Exo 20:3  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Today, we do not go explicitly by the Ten Commandments because we are under the new covenant (which Jesus brought into being). Nine of the Ten Commandments are still applicable today, because they are repeated in the New Testament. Only “remember the Sabbath” is done away with under the new covenant.

Still, Martin Luther’s point holds a great deal of value and truth. If one were to take a shady business deal in order to gain a great deal of money – then they would be placing money as an idol above God. If one were to go out on their wife, they would be placing their own lust and desire above the will of God (and God’s design for marriage).

As you go about this week think about the “gods” you might be placing above the One True God. Remember, idolatry does not have to be the worship of icons made of wood or metal. An idol is anything you put above the will of God for your life.

We know God’s will through his Word and the commandments he has given us therein. Let us not place anything above his divine and holy will, for nothing is comparable in value to our eternal destiny.

Mar 8:36  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

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Often, when I think of Jesus I think of a kind and loving “Savior”. While Jesus most certainly is a kind and loving Savior we also must remember that He gave us the ultimate gift – the gift of salvation. He, the Creator of the Universe, came to earth and died an agonizing death on the cross. Above this, He bore the sins of mankind – and by His death we now have the hope of eternal life.

However, the point of this article is not to tell you something that you already knew, it is to remind us of something (I believe) we can often forget. I know that I have had times in my life where I partook of the Lord’s supper and barely regarded Jesus’ great gift to us. We cannot let this happen. Every first day of the week we should take our mind back to the cross and realize that Jesus gave us this precious gift of salvation, and that He suffered greatly so that we could have it.

Imagine a beautiful mansion on one thousand acres of gorgeous countryside. Now imagine that someone gave this to you along with two billion dollars. How would you feel about this gift? Would you consider it a great gift? A precious gift? Well, Jesus’ gift to us makes that gift laughable in importance and prestige.

Jesus offers us the gift of eternal life, which is a gift more valuable than mountains of gold and material wealth. As we go throughout our week (and on this coming first day of the week) let us take time to thank our Lord and Savior for His gift to us. Let us take time to enjoy and be grateful for the ultimate blessing in our lives.

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