Forsaking all other

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14,15 (NKJV)

“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules”. (2 Timothy 2,5)

The apostle Paul made this analogy, writing to Timothy, his son [in Christ] and gave an important message: God approves according to the terms He has set.

In the book of 2 Kings 17, the story is given of how the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria.

“The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places.... They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.  When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” (Verse 24-39)

At first, these people who were sent to live in Samaria did not fear the Lord. But when faced with a challenge they realized that there was a “god of the land”. They, therefore, sought to worship this God. But this was just another ritual to them, in addition to the practices that they had for their own gods.

The true and only living God wants to be worshipped alone.

Like a couple entering the covenant of marriage, the vow of forsaking all other (men/women) must be made.

So it is with God. Our worship should be towards Him only.

“Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say:

‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God, and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord.

 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”” Jeremiah 3,12-14 (NKJV)

Coming back to our opening Scripture of John 14,15, Jesus is speaking and He continues to say (in the following verse) that there is another advocate [meaning Jesus is also an advocate] to help us and be with us forever - the Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit has been given to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the helper. The Holy Spirit is our helper.

God desires to be THE number one, the top priority of our hearts and life.

And the Holy Spirit is the one to help us love God with all hearts, mind and strength.

The Holy Spirit was given, among other things, to help us keep Jesus’ commandments.

Child of God, embrace your helper.     

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36,27 (NKJV)