Westminster Shorter Catechism2

Q. 48 What are we taught by these words before Me in the first commandment? A. These words before Me in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other god. These words are added to jolt us into the reality that we so often miss. The reality that when we take other gods, we always do it right before God's face! You must never suppose that God does not see and take notice of this. This is no exotic sin. There are many everyday examples of it. These other lovers are brought right before His face!

Q. 45 Which is the first commandment? A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Q. 46 What is required in the first commandment? A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly. Q. 47 What is forbidden in the first commandment? A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God as God, and our God; and the giving that worship and glory to any other, which is due to Him alone. What are some of the ways that we turn to other gods? The first thing that happens is that we turn from the true God. You stop doing what a person does when that person has God as His God.

Q. 45 Which is the first commandment? A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Q. 46 What is required in the first commandment? A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly. We were originally created to belong to God—to have Him as our God. We were made with a God-given desire for Him and a need for Him. What a marvellous and delightful thing when God brings us back to Him as our God.

Q. 43 What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? A. The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Q. 44 What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us? A. The preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us that because God is the Lord and our God and redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments. In the preface, God introduces Himself as the One giving these commandments to us because we are the people He has redeemed. The goal of the preface (and of this sermon) is to stir you up to wholehearted obedience to these commandments. We should obey the Ten Commandments because the One who gives them to us is the Lord (Yahweh).

Q. 42 What is the sum of the ten commandments? A. The sum of the ten commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourselves. According to our Lord, our whole life is to be about loving God and loving others. The Law and the Prophets hang entirely upon these two commandments (22:40). You might think of all of God's commandments as a tree. The root is to love God, the trunk is to love your neighbour. The branches are all of the other commandments. Without love, they all fall to the ground and wither.

Q. 41 Where is the moral law summarily comprehended? A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments. The Lord graciously gives His law to us as His redeemed people. When He gave the Ten Commandments to Israel, He gave them to us too.

Q. 40 What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience? A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law. Everyone has a moral nature like this from creation (Rom 2:14-15). Gentiles have a moral nature even though they do not have the written law (v. 14). They have the work of the law written in their hearts (v. 15). We really can't get away from morality even if we want to. If we were not moral, anything would go… but nobody accepts that!

Q. 39 What is the duty which God requireth of man? A. The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to His revealed will. Three things to note about our duty: It is a duty that is required. Both the Catechism and our passage in Micah say it is required. This ought to be obvious to you, but too often it is not. You are sorely mistaken if you think serving God is just a matter of personal preference.

Q. 38 What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection? A. At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgement, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity. In our sermon series from the Westminster Catechism, we have been studying for three months about the benefits we have in Christ. Today we come to final benefits to which all the others lead—the benefits we have at the resurrection. One of the most remarkable confessions of this glorious hope is that of Job 19. Job was put under terrible affliction to test him. In the midst of his deepest struggle, he gloriously confessed his hope in the resurrection.

Q. 37 What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ do rest in their graves till the resurrection. We have now concluded our study of the benefits we have in Christ in this life, and we are ready to study about the benefits we have that are yet future to us. Without these, the benefits we have in this life are worthless. The greatest thing about the benefits we have now is that they lead to eternal blessing. If they don't, they are of no use to us. So for the next couple of weeks, we will look at the benefits that God will give us in the future. This week at the benefits we have from the day we die until the day of resurrection. Next week, at the benefits we have at the resurrection on onward.