Mar 13
4

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #57

Doctrinal Standard #57

  • Q. What is the fourth commandment?
  • A. The fourth commandment is: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Memory Verses

  • “And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27–28,ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Exodus 31:12-18
  • Support Passages: Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Hebrews 4:1-10; Ezekiel 20:10-13; Genesis 2:1-3; Isaiah 58:13-14; Jeremiah 17:19-27; Matthew 12:1-14
  • Bible Story: Matthew 12:1-14

Thoughts

  • There is some debate and confusion over the Sabbath and its place in the Christian’s life. Lord willing, within the next couple months, there will be a couple sermons dedicated to studying and presenting the biblical view of the Sabbath and how it applies to Christians.
  • The catechism insists and the scriptures support that the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath is a moral law. There are a couple reasons for this conclusion. “(1) The first reason is that the Sabbath is a creation ordinance. This means that this commandment did not come in at some later time in history, after many people had already lived and died. (We note that this was the case with the civil and ceremonial laws of Israel.) We know this because Genesis 2:2-3 clearly states the fact that God created the world in the space of six days, and then rested. Since man was made in God’s image, it was for man’s benefit that God ‘blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it’ (Gen. 2:3). It is sometimes said that the Sabbath commandment does not go back to the time of creation. Yet the commandment itself (Ex. 20:11) says that we are to remember the Sabbath because ‘in six days the Lord made heaven and earth… and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ The commandment itself claims a creation origin. Therefore, we hold that it is binding for all men in all ages. (2) The second reason for saying that this commandment is moral is the fact that God wrote all Ten Commandments on two tables of stone (Ex. 31:18). God gave all the other laws and commandments to Israel through the hand of Moses. But these ten were given by His own hand. So God himself made a distinction between these Ten Commandments and all other laws. He showed us that these ten belong in a class by themselves. Since few will deny that most of these laws are moral (Binding everyone everywhere), it would require very strong evidence to prove that this commandment is not moral. This we do not have. (3) The third reason for saying that this commandment is moral is the fact that the New Testament nowhere teaches us that this commandment is abrogated. Or, in other words, the New Testament does not say that we have no Sabbath today. Jesus, speaking of the Ten Commandments, said, ‘Think not that I am come to destroy [or abrogate] the law… I am not’ (Matt. 5:17). Paul says, ‘Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law’ (Rom. 3:31). This is the constant teaching of the New Testament: the Ten Commandments of God do remain in effect. No doubt this is the reason why the early Christians Church kept a day holy to the Lord. It was the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2) which was observed as the Sabbath.” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • Read the 4th commandment from both Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. What two things does the Sabbath require?
  • Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Jesus seems to suggest that the Sabbath is a gift to mankind. Discuss your thoughts.
  • What are three biblical reasons why the Sabbath still applies to Christians? (Refer to thoughts section).

[1] Williamson, C.I. (2003). The Westminster Shorter Catechism – 2nd Edition. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, 4th Commandment, C.I. Williamson, Creation, Law, Lord's Day, Sabbath, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, Exodus 20, Exodus 31, Mark 2, Matthew 12, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
25

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #55 & 56

Doctrinal Standard #55-56

  • Q. What does the third commandment forbid?
  • A. The third commandment forbids our treating as unholy or abusing anything God uses to make Himself known.
  • Q. What is the reason for the third commandment?
  • A. The reason for the third commandment is that the Lord our God will not allow those who break this commandment to escape His righteous judgment, although they may escape punishment from men.

Memory Verses

  • “And if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory” (Jeremiah 4:2,ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: James 3:1-12
  • Support Passages: Isaiah 26:8,29:13; Matthew 5:33-37,23:16-23,26:63-64; James 5:12, Malachi 1:6-14,2:2,3:13-15; Jeremiah 7:4-11,30-34; Proverbs 30:9; Deuteronomy 18:10-14; 2 Timothy 4:3-4
  • Bible Story: Leviticus 24:10-16

