APOSTASY    “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods” 

Nov-Dec 2000

Man’s first offense is to strip God of His Transcendental Nature. The rationale of sinful man states that God is not the God but a god. Like the Greeks and the Romans who sought to make demi-gods and gods like unto man, so too, sinful man attempts to do with the true Judge of all the earth.

Yet this idea of God will not hold true to reality.

Moses declares:

Who [is] like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who [is] like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful [in] praises, doing wonders?

(Exodus 15:11 AV)

David Declares:

Thy righteousness also, O God, [is] very high, who hast done great things: O God, who [is] like unto thee!

(Psalms 71:19 AV)

Among the gods [there is] none like unto thee, O Lord; neither [are there any works] like unto thy works.

(Psalms 86:8 AV)

O LORD God of hosts, who [is] a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

(Psalms 89:8 AV)

Forasmuch as [there is] none like unto thee, O LORD; thou [art] great, and thy name [is] great in might.  Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise [men] of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, [there is] none like unto thee. 

(Jeremiah 10:6-7 AV)

God Himself declares of Himself:

...thou thoughtest that I was altogether [such an one] as thyself: [but] I will reprove thee, and set [them] in order before thine eyes. 

(Psalms 50:21 AV)

continued...

 

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

(Deuteronomy 4:9 AV)

Since the heart of man is desperately wicked¹, and all his tendencies are bent toward that which is evil², God gives warning, and careful instruction to his people. “Take heed to thyself...”.

God understands the workings of man, and the workings of sin within man. Therefore, out of love and compassion, He instructs in the way of Righteousness.

MAN’S FUNDAMENTAL TENDENCY

As a result of the fall in the Garden, man was set in opposition against God. Man’s ways became perverted and carnal. His flesh became his strongest foe. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, dictated all his actions. His will unto Divine obedience became bound, and man in turn sought to be like God.

Since man intuitively knows that there is a God, he is naturally religious in nature. As a response to this intuition, instead of denying God altogether, man re-creates God into his own image. He re-formulates God and His decrees into something he can control, and which cannot threaten or harm him.

Sinful man either wants to be God, or he wants a god who stands on equal ground. He desires a god he can understand, direct, and obtain comforting words, which are structured to appease his sinful lusts. Mankind does not naturally desire a God who reigns as Sovereign, Judge and Lawgiver. A God who is absolute in Divinity, Power, Majesty and Justice goes against man’s rebellious nature. Therefore, he creates a new god to replace the old and obscure the responsibility he has to Him.

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