A Distorted View of God
A few years ago, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina did a study on the spiritual beliefs of American teens. Many of them identified as Christians. They had grown up going to church services, hearing Bible stories, and claiming they believed in God. But the researcher noticed a troubling pattern: their beliefs didn’t line up with what the Bible actually teaches.
Instead, he coined a term to describe what they really believed: Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. It’s the idea that God is out there somewhere, generally nice, and mostly wants people to be good (moralistic), to feel better when life is hard (therapeutic), but otherwise stays distant and uninvolved (deistic). And the ultimate goal of life? Just to be happy.
This view is widespread and deceptive. It uses the language of faith, but at its core, it’s a different religion. One where God exists to serve us, instead of us living to serve Him.
Returning to the True God
The danger of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism shows why it’s so important to stay anchored to the Word of God. Without regular grounding in Scripture, even sincere believers can slowly absorb distorted ideas about who God is and what He expects. We can end up creating a god of our own imagination, one who demands little, costs little, and changes nothing.
That’s why it’s so important to come back to the foundational things that God has revealed. Though we are no longer under the Old Testament Law, the Ten Commandments are still deeply significant. They show us God’s unchanging character and help us see what it means to live in a right relationship with Him.
How the Law Points Us to Christ
Another vital reason why the Ten Commandments still matter is that they show us our need for grace. As Paul said, “through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). God’s commands act like a mirror, revealing things about ourselves that we might not want to see. They don’t save us. They show us how badly we need saving, and they point us to Christ.
When we read God’s law honestly, we realize that we fall short. But the purpose of that realization isn’t to drive us into despair. It is meant to lead us to the Savior who offers forgiveness, hope, and new life.
Salvation Calls for a Response
Even at Mount Sinai, God’s saving work called for a response. Before giving Israel the commandments, He reminded them: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). Their obedience wasn’t about earning salvation. It was about living faithfully in response to the rescue God had already given.
It’s still the same for us today. Salvation is a gift of God’s grace, but it calls for a real response of trust, repentance, and obedience. We don’t obey to earn His favor. We obey because we trust Him and we belong to Him.
Keeping God at the Center
The first commandment lays the foundation for everything else: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). God must not simply be first on a long list of priorities. He must be the center that everything else in our lives revolves around. Our greatest trust, love, and devotion belong to Him alone.
We see this truth so clearly in Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler. The young man claimed to have kept all of the commandments since he was a boy. But Jesus exposed his divided heart when He said: “Go, sell all that you have… then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21). The man went away sad because he wasn’t willing to let go of his wealth. His real god had been revealed.
We face the same temptation today. Our idols may not be carved statues, but they are no less real. Career success, relationships, comfort, and even good things can quietly slip into God’s rightful place.
Abraham faced a similar test when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac. After waiting a lifetime for a son, Abraham was asked to trust God with what was most precious to him. It was a staggering command, but Abraham obeyed. He showed that no gift had replaced the Giver at the center of his life. Abraham passed the test the rich young ruler failed.
Trusting God Above Everything
The real question for all of us is this: Is God truly at the center of my life? Not just at the top of a priority list, but truly the center, the One everything else flows from.
When we stumble, and we all do, the answer isn’t despair. It is deeper dependence on Christ. The commandments show us where we fall short. The Gospel reminds us that grace meets us there. In Christ, we find both forgiveness for our failures and the strength to keep walking with God at the center of our lives.
In a world filled with distorted images of God, we must keep coming back to the God. who truly is not the god we imagine, but the God who has revealed Himself in Scripture. Knowing Him, trusting Him, and putting Him at the very center is the only way our lives will hold together. Everything else begins to fall into place when we start with the God who is.
Thessalon ON