A Gracious Deliverance – The First Commandment

A Gracious Deliverance

The First Commandment

No other gods

Deuteronomy 6:20-25

“When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the LORD our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.’”

Ephesians 2:1-10; Philippians 1:9-11

In responding to their children, parents must be careful to keep their understanding of the Law within the framework of grace. The people of Israel were slaves in Egypt; we were slaves to sin. God came to us in our need and, through a powerful deliverance, lifted us out of sin and death into newness of life through Jesus Christ. He redeemed us, as He did Israel, freely, by His grace. But He redeemed us unto good works (Eph. 2:8-10), even the good works of the Law (Matt. 5:17-19).

We would still be helpless and lost were it not for the Lord’s mighty deliverance. In gratitude for His saving mercy, we receive His Word and declare, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.”

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.