Our First Love

Time magazine's cover story of October 9, 2006, has a cover picture of a chimp and a baby accompanied by the words “How we became human. Chimps and humans share almost 99 per cent of their DNA. New discoveries reveal how we can be so alike—and yet so different.” There are really only two views as to where life came from: either evolution or creation.

Evolution, the article says, “is a random process in which haphazard genetic changes interact with random environmental conditions to produce an organism somehow fitter than its fellows.”

Which means life is a meaningless accident. Creation, on the other hand, is the belief that God made everything and therefore life has a purpose.

1. What is the most important verse in the Bible?

(Genesis 1:1) “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Chapter 1 of Genesis gives God His true place in the cosmos as Sovereign Creator and humans their place as dependent and personal, made forfellowship with God. This is why the Ten Commandments begin, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

2. How did Jesus sum up the Ten Commandments?

(Matthew 22:37– 39) “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself'.” The first four commandments tell us how we should relate to God—God should have first place in our lives— and the last six, how we should relate to our fellow human beings.

3. When the devil tempted Jesus to worship him by offering Jesus all the kingdoms of this world, what was Jesus' reply?

(Matthew 4:10) “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only'.”

4. How does the last book in the Bible describe who we should worship?

(Revelation 14:7) ”Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” The word worship comes from the Old English “worth-ship.” Giving God His true worth as Sovereign Creator gives us our true value as persons made for fellowship with God and each other.

5. In our materialistic society, what did Jesus say we should seek first?

(Matthew 6:33) “But seek first his [God's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [that we need] will be given to you as well.”

6. Where does Jesus say that we should store up treasure?

(Matthew 6:19, 20) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

7. Why should we store up treasure in heaven?

(Matthew 6:21) “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus is not talking about material wealth, but about spiritual values. Every effort that helps us to be more like Jesus, is laying up treasure in heaven. Emerson said, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius put it this way, “A man's life is what his thoughts make of it.” Solomon says: “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7, KJV).

8. To what does Paul say we should not conform?

(Romans 12:2) “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  What did Jesus say about serving two masters? (Matthew 6:24) “No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Evolution or creation, chance or design; the Bible says we were created by a loving God for friendship with Himself and each other. He is either our first love or He is not. The choice is ours.