You don't need to invoke God's name every time you make a promise if your life truly reflects God's name. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 99 Q. What is God’s will for us in the third commandment? A. That we neither blaspheme nor misuse the name of God by cursing, perjury, or unnecessary oaths, nor share in such horrible sins by being silent bystanders. In a word, it requires that we use the holy name of God only with reverence and awe, so that we may properly confess him, pray to him, and praise him in everything we do and say. Summary In Matthew 5:34-37 Jesus speaks against making oaths, instead encouraging the people to “let what you say simply be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’”. In James 5:12, James is restating this same teaching for the recipients of his letter. This reminder was necessary because it was far too common for people, including even the religious leaders such as the Pharisees, to be guilty of making empty oaths. Agreements would be sealed with an oath such as swearing by the temple, that if the oath were broken the guilty party would tear down the temple stone by stone. This might add some showmanship to the agreement; however, the inauthenticity of these words is concerning. These deals were commonly struck with no intention or expectation of one party attempting to tear down the temple if they failed to live up to their end of the deal. This lack of intention made these oaths no more meaningful than a modern-day pinky promise. Dig Deeper Swearing an oath was once an important part of serious transactions. In making an oath you are vowing that if you break your agreement then some predetermined misfortune will come upon you, such as the example of swearing to tear down the temple if you break your oath. While these types of oaths are not as common as they were in the 1st century, there are still remnants that can be seen today. One example is the pinky promise. While often thought of as something youth use to declare their intention to keep their promise, the pinky promise has a bit of a darker meaning behind it. Very literally, a pinky promise is an oath that if you break your end of the bargain then your pinky finger will be chopped off. Fortunately, this is not an oath that is often upheld, otherwise there would be children running around everywhere missing a finger. However, this is an example of an unnecessary oath. While Jesus and later James speak against the making of unnecessary oaths in a general sense, the third commandment speaks to not misusing the name of the Lord through invoking his name in an unnecessary oath. When such an oath is made, it cheapens the value you hold on the name of God. Instead of depending on a grand gesture or oath to declare your intention to keep your word; follow the instructions given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and repeated by James: “let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’”. Be honest in all your dealings so that your word will be trusted as true and so that there will be no need to make a grand oath to declare your intent to honor your word. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who answers every promise He's made with "YES" in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your the way you keep your word will be a reflection of Christ's integrity; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 11

God's name must only be attached to that which is absolutely true. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 99 Q. What is God’s will for us in the third commandment? A. That we neither blaspheme nor misuse the name of God by cursing, perjury, or unnecessary oaths, nor share in such horrible sins by being silent bystanders. In a word, it requires that we use the holy name of God only with reverence and awe, so that we may properly confess him, pray to him, and praise him in everything we do and say. Summary Leviticus 19 forms the basis for much of the New Testament book of James. James, the younger, half-brother to Jesus, would preach to new Christian converts by taking a portion of God's Word they knew well and unpacking it in the light of Christ. We'll see an example of this in tomorrow's reading. This section of the law, given to Israel through Moses, directs the Israelites to not thwart justice. The people are directed to not lie, steal, or profane the name of God by swearing falsely by it… something we call perjury. This command draws upon the third commandment, to not misuse the name of God. To commit perjury using the name of God is to bring the name of the Lord into your lie, and it is about as clear of an example of the misuse of the name of God as there is. Sin often starts small but quickly grows big. The transition from lying to perjury in verses 11 and 12 demonstrates how one sin can lead into more and greater sin. Notice the how each of these actions God prohibits quickly leads to the next if unchecked: steal → lie → deceive → blasphemy. Lying, under the right circumstances, can be something more than deceitful words but an act of blaspheming the very name of God. Dig Deeper In a courtroom, when you are sworn in under oath, it is tradition to place your right hand on the Bible. The symbolism on display in this action is that you are swearing by God that you will be honest in your testimony. To make such an oath, and then speak dishonestly, is perjury. Swearing falsely by the name of God is a means of profaning the name of God. In being sworn in under oath, you are calling upon the name of God to witness to the truthfulness of your testimony. But when you willingly lie under oath, you are instead calling upon God to bear witness to your lie. And while God will not bear witness to your falsehood, so calling upon our Heavenly Father to bear false witness is a blasphemous way to use the name of the Lord. We should all be careful not to misuse the name of the Lord through perjury. Also, do your best to avoid using lies and deceit in your dealings with others so that these sins will not lead into a larger web of sin, which might quickly end up including blasphemous perjury. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father is holy, so we must be holy; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His law and pray for the strength to keep it as a new creation in Christ; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 10

