The Way to the Promises of God – The First Commandment

The Way to the Promises of God

The First Commandment

No other gods

Deuteronomy 32:45-47

And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to Israel, he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law.  For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Evidence that we have taken the Law of God to heart will be found in the thoroughness with which we teach God’s Law to the coming generation–and not merely as an intellectual exercise, but as a standard for daily practice. Teaching only accomplishes its aim when it brings forth obedience in the lives of those taught, the obedience to God’s Law which results in love for Him and neighbors (Matt. 22:34-30).

God’s Law marks out the path of full and abundant life in Christ (1 John 2:1-6). If we will take it to heart, live in it day by day, and pass it along to our children, then we will know the fullness of God’s precious and very great promises (2 Pet. 1:4–symbolized here by the land).

In this series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.MyParuchia.com and click on our Book Store.

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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.