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2. Repent Before God
Beginning Reflections
We begin this lesson by reflecting on the Ten Commandments. This enables us to better recognize our sinful attitudes and responses to conflict.
There are two common ways that Christians have numbered the commandments. Have you ever wondered why? Do you have a preference in how you view them in this course?
The numbering of the Commandments varies among different traditions. The two most familiar to Christians are the Roman Catholic/Lutheran (following the teaching of Augustine) and the Protestant/Eastern Orthodox/Reformed (following the teaching of Origin).
In Augustine’s order, the First Commandment combines “You shall have no other gods” and “You shall not make for yourself a carved image,” and it separates “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” from “You shall not covet [other things that are] your neighbor’s” (Ninth and Tenth Commandments).
In Origin’s order, “You shall have no other gods” and “You shall not make any graven images” are separated (First and Second Commandments), and all types of coveting are covered in the Tenth Commandment.
Regardless of the numbering used, Christians take seriously these commands of God, repent of their sins before Him, receive His forgiveness through Christ, and strive to keep these commands with His help. Feel free in this study to refer to the numbering that is most familiar to you.
Here is an optional video from YouTube that describes more about the different numbering of the Commandments. People who like charts will “like” this video.
If you have a preference, please indicate by checking a box below:
I prefer the Roman Catholic/Lutheran Numbering (This will be the numbering used unless you choose otherwise)
I prefer the Protestant/Eastern Orthodox/Reformed Numbering
Click each image to see the scripture text for each commandment:
First Commandment
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them” (Exodus 20:3-5).
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To have no other gods means that we should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
Psalm 96:4; Matthew 22:37; Proverbs 3:5
Second Commandment
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).
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God forbids us to misuse His name. Instead, He invites us to call upon it in trouble and use His name to pray, praise, and give thanks.
Leviticus 24:15b; James 3:9-10; Psalm 50:15
Third Commandment
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).
We keep the Sabbath holy by setting aside time for resting from work and devoting ourselves to God in worship and the study of God’s Word.
Leviticus 23:3; Acts 2:42, 46; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 10:24-25
Sabbath means rest. In the Old Testament God designated the seventh day (Saturday) for rest and worship. It pointed to Jesus, who is our rest (Matthew 11:28). Since the Messiah has come, we are no longer required to observe a particular day or festival of the Old Testament (Matthew 12:8; Colossians 2:16-17), but we are still required to worship together and study God’s Word.
Fourth Commandment
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).
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We keep this Commandment as we honor our parents and all those in authority and as we exercise authority according to God’s will.
Ephesians 6:2-3; Romans 13:1-2; Ephesians 6:4
Fifth Commandment
“You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).
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In this Commandment, God not only forbids us to take our own or another person’s life, even in our hearts, but also calls us to protect our neighbor.
1 John 3:15; Romans 12:20
Sixth Commandment
“You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
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God commands that husband and wife remain faithful to one another and that we lead sexually pure lives in what we say and do.
Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 5:28; Colossians 3:5
Seventh Commandment
“You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).
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We should not dishonestly take anything from our neighbor, but help him protect what is rightfully his and give to those in need.
Ephesians 4:28; Philippians 2:4
Eighth Commandment
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).
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God forbids us to tell lies to and about others or to spread gossip. Instead He calls us to defend others and speak well of them, putting the best construction on everything.
Proverbs 11:13; James 4:11; 1 Corinthians 13:7; Philippians 4:8
Ninth and Tenth Commandments
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17).
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We should trust God for what we need – not covet, entice, or take away our neighbor’s spouse, workers, or animals. Instead, we ought to encourage them to remain faithful to him and be content with what God has given us.
1 Timothy 6:8-10; Colossians 3:5; James 1:14-15
How do my conflicts with others affect my relationship with God?
My sin against another is first of all a sin against God. When my conflicts involve sin (most of them do!), it affects my relationship to my God.
When the prophet Nathan confronted King David about his sins of misuse of authority, affair with a married woman, and the murder of her husband, David confessed his sin against the Lord and Nathan proclaimed God’s forgiveness (1 Samuel 12:1-13). Note what David later penned in Psalm 51, reflecting on his sins:
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Psalm 51:4
What does conflict reveal about my heart?
