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The Pilgrim Path (8-22-2020)

The Pilgrim Path---Exodus 20: 3

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

THE ONLY ONE

The Larger Catechism Question 105.

What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the first commandment are, atheism, in denying or not having a God; idolatry, in having or worshiping more gods than one, or any with or instead of the one true God; the not having and avouching him for God, and our God; the omission or neglect of anything due to him, required in this commandment; ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and wicked thoughts of him; bold and curios searching into his secrets; all profanes, hatred of God; self-love, self-seeking, and all other inordinate and immoderate setting of our mind, will, or affections upon other things, and taking them off him in whole or in part; vain credulity, unbelief, heresy, misbelief, distrust, despair, incorrigibleness, and insensibleness under judgements, hardness of heart, pride, presumption, carnal security, tempting of God; using unlawful means, and trusting in lawful means; carnal delights and joys; corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal; luke-warmness, and deadness in the things of God; praying, or giving any religious worship, to saints, angels, or any other creatures; all compacts and consulting with the devil, and hearkening to his suggestions, making men the lords of our faith and conscience; slighting and despising God and his commands; resisting and grieving of his Spirit, discontent and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us; and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune, idols, ourselves, or any other creature.

The Larger Catechism Question 106.

What are we specially taught by these words before me in the first commandment?

A. These words before me or before my face, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh special notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God: that so it may be an argument to dissuade from it, and to aggravate it as a most impudent provocation: as also to persuade us to do as in his sight, whatever we do in his service.

It is very tempting,

For a political party to become my Prince…

For my possessions to Possess me,

For a loved one---to be my “lone” Leader---

For some conspiratorial enterprise to “control” me…

Yet---The LORD alone---is the Ultimate Master. He alone is God.

From Thomas Watson: To have God to be God is to love him. In the godly, fear and love kiss each other. It is only right that we cleave to him from whom we receive our being. Who has a better right to us than he that gives us breath? It us unjust, yea, ungrateful, to give away our love or worship to any but God. If we cleave to the LORD as our God, then he shall bless us with inward peace and a smiling conscience which is sweeter than the dropping of honey and turn all evils to our good!

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,

Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space;

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,

And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.

Robert Grant (1779—1838)

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ Our Risen LORD, Pastor Jason