How often will you hear God's name used flippantly today? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 99 Q. What is God’s will for us in the third commandment? A. That we neither blaspheme nor misuse the name of God by cursing, perjury, or unnecessary oaths, nor share in such horrible sins by being silent bystanders. In a word, it requires that we use the holy name of God only with reverence and awe, so that we may properly confess him, pray to him, and praise him in everything we do and say. Summary The third commandment directs us to not blaspheme the name of God. Depending on the translation of scripture you are reading, the wording will look a bit different. For example, the NIV (New International Version) and NLT (New Living Translation) use the words “misuse the name of God” in their translation. The ESV (English Standard Version) and KJV (King James Version) translations instead translate this as speaking against taking the “name of the LORD in vain”. The difference in translation does not necessarily equate to a disagreement in the meaning of Exodus 20:7; both translations bring out a different nuance of the Hebrew word that was originally written. Beyond the question of how to best translate this passage, there is also the challenge of determining what is meant by misusing the name of the Lord or taking the name of the Lord in vain. The Catechism shows how there are multiple items that fall under the umbrella of misusing the name of God. This will be our focus for this week, examining the ways that the name of God is blasphemed as laid out in the Heidelberg Catechism. Dig Deeper As Q&A 99 warns against blaspheming or misusing the name of God, the first listed example of misuse is cursing. While there is a sinful aspect to profanity, not all profanity falls under this description. The type of cursing described by the catechism is profaning the name of God. There are multiple ways in which one may find themselves profaning the name of God. One such example is to directly curse the name of God. A more common way that the name of God is blasphemed is through its use in place of a curse word. Arguably the most used curse word in the English language is the misuse of the name of God. If you regularly watch television or listen to the radio, you may notice that there are several curse words that are “bleeped” out or muted when spoken; yet the most profane of them all, blaspheming against the name of God, is allowed, and has become normalized. But just because something is common, that does not mean it is okay. Misusing the name of God, including through cursing using the Lord’s name, breaks the third commandment and is worth taking seriously. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose name is holy; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your mouth will only use God's name in ways that praise Him; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 9

Beware of worship that relies on optics & images. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 98 Q. But may not images be permitted in the churches as teaching aids for the unlearned? A. No, we shouldn’t try to be wiser than God. He wants his people instructed by the living preaching of his Word— not by idols that cannot even talk. Summary The people of Israel really struggled with idolatry. Almost immediately after God had given them the 10 Commandments, they created a golden calf. They went on to worship the bronze snake. They built altars and sacrificed to Baal on them. The list goes on and on. The prophet Habakkuk, along with other prophets, is calling the people out for their false worship. Idolatry is a terrible sin against the Lord, and humanity has been struggling with it since the very beginning. Why did Adam and Eve eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Because they thought they could become like God themselves! There is no value in an idol carved of stone or wood. They are just human made images, that pale in comparison to God Most High. They cannot guide us. They cannot help us. They cannot save us. They are not alive, nor can they give life. Dig Deeper When I was a kid, my Sunday school teachers would use flannelgraphs for Bible lessons. They would pull out the board, and then they would start to read from the Bible. As they read about Moses and the burning bush, they would place a flock of sheep on the board. Then they would place the burning bush. Then they would place Moses on the edge of the board, eventually moving him to the burning bush. It was a fun way to learn Bible stories. Whenever we would study the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) there would not be flannelgraphs for Jesus. My class questioned why. My teacher would refer to question and answers 97 & 98 in the Heidelberg Catechism. God can not and may not being visibly portrayed in any way. What about images to help others learn? No, we should not be wiser than God. Humanity is easily led astray by our desire to be wiser than God. Surely, we think, we can create a picture of Jesus and it will not be an issue. God gave the people a bronze snake to save them from venomous snake bites and they eventually offered incense to that snake. Simple things like a picture of Jesus can lead to idolatry and they are forbidden by the Lord. I’ve been in a church building that had statues of Jesus and the apostles, and sacrifices were being made to those images. God gave his people the second commandment, and it forbids idolatry. While we most often think of idolatry as a golden calf or bronze snake, it can happen with images of Jesus as well. Anything that gets us thinking of God in a way that is contrary to his nature is to be guarded against. Pray that God would reveal the idols that you may be struggling with in your life so that you can worship and serve him alone. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God Most High, giver of life and eternal life; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to reveal the idols that I have in your life so that you can worship and serve God alone. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 8