God looks not only at words and actions, but also at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
Our quarrels and fights reveal our hidden desires, which become evident when we act on those desires and sin against God or others.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
James 4:1-3
Rather than responding to disagreements as children of God, we may react from our sinful nature by attacking or fleeing.
When we don’t get what we want, we make our demands known and punish others.
How does conflict in my heart relate to idolatry?
The First Commandment requires, “You shall have no other gods.” Scripture explains that this means that we should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
Any time we fear, love, or trust someone or something else more than God, we sin against the First Commandment. We are guilty of a form of idolatry, putting someone or something above God. Idolatry begins in the heart.
Click each set of tablets to reveal the supporting scripture:
Fear God
Love God
Trust God
Fear God:
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
Psalm 96:4
Love God:
[Jesus said,] “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Matthew 22:37
Trust God:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
When we are willing to sin in order to get what we want, we are not fearing God most of all. We are not loving Him above everyone or everything else. We are not trusting that He will give us everything we need. We turn our desires into demands – demanding what we want from others and even from God. This puts us in conflict with anyone (including God!) whom we believe is putting up a roadblock to our desires.
The result? Fights and quarrels (James 4:1-3). Our heart is determined to get what we want, when we want it, and the way in which we want it.
Sinful behaviors exhibited in conflict reveal our struggle to serve ourselves and the secret desires of our hearts. Each one wants to be the god of his own heart’s desires. We expect others to give in to our demands. In other words, we are guilty of idolatry!
What are some examples of the idols of the heart?
Sin originates in the heart. Our heart’s desires become idolatrous when we fear, love, or trust someone or something more than God. Consider some of the idols of our hearts that might be revealed in conflict.
Improper desires for physical pleasure
The Bible refers these as “cravings” or “lusts.” Improper desires for physical pleasure may be derived from eating, drinking, misuse of drugs, sex, physical exercise, and more.
1 John 2:15-17; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 4:17-20
Pride and arrogance
Self-proclaimed “gods” judge others who do not meet their demands. These judgments lead to condemning and punishing those who do not serve them. Gossip is a form of pride and arrogance – we judge others and punish them by ruining their reputations.
Proverbs 8:13; Proverbs 16:18; Matthew 23:12
Love of money or material possessions
This is another example of craving or lust. Anytime we place more love or trust in financial security, home, cars, salary and benefits, and more, we are guilty of this idol.
1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5
Fear of man
Fear of man is excessive concern about what others think of us, leading to a preoccupation with acceptance, approval, popularity, personal comparisons, self-image, or pleasing others. Almost everyone suffers from this idol at different times in their lives.
Proverbs 29:25; Luke 12:4-7
Good things I want too much
For Christians, most idols begin as blessings from God. Our good desires elevate into demands (aka cravings or lusts). Family, marriage, home, job, church, education – any of God’s gifts can become more important to us than the one who gives us the gifts.
Luke 12:22-31; James 4:1-3
How can we flee from the idols of our hearts and turn towards God?
The way to flee from our idols and turn towards God is this: Repent! Confess your idolatrous sins to God and believe in His forgiveness for you! Through repentance, we exchange our worship of our false gods for the worship of the true God.
Those who repent and seek hope for overcoming temptation receive God’s comfort:
Psalm 51:1-12; 1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Peter 2:24
Journal Reflections
Take a moment to journal your personal reflections from this section, “Repent before God.” Apply these questions to a conflict from your own life (current or past).
Which of the commandments were broken by the other person in your conflict? Which of the commandments have you broken in this conflict?
Regarding the heart idol of pride and arrogance:
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How are you judging the other person when your desires are not met?
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How are you getting even with the other person when your desires are not met? Be sure to consider how you talk about them to others or on social media.
Regarding the heart idol of good things that I want too much:
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What do you find yourself thinking about much of the time?
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What causes you the most worry? How has your anxiety replaced your trust in God?
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Fill in this blank: “If only _________________, then I would be happy, fulfilled, and secure.” What does this suggest to you about your trust in God for what you desire?
What hope does God promise you? (See 1 John 1:9; Romans 5:8, 15:13; Ephesians 1:7.)
Other reflections: