The first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before Me," as declared in Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 5:7, stands as the foundation of commandment keeping. It demands exclusive devotion to God, emphasizing that we must love Him with all our being. Anything held as more important than God becomes an idol and a god other than the Eternal God, thus breaking this commandment. We are called to serve only one master, for split or divided loyalty is no loyalty at all. Seeking first God's Kingdom and His righteousness is a fundamental aspect of keeping this commandment. God desires unswerving devotion to Him alone, incompatible with wavering commitment or worshipping other gods. The great archangel broke this commandment by attempting to usurp God's throne, becoming his own god and worshipping himself, for which God cast him from heaven. When this adversary tempted Jesus, He rebuked him, affirming that we are to serve and worship only God. Jesus showed that this commandment remains in effect. God punishes those who break the first commandment, as seen with the Israelites who suffered calamity for repeatedly putting other gods before Him. In areas such as healing, true healing comes from God, our Creator and Sustainer, and relying on anything else can be a form of idolatry. Jesus Christ exemplified obedience to this commandment by placing total trust in God, submitting to His will even unto death, declaring, "Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."

The first commandment holds paramount importance as it lays the foundation for all others. If the source of a person's values is not of the very highest order, he sets himself up for certain moral and spiritual failure, for no other source can compare to Almighty God. As Jesus states in Matthew 22:37-38, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment." This command encompasses the fear, service, obedience, and worship of the great God who is the Creator, leaving little out in terms of our devotion to Him. The respect and response we give to men, things, or the self should be given to God alone. Exodus 20:3 is better understood as, "You shall have no other gods in place of Me," permitting no other gods at all. The world has conditioned us to think of worship as a mere weekly activity, but this is woefully inadequate in terms of what God expects. Everything He asks of us is for our good, motivating us to become what we worship. If kept as it should, the first commandment becomes part of the very foundation of what we are becoming. God must be the Source of everything we think, say, and do for us to have a fighting chance to overcome the persistent sin of idolatry. As I Corinthians 10:14 urges, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." This sin often sits at the foundation and is ultimately the cause of various other sins. We must devote as much time, concern, and effort in admiring God's great ability as Creator as we do to the men or things we admire, for using Himself as the Model, God created the potential for the qualities we admire in others to be in us, and He has far more and better in Himself than we can comprehend.

Christians should have a great interest in the subject of idolatry due to its major importance to morality and our relationship with God. We must constantly refine our understanding to avoid allowing anything to come between us and Him. The first commandment is the most important, as a proper understanding of and obedience to the other nine depends largely on this one. Failure to keep the first commandment is the major reason why this world is in its current condition. Had mankind kept it, the natural progression would have led to keeping the rest by having the correct Source of law and morality. Exodus 20:3 makes it clear that God permits no other gods at all. He will not share His position, glory, and praise with any competitors. It would not be good for His purpose to allow us to divide our loyalties. Loyalty to any other person or thing at the expense of loyalty to Christ constitutes idolatry. Jesus emphasizes in Matthew 22:37 that we must love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, leaving little out of our devotion to Him. This commandment involves the fear, service, obedience, and worship of the great God who is the Creator. The respect and response we give to men, things, or the self should be given to God. We must devote as much time, concern, or effort in admiring God's great abilities as Creator as we do to human performers, recognizing that His abilities are far greater. If another crowds God out of first place in our thinking, affections, and conduct, so that we admire, submit to, and imitate him, we will be in another's image, not God's. Having other gods besides Him has produced this evil world with all its violence, confusion, anxiety, and despair. The issue covered by the first commandment is loyalty to the great Creator whose creative acts did not end with the physical creation. When His children keep this commandment, a process works to complete their creation in His image. If we do not keep this commandment, the purpose of God in us crumbles because we will take on the image of who or what we believe and obey. We can be certain God will be doing His part to encourage us to keep it, and we must make every effort to submit joyfully to One so worthy of all loyalty.

The First Commandment holds paramount importance as it establishes the foundation for all other commandments. It is the source of one's values, and if this source is not rooted in Almighty God, it sets one up for certain moral and spiritual failure. No other source can compare to those that find their roots in Him. The commandment demands that we have no other gods in place of Him, allowing no room for any other deities or even the self, which often becomes the god most of us prioritize. Disloyalty to God through placing anything or anyone above Him constitutes idolatry, a sin that is the most frequently committed and leads to the breaking of all other commandments. It is through loyalty to Him above all else that we avoid idolatry, ensuring that our values and actions align with His standards. God introduces Himself as the Creator, to whom we owe everything—every breath, every drop of rain, every aspect of existence. His handiwork and character are evident everywhere, surpassing any human achievement or beauty, and He desires to be known and revered as the source of all that matters.