Exodus 20:2-3 English Standard Version

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Does that mean it is acceptable to have gods after Him?

“I don’t know, let’s search the scriptures” is an acceptable response.

Let us begin with this God, the one who has declared Himself since this God is one that did something for a generation of people.

Exodus 3:7

Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,

Why would this God hear their cries?

Exodus 3:15

God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Is it enough that this God is remembered?

Exodus 4:31

And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

The end result is humility and worship but most importantly is that there was first a visitation in which this God proved Himself to be a God that affects change.

Why would anyone who has been visited by God and had their lives changed for the better even consider another god?

In a recent sermon on the issue David Jeremiah answered that question and said, “He was hedging his bet!”

Those who are gambling with their faith have not truly trusted the Lord who has shown Himself, changed their lives and is leading them in the promises that are yet to be discovered.

Who do you trust?

Deuteronomy 32:1-3 English Standard Version

“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God!

What makes any teaching doctrine if we interpret the Greek and Hebrew words for doctrine to simply mean “to teach or to be taught”?

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

What does Paul mean when he says “rightly handling the word of truth”?

1 John 2:21

I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

That which comes from the Spirit of Truth is true and there is no lie in it. Since we know that hearing comes from the word of God, we must look to the scriptures to validate that which we hear by faith.

Is everything taught to us the pure word of God or do we add a sense of the human condition which is relevant to our fellowship with one another?

Another way of saying that is; questions arise which cannot be answered by the scriptures.

2 Timothy 2:23

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.

God has given us everything we need to lead a life worthy of our calling. If the scriptures do not address what is offered up we have every responsibility to those in fellowship to ask for supporting scriptures. Allow the scriptures to explain themselves without being defensive which will only leads to quarreling.

“I don’t know, let’s search the scriptures” is an acceptable response.