The Reformed Witness
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of Knowledge: But fools despise Wisdom and Instruction"
Proverbs 1:7

APOSTASY    “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods” 

Nov-Dec 2000

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SELF DECEPTION

The portrait of the deceived is very different from that of the outwardly profligate sinner. Unlike the blatant sinner, the soul who is deceived hasn’t the philosophy of “eat drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die”. Neither is the deceived soul outwardly profane or outwardly irreligious. In fact, the deceived is perhaps very religious outwardly.

THE RELIGIOUS HYPOCRITE

Deception either takes the form of religious hypocrisy or moral and civil service. Religious hypocrisy boasts itself of keeping God’s Commandments as it pertains to worship and Scriptural knowledge. Yet, the religious hypocrite falters in his practical application off God’s will toward his fellow man. For the religious hypocrite, the First four Commandments, also commonly known as the First Table of the Law, are prideful obeyed while the following six Commandments, commonly known as the Second Table of the Law, are omitted and despised.

 

THE MORAL HYPOCRITE

The civil and moral hypocrite focuses upon the second aspect of God’s Law as it concerns the outward show in duties toward his fellow man. For this deceived soul there is much emphasis upon the civil and moral aspects of life and little inward, soul examination before the Holy Commandments. Accountability toward God dictated in the first table of the Law are of little interest, although an outward form of worship and the keeping of the Sabbath are maintained. Such hypocrites either diminish, augment, or tailor the meaning, and intent of those duties commanded in order to cover his hypocrisy. As with the self-righteous Pharisee in the temple, in Luke chapter 18, so, too, are many in the church today.

 

 

 

 

continued...

 

THE PRINCIPLE SIN: IDOLATRY

Clearly, the principle sin of man is idolatry. Man desires to be God. This, by definition, is a usurping of His Majesty and His Authority. HE alone is God, and there is none else. Therefore man’s basic sinful act is idolatry.

It must be noted immediately that it is idolatry which is spoken against in the First Commandment.  “Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me.”

In other words, there shall be no other gods before the face of God. None shall be looked to for deliverance nor ought they be trusted. Thus God begins His instruction with a warning against worship of, or service to any conflicting authority.

The Second commandment, like the First, warns against the consequence of all idolatry, which is the setting up of any image to worship and serve.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;

(Exodus 20:4-5 AV)

There are a number of important dynamics which must be observed in this verse. Firstly, God identifies the sinful progression of all those that fall prey to idolatry. Idolatry begets the setting up of a graven image. This image can come in the form of philosophies, material things, health, knowledge, social status, economic stability, and a host of other things that mankind sets up as their confidence and hope. One simple way to check to see if we are guilty of setting up any graven image is to examine where our confidence lies, and where our authority structure is based. We must candidly ask, “what is our standard of trust and to whom do we obey?” If our standard is God’s Word, the Law of Holy Scripture, and God alone is the final authority on all life and faith, then we are on a sure foundation. However, it must be stated that many speak “fair words” and yet live quite differently. Another way to examine our position is to examine our interpretation of the world. “Is it a Biblical interpretation or is our world view drawn from secular wisdom? Do we set up man’s understanding, knowledge, power or strategies as “divine”, or is God’s Word the only Standard and Rule of Authority?”

 

 

 

 

 

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  01/19/02