Luther taught,

• You shall have no other gods.
  We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

So, how does that work? If you look at how Luther taught all of the other commandments, they all begin, “We should fear and love God so that…” By doing this, he intended to remind you of the First Commandment. Furthermore, he is teaching that every commandment is a requirement—a do not do this, do that instead—which gives you a method by which you can fear, love, and trust in God above all things. In other words, how do you fear love and trust in God above all things?

2. Do not misuse His name, but use it properly, as in prayer, praising, and giving Him thanks.
3. Remember the Sabbath by not despising His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
4. Do not despise or anger your parents or others in authority, but honor, serve, obey, love, and cherish them.
5. Do not hurt or harm your neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.
6. Lead a sexually pure life in what you say and do; husband and wife love each other.
7. Do not take your neighbors possessions or income, but be of service to him in keeping and improving it.
8. Do not tell lies about your neighbor, nor betray, slander, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.
9. Do not scheme to get your neighbor’s inheritance or house, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
10. Do not entice or force away your neighbor’s wife, workers, or animals, but urge them to stay and do their duty.

Now, why would you do all of these things? Well, simply put, it is God who created you and still takes care of you. This is His Law. So, if the One who made you, and can probably take you out of this world, tells you not to do something or tells you to do something, you best not do what He tells you not to do and do what He tells you to do. This is nothing new. Parents have been telling their children something like this for ages in an attempt to keep them in line: “I brought you into this world, I can bring you out of it.” Well, for God, this is most certainly true.

Of course, He also says as much: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Luther taught it, thus:

• God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them. But He promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments. Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands.

So, not only does God say, “Don’t do this,” and, “Do that,” but He also promises grace and every blessing when you don’t do what He says not to do and do what He tells you to do. If that’s not reason enough to love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands, I don’t know what is.

So, what gives? Why is it that every time you hear any of these Commandments explained, you are reminded of times when you didn’t do what was expected? Why is it that these Commandments chiefly show you just how much you don’t fear, love, and trust in God above all things? Well, why is it that no child is perfectly obedient to their parents? Apart from the child psychology answers, mainly because there is a little rebellious streak in everyone such that when you are told not to do something, your first thought is of doing it, or when you are told to do something, your first thought is of doing the opposite.

There’s that little part of everyone that just likes to show the authority figure just how in charge you can be instead. “Your rules be damned; I can get by just fine without them!” Try as you might, you just can’t quell this voice which tells you to, “Go for it, because one time won’t hurt,” or, “This time won’t make things any worse,” because, “You’ll be just fine, anyway.” Ever since Adam and Eve took that bite of forbidden fruit, man has been grazing of the fruit of that tree—which breeds all kinds of lawlessness—and suffering the consequences. As God told Adam (who in turn told Eve), “In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17b) Therefore, as St. Paul instructs, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23a) “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,” He says, “punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me…”

Elsewhere, Luther taught, “We daily sin much and surely deserve nothing by punishment.” That little rebellious self—the Old Man which is always at work to set himself up against God, your Creator—is going to get you killed because by him you earn God’s wrath and punishment. If only there were some way that you could keep the Commandments and earn God’s grace and blessing.

You see the thing about the wisdom and knowledge of God—of His grace, mercy, and blessing—is that He is fully aware that you are completely, perfectly incapable of keeping His Commandments. So, He has given them chiefly to show you your sin and need for a Savior. So He has revealed by way of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans:

It is that Savior by whom you then have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

For, at just the right time, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law. (cf. Galatians 4:4-5) God Himself assumed flesh like yours and subjugation to His own law in order that He would perfectly keep it, as only God could, and also suffer His own wrath for every sin against it and yet live again, as only a Man who is God could. So, this Jesus kept His Law perfectly…for you. And, this Jesus suffered the full wrath of God…for you. And since the full wrath of God was suffered for you, then there is none left for you, unless you want to snatch it back from Him. On the other hand, the love to the thousand generations is shown to you for the sake of Christ. He perfectly loved the Father and kept the Law of God on your behalf, and you reap the benefits: forgiveness, life, and salvation.

As St. Paul put it in the letter to the Galatians, you receive the adoption of sons. You are all sons of God by way of your baptisms into the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Therefore, you are all heirs of God’s grace and mercy. For He made Jesus who knew no sins to be sin for you, that you might become the righteousness of God in Him. And if you are the righteousness of God—that is the perfect law-keeper in Christ—then that means that you are forgiven for all of your sins.