Before I move further into the commandments, I need to pause over something foundational:
Who is the God I am being told to put first?As I completed the first ten posts in this series, I realized I still had more to examine within the First Commandment. The previous post brought those reflections to a close, but some questions deserved more time before I moved on.
One question kept bringing me back: Am I allowing God’s Word to shape what I believe, or am I reading it through an understanding I already hold?
So, I’m remaining with the First Commandment a little longer. Putting God first includes being willing to examine—and, when necessary, surrender—our own understanding.
I cannot answer that simply by repeating what I have always been taught. I must examine what Scripture actually says—and distinguish it from what I assume it means.
Jesus is called God. But does that designation, by itself, identify him as the Almighty? Being called mighty or great does not automatically mean almighty. The relationship described in the passage matters.
Jesus identifies the Father as his God. Hebrews addresses the Son as God and then speaks of his God anointing him. Paul distinguishes the Father, from whom are all things, from Jesus Christ, through whom are all things. These statements belong in the examination just as surely as the passages calling Jesus God. John 20:17; Hebrews 1:8–9; 1 Corinthians 8:6
In our examination so far, we have not found an unambiguous statement identifying Jesus as God Almighty. I cannot treat that identification as established merely because it is widely taught.
When I returned to God, I searched the Scriptures with an open mind to that possibility. In the discussions I have had, people have repeatedly offered the same passages, but no one has shown me the explicit identification I am asking for. Too often, the passages and questions I raised were dismissed before we could examine them together.
That saddens me. I want us to be able to search carefully together, even when the questions make us uncomfortable. I remain willing to hear disagreement, examine evidence, and accept correction. I struggle to understand why the comfort of a familiar belief sometimes receives more protection than the words we say we follow.
This leads me to questions I must ask myself:
Does this passage actually establish what I believe?
Could its wording support a different understanding?
Have I accounted for the surrounding context and the passages that challenge my conclusion?
Am I seeking correction—or searching for a way to defend what I already believe?
Would I let go of this understanding if Scripture showed me I was wrong?
Those questions apply to me too. An alternative understanding must also be tested; questioning one teaching does not automatically prove another.
This can be the difference between following the Spirit of God and being misled by a false spirit. Scripture tells us to test the spirits, and Paul warns about another Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel. Familiarity, confidence, and religious language cannot replace that testing. Neither can my own certainty. 1 John 4:1–3; 2 Corinthians 11:3–4
Disagreement alone does not identify someone as following a false spirit. It gives us reason to examine what is being taught, whose words support it, and whether we are willing to be corrected.
My concern is faithfully honoring God and the Son he sent. If I misunderstand their relationship, that can affect my worship, obedience, and the things I teach others.
Where the evidence remains uncertain, I must remain teachable. Where Scripture speaks clearly, I must allow it to correct me—even when that correction costs me a deeply held belief.
The books were opened...
🌿 By Maria Emilia
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