Lesson 5: The Ten Commandments, Part 1

1. Name the First of the Ten Commandments.
“I am the LORD your God, which has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me”(Exodus 20:2,3).

2. Why do you think humanity has such a shallow understanding about what God requires of them? (See 2 Corinthians 4:3,4.)
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

3. What do you think could be the greatest sin of humanity?
To willfully, pridefully, purposely, and so simply turn their back on God.

4. In what ways have you transgressed this Commandment?
In any situation, if I fail to love God first and seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, then I will inevitably fail. By wandering off the God-first path, I immediately become a transgressor, violating His command.

5. Using Psalm 14 and Romans 3:10–18, list the characteristics of human nature.
Romans 3:10-18
10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[a]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[b]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[c]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[d]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[e]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[f]

6. How did Jesus demonstrate that He kept this Commandment?
He lived a sinless life, gave all glory to God, resisted all of the devil's temptations, and then went to the cross to die for all of us (mankind).

7. Why should we put God first?
He alone is worthy.

Think...
A father once purchased a TV for his kids to watch cartoons in the afternoon. When he arrived home that night, his kids didn’t come to greet him; they were busy watching TV. His homecoming had become a nonevent. He walked over to the TV and turned it off, explaining to the children that he had purchased it for their pleasure, but if it came between him and their love for him, it was going. They were setting their affection on the gift, rather than on the giver. If we love anything more than God—our spouse, child, car, sport, or even our own life—we are setting our affection on the gift, rather than on the Giver. Placing anything above God is a transgression of the First of the Ten Commandments.

Memory Verse
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment.”
MARK 12:30