19:20 When the Lord
descended upon Mount Sinai,
to the top of the mountain,
the Lord summoned Moses
to the top of the mountain,
and Moses went up.
20:1 Then God spoke all these words:
3 you shall have no other gods
before me.
Exodus 19 & 20
For weeks I’ve talked about the pattern of freedom: 1) realize that we’re in freedom, 2) cry out to God, and 3) follow the deliverer. Wait! Most of us would like to stop there. “Shouldn’t it be like waving a magic wand? I’ve got Jesus. I’m instantaneously free from all bondage.”
Now, some freedoms do happen as quick as that! “Because Jesus forgiveness my sin, my heart is absolutely free! I’m no longer enslaved to guilt and shame!” It’s a mental shift. (And we’ll talk more about that in a minute.)
But to reach freedom – most of the time – we have to walk it out!
With God’s help, the journey could last as little as eleven days. (That’s how long it was from Mt. Sinai/Horeb to the edge of the Promised Land – see Deuteronomy 1:2.) But we still have to walk! We have to do our part! We have to stop certain behaviors. We have to adopt God’s principles and follow his laws. We have to forgive. Yes, we have to walk it out! Thus, step four at the end of the list above is “4) Journey with God.”
So what does that journey look like?
On other days, we’ll talk about other signposts and steps to freedom. Today’s verse – the first commandment – invites us, however, to talk about Step 3. This third step is “changing lanes.” It is the mental shift that I mentioned above.
The Apostle Paul talks about this transformation shift like this: And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes] (Amplified Translation of Romans 12:2).
In the first commandment – today’s verse – God calls us to make a mental shift! We are commanded to have no other gods or priorities before him. Freedom does not come from the world’s way of doing things … it has nothing to do with what you or I want to do … and it’s certainly not about our thought and opinions (especially when we compare how limited they are compared to the mind of God). No! Freedom comes when we shift our thinking and follow God instead of human ways.
That indeed is why God gives this first commandment! He doesn’t need your love or your praise! (Yes, he deserves it and delights in it. But, he doesn’t need it.) Therefore, this commandment isn’t about him. Rather, the first commandment is about you.
Without God, we are “dead, doomed forever because of your many sins” (Eph 2:1). Without the forgiveness, light, and grace of Jesus our Deliverer, we are in bondage to doubt and despair. Therefore God says, “Prioritize me first. Put nothing else before me, and you’ll discover provision, truth, and hope. Trust in my character, and you’ll experience peace, love, and joy. Follow my ways, and you’ll find the path to freedom.”
It takes a mental shift. We’re bent in such a way that we want what we want. But with God’s help, we can untangle our hearts and straighten the journey to joy. And the quickest way to accelerate this blessing is to trust God’s ways (including his commandments), because when we put nothing between us and him, then blessings begin to flow.
In Christ’s Love,
a guy who accelerated
when he changed lanes
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