The Substance of the First Commandment – A Kingdom Catechism

The Substance of the First Commandment

A Kingdom Catechism

We who are possessed by God must possess Him only.

Q 48: What is the substance of the first commandment?

A 48: The substance of the first commandment is that we who are possessed by God must possess Him exclusively and unreservedly in love. (Deut. 6:4, 5; John 20:15-19)

The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. All human beings are creations of God, and even though they are yet His enemies (Rom. 5:10), He has provided redemption for them in Jesus Christ. Those who believe and have received Jesus Christ acknowledge God’s Lordship through Him and long to know a deeper relationship with God—to know Him even as they are known, and to possess Him even as they are possessed by Him. The first commandment teaches us that knowing, loving, and possessing God begins in acknowledging Him in all things.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.