God's Word is worth more than a thousand images. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 98 Q. But may not images be permitted in the churches as teaching aids for the unlearned? A. No, we shouldn’t try to be wiser than God. He wants his people instructed by the living preaching of his Word— not by idols that cannot even talk. Summary In the early Christian Church, when the people of God gathered for worship, they would read from God’s Word. It is incredible to think that the people of God have been hearing from this very same Word in worship for thousands of years. Just as you have read and listened to scripture read during worship this year, believers all over the world have as well. Just as you have read and listened to scripture during worship this year, so too have believers for centuries. The Apostle Peter reminds the Church that the Word of God, the Bible, is completely reliable. It shines a light on the darkness of this world, telling you of God’s incredible power, sovereignty, and grace as it helps you to understand who God is, and how much he loves you. God reveals Himself to you in his Word. Dig Deeper On Tuesday, we briefly discussed the three parts of a worship service: Approach, Word, Response. The Word is central to our worship. We hear from the Bible, God’s Word. The sermon expounds upon God’s word, helping us to better understand what God wants from His people as it instructs us how we can worship and serve Him. The Lord’s Supper and baptism are visible signs of God’s incredible grace, helping us to understand in a tangible way what he has done for us. The Word is central to worship because of how important it is to the Christian life. If we are not spending time in God’s Word, how can we be transformed by the Holy Spirit through it? The Apostle Peter reminds fellow believers that the prophets foretold of Jesus. They spoke of the one who would come: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (Is. 7:14).” God did not give the Church images or pictures for worship; He gave us the Bible. The Bible is to be read in worship, just as it has been for thousands of years. The scriptures are to be used for preaching and teaching God’s people. God wants us to know Him. The only way to know God is to read His Word, and hear it preached. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Heavenly Father, who cannot be depicted in an image; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May I seek out the true preaching of your word so that I may be transformed by it; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 7

Even good & godly things can become idols. What are you tempted to idolize? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 97 Q. May we then not make any image at all? A. God can not and may not be visibly portrayed in any way. Although creatures may be portrayed, yet God forbids making or having such images if one’s intention is to worship them or to serve God through them. Summary After the people of Israel had been wandering in the desert for some time, they became impatient with the Lord. They were sick of eating the same food, and they grew frustrated that God was not immediately taking them to the Promised Land. So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died. The people cried out to God, admitting their sin. God told Moses to create a bronze snake, so that when the people were bitten by a venomous snake, they could look at the bronze snake and be healed (Numbers 21). Seven hundred years later, during the reign of King Hezekiah, the Israelites were burning incense to the bronze snake. You read that correctly, 700 years later the people were burning incense to the same bronze snake that Moses had lifted up in the desert. God had told Moses to make the bronze snake to save the people, and the people ended up burning incense to that snake, turning a symbol of the coming Messiah's salvation into an idol. King Hezekiah came along and destroyed that snake to keep people from falsely worshiping it. Dig Deeper Is there an item in your church building that was donated by someone years ago? Perhaps it has a little plaque by it saying who donated it? Or maybe there is a beautiful tapestry sewn by hand that hangs on a prominent wall. It seems that every church building that is 30+ years old has at least one of those types of items. It was donated at one time, and now it sits there because how do you get rid of something someone donated? We may not worship that item like we worship God, but it may have become sacred. I’ve seen church members leave a church because an item their family donated twenty years ago was being moved to a different place in the building. Something that was meant to honor God has become something that causes division in his church. This is the danger of idolatry and why God has given this commandment. We do not set out to make idols. When Moses made the bronze snake, he did so at God’s command. But over time, these items become sacred, putting them in a place that should only be reserved for God. What item in your church building has become sacred? Is it time to get rid of that item? Would that cause an issue in your congregation? Nothing should be put before the Lord. We are to worship God and serve him alone. The bronze snake - the very symbol of salvation - became an idol to the people of Israel, and it needed to be destroyed. Do not fall into the same trap with an item in your church building. Worship and serve the Lord alone. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Lord of all Creation, nothing is above you; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Lord, what have I placed before you? What it is occupying a place in my heart that should only be reserved for you? ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 6