Thoughts

  • “We saw in the last question and answer that, when God commands us not to misuse His name, He is concerned with our attitude toward Him. The third commandment covers more than just our attitude toward God’s name. It also requires a reverent attitude toward everything God uses to make Himself known. We saw in the last question and answer that God makes Himself known to us through all things: His names, titles, and attributes, His regulations for coming to Him and for growing in godliness, His Word, and His works.
  • This third commandment requires us to use all these things to grow in our knowledge of God and in our obedience to Him. It requires us not only to use these things, but to use them with reverence. At the same time, of course, there are things this commandment forbids. We are forbidden to show irreverence, or disrespect, to any of the things God has given to make Himself known to us. God forbids us to treat these things as though they were ordinary things. We must treat them as holy. We may not abuse these things or fail to use them as God intended them to be used. God insists that we honor Him as He ought to be honored.
  • We are to use God’s Word and use it reverently. Sometimes, children who have grown up in Christian families, attending Christian churches, behave as though they are tired of God’s Word. Instead of bringing their Bibles with them to use them in a Sunday school class, they do not even want to use one the teacher lends them. They excuse themselves by saying things like, ‘I already know this.’ Such children show disrespect for God’s Word.
    People also misuse God’s Word by using verses from it to teach things it really does not teach. These people use one or two verses instead of using all of God’s Word. They make those verses say things God never intended His Word to say. The apostle Peter wrote about Paul’s epistles, which are a part of the Word of God. He spoke about people who were making Paul’s letters say things they did not really say. Read what he said about such people in 2 Peter 3:16. People also misuse God’s Word when they call their own opinions ‘the word of the Lord.’ People will say things like, ‘The Lord told me to do that,’ or ‘God spoke to me.’ They are really talking about a feeling or an opinion that they have had. God has told us everything He has to say to us in the Bible. He does not speak in any other way.” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • What does the third commandment forbid?
  • What are the different ways God makes himself known?
  • How could people abuse or treat these things as unholy?
  • Have you every abused or treated these things as unholy?
  • What does this reveal about your heart?
  • If we find ourselves sinning in this area what should we do to correct this?

[1] Meade, Starr (200). Training Heart, Teaching Minds. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, Law, Third Commandment, Training Hearts Teaching Minds, West, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, James 3, Jeremiah 4, Leviticus 24, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
18

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #53 & 54

Doctrinal Standard #53-54

  • Q. What is the third commandment?
  • A. The third commandment is: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
  • Q. What does the third commandment require?
  • A. The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, qualities, regulations, word, and works.

Memory Verses

  • Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:4, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Jeremiah 23:5-6
  • Support Passages: Exodus 6:3; Psalm 83:18; Genesis 22:14; Judges 6:24; Psalm 68:4; Philippians 2:9-11
  • Bible Story: Exodus 17

Thoughts

  • “’O Lord, our Lord,’ says the Psalmist, ‘how excellent is thy name in all the earth’ (Ps. 8:1). What the Psalmist means is that God’s name is not a mere word – not an empty title. No, God’s name means something. And it means something because God has revealed his name in all the earth. The whole world is a revelation of the meaning of God’s name. Just as the name Rembrandt has meaning because of His works of creation and providence. We do not really know God’s name, in other word, until we learn His fame! This is what Jesus meant when he said, ‘I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world’ (John 17:6). Jesus revealed God the father to the disciples. This He did by doing the great works of God before them. From this we see that God’s name really includes everything that reveals God as He records for us, without error, the revelation that God has made of himself. Names such as Lord, Father, Creator, etc., are a part of that revelation. So are titles, such as omnipotent, Counselor, Comforter, etc. We learn that God is holy, merciful, just, etc. And we hear His word, and (through the record of Scripture) learn of His works. All of these help us to understand what it means to say God, or Lord. It is when we learn to know God as He really is, and then speak His name, that we begin to understand what this commandment is concerned to teach us.
  • The popular view is that a man takes God’s name in vain only when he uses that name in a profane manner. We say that God’s name is taken in vain when men swear or curse. And, of course, this is an example of taking God’s name in vain. People will sometimes excuse themselves on the grounds that they do not really mean it when they use God’s name this way. They will say they do not even realize that they are using God’s name – they do it without even thinking. But this is the very thing that the third commandment condemns. The word ‘vain’ means exactly this: carelessly or without thought. It means to use a very important word as if it had no high and holy meaning.
    But let us imagine that this is all that the third commandment teaches us! No, in order to understand the meaning of this commandment more clearly we need to ask a question. What does it mean to take God’s name? Literally it means to ‘lift up’ that name. It means that we lift up the name of God and identify ourselves with Him. We can illustrate this by thinking of what a woman does when she marries. She takes her husband’s name. If she really means it when she takes her marriage vows, she takes her husband’s name permanently (‘till death do us part,’ she will say). She does not take his name in vain! In a similar way, a Christian will confess his faith before men. He will vow – or swear – before men that he takes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And it is this, above all, that the third commandment is concerned with. We must be certain  – when we confess our faith – that we really mean it. We must be certain that we do not take His name in vain! ‘Be not rash with thy mouth,’ says the Bible, ‘and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few… When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou has vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay’ (Eccl. 5:2, 4-5). It is so easy to go through the motions, and say the words, without deep sincerity of heart! It is easy to have the form of godliness, while denying power thereof!” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • What is the third commandment? Read it from either Deuteronomy 5 or Exodus 20.
  • What does it mean to take the Lord’s name in vain?
  • What does God’s name represent?
  • How is saying that you are a Christian but living like the world taking the Lord’s name in vain?
  • How is just going through the motions while singing, praying, reading, or listening to God’s word also taking the Lord’s name in vain? Explain.
  • What does this reveal about our heart?
  • What  do we do to help overcome this sin problem?

