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“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” — Luke 23:42

First Commandment

“You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7).

 

Heidelberg Catechism

Heidelberg Catechism Question 94. What does the Lord require in the first commandment? That I must avoid and flee all idolatry, sorcery, enchantments, invocation of saints or other creatures because of the risk of losing my salvation. Indeed, I ought properly to acknowledge the only true God, trust in him alone, in humility and patience expect all good from him only, and love, fear and honor him with my whole heart. In short, I should rather turn my back on all creatures than do the least thing against his will.

Heidelberg Catechism Question 95. What is idolatry? It is to imagine or possess something in which to put one’s trust in place of or beside the one true God who has revealed himself in his Word.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Shorter Catechism Question 46. What is required in the First Commandment? The First Commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.

  • 1 Chr. 28:9 “And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with single mind and willing heart; for the LORD searches every mind, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will abandon you forever.”
  • Deut. 26:17 “Today you have obtained the LORD’S agreement: to be your God; and for you to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and to obey him.”
  • Matt. 4:10 “Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’”
  • Ps. 95:6–7 “O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice!”
  • Ps. 29:2 “Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor.”


Shorter Catechism Question 47. What is forbidden in the First Commandment? The First Commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshiping and glorifying, the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other which is due to him alone.

  • Ps. 14:1 “Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.”
  • Rom. 1:20–21 “Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened.”
  • Ps. 81:11 “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.”
  • Rom. 1:25 “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.”


Shorter Catechism Question 48. What are we specially taught by these words, “before me,” in the First Commandment? 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.

  • 1 Chr. 28:9 “And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with single mind and willing heart; for the LORD searches every mind, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will abandon you forever.”
  • Ps. 44:20–21 “If we had forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god, would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.”

Study Catechism

Study Catechism Question 94. What do you learn from this commandment? No loyalty comes before my loyalty to God. I should worship and serve only God, expect all good from God alone, and love, fear and honor God with all my heart.

  • Matt. 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
  • Deut. 6:5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
  • Deut. 26:17 “Today you have obtained the Lord’s agreement: to be your God; and for you to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and to obey him.”
  • Prov. 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
  • Matt. 4:10 “Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’”
  • Matt. 10:37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”


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