God takes worship seriously. Do you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 96 Q. What is God’s will for us in the second commandment? A. That we in no way make any image of God nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his Word. Summary Just as God gives the Law to the people in the book of Leviticus, He also gives them directions on worship practices. He informs the priests as to what they are to wear. He outlines various festivals that the people are to celebrate. He tells them to make burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, and guilt offerings. Not just anyone could make these offerings. Only the priests were to make these offerings on behalf of the people, and they are to be done in a very specific way - the way God had explicitly commanded. Aaron (Moses’ brother) and his sons were ordained as priests for the people of Israel. They had begun to lead the people of Israel in worship. Unfortunately, rather quickly after being ordained as priests, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu make a critical error: they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD - meaning they had taken their coals from a different source than what God had commanded. As one commentator put it, Nadab and Abihu did not do something God had prohibited, they were punished because they had did not do exactly what God had commanded. God burned up Nadab and Abihu for offering unauthorized fire before him. At first glance, this seems like an incredibly harsh punishment. Nadab and Abihu were worshiping God after all, so why does it matter if they used fire incorrectly? It was not that they used it incorrectly, it is that they went against the command of the Lord. They were worshipping God in a way different from how He had commanded in His Word. Dig Deeper The Lord had given the people of Israel explicit instructions on worship practices. He had set the priests over them to lead them in worship. When God gave these commands to the people of Israel, He did so to shape them into His people. He had chosen them, and set them apart. As such, they were to live differently from those around them. They were to worship the Lord alone, and they were to worship Him exactly as He had instructed them. Nadab and Abihu were careless as worship leaders, offering unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. As such, they were leading the people falsely in worship; they were leading people to worship God in a way that was contrary to His commands. Worship is about God. We worship God because He is holy, just, merciful, and so much more. When we worship the Lord, our worship practices must be based on His command, on how God wants to be worshiped. There is a general pattern that we follow to ensure we are worshiping God based on what we read in scripture: Approach, Word, Response. The Approach to God is the first part of the worship service where we come before the Lord with singing, prayer, and scripture reading. We lift the name of the Lord, as we come before our holy God. The Word is where we hear from God’s Word, the Bible. Not only is scripture read, but a sermon is given. This is the central part of our worship service because God is central to our lives. We want to hear from God, and be shaped by Him. The Lord’s Supper and baptism are a part of the Word portion of worship. We end with the Response. We have heard from God, and now we are responding to the Lord as we sing a doxology and leave the worship service to go serve the Lord faithfully. As the people of God, we do not add things to our worship hoping to please God, nor do we take things away to save on time. We worship God as He wants to be worshiped. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is worthy of praise; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May I worship you as you want to be worshiped, not doing what is pleasing in my sight, but is pleasing to yours; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 5

Worshipping something less than God seems silly, but "watch yourself..." because idolatry is "enticing." Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 96 Q. What is God’s will for us in the second commandment? A. That we in no way make any image of God nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his Word. Summary When God was leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, he led them by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire. The people knew that the Lord was with them as they looked up and saw the pillars. When things became difficult, whether it was the Egyptians chasing them, food becoming scarce, water not readily available, the people would cry out to God, and he would respond. He never left them nor forsook them. He was with them day by day. Yet, they still found the need to create a golden calf and worship the golden calf (Exodus 32). That golden calf was made by their hands after God had given them the Ten Commandments. They lacked faith, and their trust in God wavered, so they made a golden calf and worshiped that golden calf. In Deuteronomy, God is giving the Law to the people once again, and he is ensuring that they know what he commands of them. One of those commands forbids idolatry. Idolatry is the worship of an object as a god. Worshiping the golden calf was wrong. Worshiping the sun, moon and the stars is wrong. It is all idolatry. Dig Deeper It is easy to read this passage today and think, “Why would the Israelites create a golden calf, or any other object, and worship it?” God gave us the second commandment, and reinforced that commandment with passages like Deuteronomy 4:15-19 because it is so incredibly easy to fall into idolatry. The Israelites had been led by God in a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud, and yet they still created for themselves a golden calf. They had witnessed the plagues and God’s amazing power, and in a moment of weakness they turned from the Lord. We are forbidden from making an idol of any object. It may not look like a man or woman. It may not look like an animal, including birds or fish. We are not to make an idol of the sun, moon or stars. God has created all of these things, and we are not to make an idol of any of them. This week, we are going to spend time with idolatry, delving into it and gaining a better understanding of what it looks like. Idolatry today may not take the form of a golden calf, but it is just as prevalent today as it was when God first gave these commands. We are to worship the Lord alone, and not any idols. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Most Holy God, you are God alone; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Lord, I only want to worship you, not an idol or image made of you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 4