 


[1] Williamson, C.I. (2003). The Westminster Shorter Catechism – 2nd Edition. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, C.I. Williamson, Third Commandment, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, Exodus 17, Jeremiah 23, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
11

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #52

Doctrinal Standard #52

  • Q. What are the reasons for the second commandment?
  • A. The reasons for the second commandment are that God totally rules over us, that we belong to Him, and that He is eager to be worshipped correctly.

Memory Verses

  • “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 115:17–18, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Psalm 115
  • Support Passages: Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 4:24, 5:9, 6:14-15, Exodus 34:10-17, James 4:5
  • Bible Story: John 2:13-17

Thoughts

  • “God totally rules over all He has created, which means He totally rules over us. Kings have the right to command their subjects to approach them in the way that they desire. How much more does God, the King of all, have the right to tell His subjects how He wants them to worship! Beyond that, we, who are God’s people through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, have committed ourselves to serving Him forever as our Lord and Master. We are to be eager to serve Him. We should be glad that He has told us how to worship Him so that we can do as He wills.”
  • “Because God made all things, all things belong to Him. That includes us. Because God bought His people for Himself with the blood of His Son, we doubly belong to Him. We belong to Him because He made us and because He bought us for Himself. God has the right to do as He pleases with us, His creatures. When He tells us how to come to Him in worship, we are to obey Him.”
  • “The reasons for the second commandment are that God totally rules over us, that we belong to Him, and the He is eager to be correctly worshipped. God is eager to be worshiped because He is worthy of worship and because the highest good for man is to worship God. God is eager to be worshiped correctly because worship that is other than what He has commanded harms man and insults God. As the Israelites prepared to enter the land God had promised them, God told them that He would make them able to drive out the people who had been living there. This was because those people served other gods. Their worship of idols was extremely offensive to God. He warned the Israelites that, when they entered the Promised Land, they must destroy all the idols and places of worship these people had used. They must not leave anything that might tempt them to worship the true God incorrectly.” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • Does God rule over all mankind? Explain.
  • In addition to being created by God, why do Christians belong to God?
  • Why is God eager to be worshiped?
  • Is your heart eager to worship God? Explain.
  • Explain how God desires to be worshiped.

[1] Meade, Starr (200). Training Heart, Teaching Minds. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

Posted in Devotional Thoughts, Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, John 2, Psalm 115, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
4

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #51

Doctrinal Standard #51

  • Q. What does the second commandment forbid?
  • A. The second commandment forbids our worshiping God with images or in any other way not established in His word.

Memory Verses

  • “Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you” (Deuteronomy 4:23, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Matthew 15:1-14
  • Support Passages: Mark 7:1-13, Deuteronomy 4, Acts 17:29, Romans 1:21-25
  • Bible Story: Daniel 3

Thoughts

  • Parents, much of the focus on this doctrinal standard and commandments discuss whether or not images of Jesus Christ are forbidden.
  • I’m providing two links with two views that will allow you to begin to think through this command for yourself and direct the conversation with your children as you see appropriate.
  • This first article is by the reformed teacher RC Sproul – click here
  • The second article is by a reformed teacher and one of the founders of Westminster Theological Seminary, John Murray – click here.

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think God wants to be worshiped a certain way?
  • How do we know how God wants to be worshiped?
  • Read the actual command in Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20 and discuss whether or not images of Jesus Christ are acceptable.  Explain.
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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, John Murray, RC Sproul, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, Daniel 3, Deuteronomy 4, Matthew 15, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Jan 13
28

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #49 & 50

Doctrinal Standard #49 & 50

  • Q. What is the second commandment?
  • A. The second commandment is: You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
  • Q. What does the second commandment require?
  • A. The second commandment requires us to receive, respectfully perform, and preserve completely and purely all the regulations for religion and worship that God has established in His word.

