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THE LAWS THAT GOVERN US:
GOD'S WORD TO US
OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
COMMANDMENTS ONE TO FOUR
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. -1John 5:3
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; -Deut.7:9
Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. --Exodus 20:3 |
"For you must worship no other gods, but only Jehovah, for he is a God who claims absolute loyalty and exclusive devotion " -(The Living Bible)-Exodus 34:14 |
"Know therefore this day, and consider in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever." --Duet. 4:39-40 |
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."--Duet. 6:4-7 |
"But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. " -1 Corinthians 8:6 |
God's Word tells us that we cannot commit spiritual adultery against Him.The choice is ours.
That means there can be no middle ground. We are to choose to serve and obey God in our devout love toward Him if we are truly sincere in our relationship with Him.
The Bible uses the example of marriage throughout to help us in our understanding of spiritual things. And in marriage, partners who truly are in love with one another, would not do anything to hurt or betray the other. Marriage partners who hold devotion and respect toward one anther will do whatever is necessary to protect and nourish that relationship.
This is how it is when one is in a true love relationship with God though the person of Jesus Christ. We read the Word and pray to develop an intimate relationship with our Lord. We stand up for our faith in the protection of that relationship. We WANT to follow His Word because of love , honor and respect for the Almighty God.
This brings us to some questions in examining ourselves. Is the Lord God your first true love? Do you pray, read His Word, and honor him in your life?
Do you honor your spouse, your parents? Do you tell your children about the love of Jesus, God's Son?
Does His Holy Spirit have authority and control in your daily life through your behavior and through godly speech?
These are some ways we show our love toward God. There is none like Him in all the universe. He is the Creator. And it is He Who holds the power of life and death, the ability to save humankind from their sins, and deliver them with the promise of eternal life.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.--Exodus 20:4 |
"Burn their idols and do not touch the silver or gold they are made of. Do not take it or it will be a snare to you, for it is horrible to the Lord your God. Do not bring an idol into your home and worship it, for then your doom is sealed. Utterly detest it, for it is a cursed thing. " (The Living Bible)-Deuteronomy 27: 25-26 |
"So revere Jehovah and serve him in sincerity and truth. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Worship the Lord alone. But if you are unwilling to obey the Lord, then decide today whom you will obey. Will it be the gods of your ancestors beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites here in this land? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." |
"God tolerated man’s past ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone to put away idols and worship only him." |
"and how you turned away from your idols to God so that now the living and true God only is your Master. And they speak of how you are looking forward to the return of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God brought back to life—and he is our only Savior from God’s terrible anger against sin." |
Man has not seen God at any time and cannot duplicate His person, power or glory in an image.
We know God exists because He reveals Himself to us in nature and in the natural.
The drawing of the breath of life each and every day is a gift from the Almighty. All things in Creation are indicators of a God who life and beauty.
God has also revealed Himself to us through a divinely inspired Word of God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, men from across the ages of time were inspired to record God's message in a readable form to reveal the love of God and plan of salvation to all.
God reveals His power, presence and divinity to us through things He does through us and for us. Sometimes, we don't understand it or realize it until a later time down the road.
Supernatural occurrences such as acts of healing are prime examples of this. These things are a testimony to a Higher Authority.
Because God is a Spirit, no one has ever visualized (with their natural eyes) the Spirit of God Himself. However, Jesus came to us in form of a human body, perfect and without sin. He was the Lamb of God and the perfect sacrifice Who took away the sins of the world because He bore those sins for us on the cross of Calvary. He was Emmanuel, "God With Us."
Jesus Christ represented the person of the Father and possessed the same attributes that the Father did. He reflected God the Father through the things He did, the love He displayed toward people, the message He taught, the life He lived.
Idolatry always misrepresents the One True God and Who He is. Our Lord is Holy, True, Righteous, and Just. There is nothing that can even compare to the Almighty God.
The One True God is received through faith in Jesus Christ. The Son and lives in the heart of repentant man through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
The One True God is not plastic, wood, stone, or any other material or an image to bow down to. To do so is to be deceived by Satan and thereby robbed of all the good things God has for us.
Idolatry always comes in the form of anything which takes the place of God. He should always be the One and Only God in our life, holding first place.
The One True God is alive and very much so!
We bow down to a living God out of devotion, our love and respect for Him. Having our priorities correctly aligned, God will be first and honored in our life. As a result, there will fullness of joy, even in the worst of times.
He is able to give peace even in the midst of the storm.
Choose this day whom you will serve.
Will you choose Jesus today?
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth"--John 4:24
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord they God in vain. --Exodus 20:5 |
"And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I the LORD."--Leviticus 19:12 |
"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold guiltless that taketh his name in vain" --Deut. 5:11 |
"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, "--Isaiah 29:13 |
God 's Names are descriptive of who He is and His character. In the study of the Names of God from Genesis to Revelation, we see a picture of the person of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
He is a loving God whose intent and desire is to bless us. To say otherwise is to be confused about who God and Satan is...in other words, God's desire is to do good to all. It is Satan's desire to steal, kill and destroy.
Using His Holy Name in an empty, profane, and meaningless manner is insulting to God.
God never, but never damns anyone. His last name IS NOT damn. GOD ALWAYS seeks to save, redeem, and rescue all people from any harm or damnation. GOD WILL NEVER DAMN ANYONE TO HELL.
Using God's Name in vain includes cursing, taking false oaths using God's name, and/or using His name in a manner which is hypocritical and dishonorable as is stated in Isaiah 29:13.
Honor the Sabbath day. --Exodus 20:6 |
"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." --Gen.2:1-3 |
"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God" --Deut. 5:14 |
"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. "-Mark 2: 27-28 |
"For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." - Matthew 12:8 |
"And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. "-Luke 23:56 |
The Sabbath is designated to be a day of rest for the mind, body, and spirit and worship unto the Creator.
The seventh day is ordained by God as a day of rest for all creation. This can be seen in the Genesis account of creation. God created the world and all within it, upon it and around it. He rested on the seventh day.
Taking His example, we are commanded to take rest on the seventh day to renew ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually focusing on our relationship to Our Lord God.
God knows what is good for us as people . He did not intend for us to overwork ourselves, or worry endlessly but to trust in Him as provider for all things. He is the One with the answers to all life's problems. Those answers are given to us in the Word of God. He will speak to each on of us as we study and pray.
The Word of God tells us that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. He is our rest AND He is our example. When we rest in Jesus, our complete trust is in Him alone. He is the Lord of our life in day to day living.
Jesus instructed our observation of the Sabbath not to be bound in legalism, but in a fashion that frees us as the people of God.
Jesus went about doing good, even on the Sabbath.
Therefore, there are many things we can also do, not considered work , but to the glory of God. These are things such as visitation to elderly, shut-ins, or those who are hospitalized.
Honor the Sabbath, honor God in respect and in responsible Christ-like behavior.
As we allow Jesus to be the center of our life, our rest, our king and Lord, our own life and the lives of others around us will be blessed. God will be glorified through us.
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