaiah 46:9, ESV).  

Our catechism is right to answer the question, “What are we especially taught by these words, ‘before me,’ in the first commandment?” in this way: “These words, ‘before me’, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with the sin of having any other god.” Deuteronomy 30:17-18, Psalm 44:20-21, and Psalm 90:8 are listed as proof texts, and they clarify that this is the sense of the word “before” in the first commandment. 

Now for a word of clarification. The first commandment forbids us from having any other gods except the one true God, the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. We are to love him alone, as God.  We are to worship and serve him alone, as God. We are to trust in him alone, as God. We are to delight in him and glorify him alone, as God. 

But let me ask you this. Does the first commandment require us to love God only, to serve God only, to trust God only, and to enjoy God only? Answer: Clearly, no. We are to love one another, aren’t we? Husbands and wives are to love one another – the Scriptures are very clear about this. And the Scriptures also command us to serve one another. Are we not to trust one another? And are we not also permitted to enjoy the good things of this life – food and drink, family and friends, along with every other good thing in this world, within its proper bounds? Yes, we are. 

So how then can we love our spouse, our children, and our brothers and sisters in Christ without slipping into idolatry? The answer is twofold: One, we must love them with the right kind of love – we must love them as creatures and not as if they were the Creator. God is to be loved as God. And things of this world are to be loved in an appropriate way, as creatures. Two, when we love the created things – our spouse, children, family, friends or any other things – we must love them to the glory of God. The same can be said about service, trust, and the enjoyment of earthly things. God is to be served, trusted, and enjoyed supremely as God, and the things of this earth are to be served, trusted, and enjoyed as creatures and to the glory of God.

I say this because I want you to know that loving God and loving other people and things are not in conflict with each other. God alone must be loved, worshipped, and served, and everything else must be loved in its proper way as creatures, and gifts from God, and to the glory of God. 

*****

Conclusion

Q. 52. What is forbidden in the first commandment?

A. The first commandment forbideth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God, as God and our God; and the giving that worship and glory to any other, which is due unto Him alone. (Joshua 24:27; Rom. 1:20,21; Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:25)

Q. 53. What are we especially taught by these words, “before me,” in the first commandment?

A. These words, “before me”, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with the sin of having any other god. (Deut.30:17,18; Ps. 44:20,21; Ps. 90:8)