Memory Verses

  • “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Deuteronomy 12:1-32
  • Support Passages: Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:15-16; Malachi 3:8-9; Acts 15:21; II Timothy 4:2; Deuteronomy 17:18-20
  • Bible Story: John 4:1-30


Thoughts

  • Below are a few excerpts from C.I. Williamson’s book, The Westminster Shorter Catechism regarding doctrinal standards 49 and 50.
  • “This is the great principal contained in the second commandment: the duty to worship God as He himself commands. This means that God may not be worshipped properly in any way invented by men. In order to bring out clearly what we mean, let us study figure 37.1 9 (Worshiping God – Views).

    It will be clear from side A that true worship (according to the Reformed view) will contain only such elements as can be proved from Scripture to be the will of God. Thus there will be the reading and preaching of the Scriptures, singing of psalms, administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. Here we see the simplicity and spiritual nature of Reformed worship. But in such as the Roman Catholic, or Lutheran, for example, there will be the other view (side B). In this view, the things commanded by God constitute only a part (often only a small part) of what is considered to be true worship. The Roman Church therefore has seven sacraments, only two of which are actually commanded in Scripture. The Roman Church also finds a place for special garments for clergymen, crosses, candles, statues, and so on. And there is even room to add more of these things in the future. For (according to this view) the only thing that is wrong in the worship of God is what God has specifically forbidden in His word. It is wrong, for example, to use an image of Baal because the Bible expressly condemns any image of Baal. But it is not wrong to use an image of the Virgin Mary, according to this view, because God has not said (in so many words) that it is wrong to use an image of Mary. In answer to this, a Reformed Christian would say: ‘No, God has not given us a long list of every possible thing that He would forbid in His worship. If God had done that, the Bible would be so big no one could read it all. What God has done is to give us a simple principle. And by this principle we know that what He commands is sufficient, and that what He does not command is therefore forbidden.” [1]

  • It is important to note that no church is perfect in following this view. While perfection is unattainable in how we worship God this side of heaven, it is important for individuals and churches to struggle with and to strive to worship God in the way that he prescribes.

Discussion Questions

  • Read the second of the Ten Commandments and then explain or summarize it in your own words(Deuteronomy 5, Exodus 20, or the Catechism).
  • Can man worship God however they want to? Explain.
  • Why do you think God has commanded man how He wants to be worshiped?
  • What are some of the ways God wants to be worshiped?
  • According to the second commandment ,who suffers from not worshiping God correctly? Why do you think this is?


[1] Williamson, C.I. (2003). The Westminster Shorter Catechism – 2nd Edition. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, c.i, Second Commandment, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, Deuteronomy 12, John 4, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Jan 13
21

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #47 & 48

Doctrinal Standard #47 & 48

  • Q. What does the first commandment forbid?
  • A. The first commandment forbids denying God or not worshipping and glorifying Him as the true God and our God. It also forbids giving worship and glory, which He alone deserves, to anyone or anything else.
  • Q. What are we specifically taught in the first commandment by the words before me?
  • A. The words before me in the first commandment teach us that God, Who sees everything, notices and is very offended by the sin of having any other god.

Memory Verses

  • “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good” (Psalm 14:1, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Jeremiah 44:1-23
  • Support Passages: Psalms 14 and 53; Hebrews 11:6; Jeremiah 2:20-28
  • Bible Story: Acts 19:23-41