God is the one solid rock in the sea of ignorance surrounding you. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 95 Q. 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 his Word. Summary God sounds appropriately intimidating as He booms out the claims He makes in the first commandment, to not have any gods before Him, and here in Isaiah where mockingly calls out anyone or anything that could possibly dare to challenge His supremacy. God defines Himself as the first and last, different than anything else, and the one who has existed for all of eternity past, but yet knows what the future holds just as clearly. God is often referred to as 'holy,' a familiar word that most people misunderstand. 'Holy' means much more than 'perfectly righteousness.' Passages like this one in Isaiah that portray God as being entirely 'other,' and entirely above all things, do a good job of explaining the concept of holiness. The first thing many people associate 'idols' with are artistically formed statues, both large and small. Certainly that was the prevailing idea that God was referring to as He addressed this ancient near eastern culture, calling out those 'who make idols.' But the concept of idolatry is much deeper, and is just as convicting to us as modern people who would think it quite strange to bow down to an image. Whereas God Almighty refers to Himself here as the 'Rock (v8),' the very foundation of knowledge, wisdom and power, idols represent 'blindness, ignorance and shame' that 'can profit nothing (v9-10). So although God sounds intimidating in this passage, notice that He makes this pronouncements to bring you peace! He says to you, "Do no tremble, do not be afraid (v8)." Life does not need to be a chaotic balancing act filled with uncertainty. God is calling you to firmly plant your feet on Him, the one true "Rock," who is "Israel's King and Redeemer (v6)." Dig Deeper Our catechism defines an idol as anything "in which one trusts in place of or alongside the one true God." Since God has revealed Himself in His Word, anytime people change, add or subtract from what His Word says, they are breaking the first commandment and placing their own truth before God's. They are committing idolatry. Most of us would never dare do such a thing. But ignoring God's Word is every bit as idolatrous as changing, adding or subtracting from it, and most people, including those who identify themselves as Christians, have become completely ignorant of what the Bible says about a whole host of issues, not the least of which is who and what God is. Make sure that you are not part of the idolatrous crowd who "will be put to shame." Know your Bible. Keep reading it everyday as you are right now. Join the Lord's people every time His call to worship rings out in your church. Eagerly anticipate what God will teach you on the Lord's Day, and then spend the entire week reflecting on what you heard. This is how it is God keeps your feet fastened to Him, the solid Rock. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is the first and the last; apart from Him there is no God; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not succumb to idolatry by not knowing what God has revealed about Himself and His creation in His Word. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 3

Warning: what Jesus says here will absolutely crush you. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 94 Q. What does the Lord require in the first commandment? A. That I, not wanting to endanger my very salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, magic, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I sincerely acknowledge the only true God, trust him alone, look to him for every good thing humbly and patiently, love him, fear him, and honor him with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against his will in any way. Summary Jesus makes three counter-intuitive claims that are really hard to understand in this short passage: Those who love their family more than Jesus are not worthy of Him: This passage comes on the heels of an even harder saying from Jesus, that He "did not come to bring peace, but a sword," and that He came to set family members against one another! Certainly as a Christian you must love, honor, and respect your family. Thankfully, in most cases you can glorify God in how you relate to your family as you fulfill the numerous scriptural commands to care for your parents and children. But as soon as your familial allegiance begins to eclipse your allegiance to God, it becomes an idol. Those who do not 'take up their cross' are not worthy of Christ: D.A. Carson says it well, "'Taking one’s cross' does not mean putting up with some awkward or tragic situation in one’s life, but painfully dying to self. In that sense, every disciple of Jesus bears the same cross." It means that process we reflected on last week - dying to sin and coming to new life in Christ - must be your top priority. We all stand convicted of idolatry when we see how far down the priority list this effort actually is - if, in fact, it even shows up at all. Those who 'find' their life will lose it: We live in a world defined by a philosophy called existentialism, in which each of us can define our own reality, morals, and objectives. It's easy to 'find' yourself in a made up reality. Jesus here only echos what His Father had said millenia before: that you will find true life when we lose your own definitions (gods) for the sake of Christ. This is what it means in our day and age to have no other gods before me. Dig Deeper I do not think it is a harsh judgment to say that the most obvious feature of the life of the Christian Church today is, alas, its superficiality. - Martin Lloyd Jones, circa 1959 Putting other 'gods' before the one, true, triune God is the very definition of superficiality. If these words of Jesus don't 'cut you to the heart (Acts 2:37),' stop what you're doing and read them again. We're not even 10% of the way into God's law, and already the load is crushing. Let go of whatever 'gods' you have placed before the One True God - your family, your sins, even your pursuit of 'happiness' - and cling to the cross of Christ. Be thankful that even this most heinous sin of idolatry has been paid for on the cross, and that as a redeemed sinner you've been set free in order to fully submit yourself to God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who must be held above all things. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you prioritize your life so that nothing stands between you and following Christ. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 2