Who Is On First? Putting God First – A Call from Exodus 20:1-3 for Fundamentalist Christians

Beloved saints, fellow lovers of the old Book and the old paths, grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.



In the hustle of daily life, it’s easy to lose track of priorities. We laugh at the classic Abbott and Costello routine—“Who’s on first? What’s on second? I Don’t Know’s on third”—because the confusion is hilarious on the baseball diamond. But when the same confusion creeps into our spiritual lives, it is no laughing matter. It is sin. It is idolatry. And it breaks the very first commandment God ever gave His redeemed people.


Turn with me to Exodus 20:1-3 (KJV):


“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”


Notice the order. God does not begin with a threat or a list of rules. He begins with grace. He reminds Israel—and He reminds us—of who He is and what He has already done. “I am the LORD thy God… which have brought thee out.” He is Jehovah, the self-existent One. He is the Redeemer who shattered their chains when they could not free themselves.


Fundamental Christians, we stand on the same foundation. The God who delivered Israel from Pharaoh has delivered us from a far worse bondage—sin, death, and the power of Satan—through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Because He has redeemed us, He has every right to command our absolute loyalty.


The commandment is crystal clear: “Thou shalt have no other gods **before me**.” Not “beside me.” Not “in addition to me.” Not “as long as you still go to church.” **Before me** means first place. Priority position. The very center of our hearts, our homes, our schedules, and our affections. God refuses to share first base.


So the urgent question for every Bible-believing Christian today is this: **Who is on first in your life right now?**


Many of us who call ourselves fundamentalists still defend the fundamentals—the virgin birth, the blood atonement, the bodily resurrection, the verbal inspiration of Scripture, and the soon return of Christ. We sing the old hymns, carry our King James Bibles, and preach separation from the world. Praise the Lord for that stand.


Yet even in our circles the enemy works subtly. He does not need a golden calf and a wild party. He simply needs a slow, quiet shift in our priorities until something good—even something noble—slips into the place that belongs only to God.


- Is your job on first? You rise earlier for the office than you do for the throne of grace.  

- Is your family on first? You would lay down your life for your children, yet you tremble more at what the world thinks of them than at what God requires of them.  

- Is your comfort or retirement plan on first? Your entertainment schedule, hobbies, or financial security dictate your decisions more than the Holy Spirit does.  

- Is politics or cultural conservatism on first? Good causes can become idols when they eclipse the King of kings.  

- Is your own reputation on first? You fear the opinion of the brethren more than you fear grieving the Holy Ghost.


Any of these things—or anything else—occupying the “before me” position is idolatry, plain and simple. The Bible warns us repeatedly: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). The things that happened to Israel “are written for our admonition” (1 Corinthians 10:11). When God is not first, judgment follows—whether personal dryness, family brokenness, or national decline.


But here is the glorious gospel hope: the same God who gave the commandment has also provided the power to obey it. We cannot keep the Law in our own strength. The Law was never meant to save us; it was given to drive us to the Savior. Jesus Christ kept every commandment perfectly, loving the Father with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then He died on Calvary as the substitute for every one of us who has ever put something else on first.


When you repent and place your faith in Christ alone, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside you. He is the One who empowers us to dethrone every false god and restore the rightful King to first place.


Practical Steps to Put God Back on First


1. **Examine your heart honestly.** This week, open your Bible and your schedule. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything that has crept into first position. Be ruthless—fundamentalists are not afraid of truth.


2. **Repent specifically.** Name the idol out loud before God. Confess it. Turn from it. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).


3. **Re-order your daily life.** Let the Word of God be the first thing you read each morning. Let prayer be the first appointment on your calendar. Let the local church be the first priority of your week. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), and watch everything else fall into proper order.


4. **Teach the next generation.** Fathers, drill this commandment into your sons and daughters. Mothers, sing it over the crib. Grandparents, make it the legacy you leave. The first commandment is not just for individuals—it is for families and churches.


When the LORD is truly on first, everything else finally makes sense. Your work becomes worship. Your family becomes a testimony. Your nation receives the blessing that comes only when “the people whose God is the LORD” (Psalm 144:15).


Dear reader, if today your honest answer is “I don’t know” or “Something else,” hear the voice of the Lord once more: “I am the LORD thy God… Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”


Come back to first base. Come back to the foot of the cross. Come back to the empty tomb. Come back to the God who redeemed you with His own blood.


He is worthy. He is first. And when He is on first in your life, you will never regret it.


Let us pray:


Heavenly Father, search us and try us. Reveal every idol that has taken first place in our hearts. Forgive us. Cleanse us. Fill us afresh with Thy Holy Spirit so that we may love Thee with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. May Jesus Christ be first in our lives, our homes, our churches, and our nation once again. For Thy glory and in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

DMMC 

4-9-26

Location: Lafayette, IN, USA

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