Thoughts

  • Below is a few excerpts from C.I. Williamson’s book, The Westminster Shorter Catechism regarding doctrinal standards 47 and 48.
  • “Syncretism is the attempted blending of irreconcilable principles. Religious syncretism is the attempt to harmonize the true religion with any of the many false religions of this world. And it is this sin that the first commandment warns us against. We may not, under any circumstance, act as if the God of the Bible and any of the false gods of this world are one and the same. This, for example, is the basic evil in many secret organizations such as the Order of Freemasons (commonly called the Masonic Lodge). Freemasonry is, in its own words, ‘that natural religion in which all men agree.’ In other words, according to the teaching of this lodge, the Christian, the Jew, the Muslim, and so on, can assemble together as a religious fellowship, and unite in prayer to the Great Architect of the Universe. This is possible, says Freemasonry, because men of all faiths worship the same deity under different forms. Thus it is said that Freemasonry ‘in no way conflicts with any other religion, unless that religion holds that no one outside its portals can be saved’ (J.S.M Ward, Freemasonry: Its Aims, and Ideals, p. 187). Or in other words, Freemasonry is the religion which says – as its most basic principle – that all ‘gods’ are equal.  But the Bible denies this very thing above all. ‘For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men’ (1 Tim. 2:5). ‘No man can come to God except through Jesus Christ’ (John 14:6).”
  • “We must mention the strong temptation that comes to us today from the commonly accepted idea of religious neutrality. Much of what we see in modern life, in various aspects of society, is molded by the idea that it is possible to be neither for nor against any particular religion. Much of what our government is doing is ruled by this concept: it takes no stand for, or against, any particular religion. This is the theory, the idea. But Jesus said, ‘He that is not with me is against me’ (Luke 11:23). And this means that religious neutrality is simply impossible. If we do not profess Jesus Christ as the one true God, then – by not doing so – we show that we refuse His claims. If we profess nothing verbally, in other words, we still profess much – because actions speak as loudly (at least) as words. It is for this reason that Christian people have begun to realize that those who are not for Christ are really against Him. They are beginning to realize that Christ has been denied in one sphere of life and society after another under the innocent-sounding claim of religious neutrality.” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • Do Christians, Jews, Muslims, and all the other religions worship the same God? Explain.
  • Look up John 14:6. How many ways are there to God?
  • If there is only one true God and one true religion how are we to treat the people of other religions?
  • What does the Bible say about people that are “neutral” about believing in God? Refer to Luke 11:23.
  • In what ways have you given worship or glory to something other than God? Explain.

[1] Williamson, C.I. (2003). The Westminster Shorter Catechism – 2nd Edition. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, C.I. Williamson, First Commandment, Ten Commandments, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, Acts 19, Jeremiah 44, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Jan 13
14

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #45 & 46

Doctrinal Standard #45 & 46

  • Q. What is the first commandment?
  • A. The first commandment is: You shall have no other gods before me.
  • Q. What does the first commandment require?
  • A. The first commandment requires us to know and recognize God as the only true God and our God, and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.

Memory Verses

  • “For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:5–6, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Luke 14:25-35
  • Support Passages: Deuteronomy 4:35,39; I Samuel 2:2; II Samuel 7:22; I Kings 3:12, 8:60; Acts 4:12
  • Bible Story: Judges6:25-32

Thoughts

  • “The first commandment is concerned with the object of true worship. The principal set forth in this commandment is this: It is true and living God (and none other) who is to be worshiped and served by men. Before we concern ourselves about the proper manner of worship (in the second commandment), or the proper attitude (in the third commandment), or even the proper time of worship (in the fourth commandment), we must first be certain that the object of our worship is the true and living God.
  • Here we see how contrary this commandment is to popular religious opinion. For nothing is more common than the idea that it doesn’t matter what particular religion one may have, or what denomination one belongs to, since it is taken for granted by most people that those different religions have the same object in view. The different religions, in other words, are commonly thought to be just different ways of knowing one and the same God. But the Bible does not agree with this. No, it says ‘though there be [those] that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we by him’ (1 Cor. 8:5-6). Since there are many ‘gods,’ and since only one God is the true and living God, it becomes extremely important to know and acknowledge the true God as God.
  • If God were only the creation of man’s imagination, then all ‘gods’ would be ‘created equal.’ One ‘god’ would have no higher claim than another. This is the exact truth with all the ‘gods’ that men have made. In ancient times men created “gods” for themselves. They made these ‘gods’ out of wood, stone, silver, gold, and so on. Today men create ‘gods’ for themselves having no material form. They imagine a ‘god’ who is without wrath, for example; a ‘god’ who does not punish sin. Now of course these ‘gods’ that men create in their minds have no real existence. They only seem real to those who ‘believe in them.’ Just as the idols in the Old Testament times were only wood or stone, so these ‘gods’ that men have created out of their own imagination today are nothing more than idols.” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • What is the first commandment of the Ten Commandments?
  • What are the types of “god” men put before the real God?
  • What does this first command require?
  • How can people who say they worship God really be worshiping an idol (refer to thoughts section)?
  • Why is it important to know as much as we can about God?

 

[1] Williamson, C.I. (2003). The Westminster Shorter Catechism – 2nd Edition. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, C.I. Williamson, First Commandment, Ten Commandments, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, Judges 6, Luke 14, Posted by Phil. No Comments

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"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)

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