Who is Really Your God?:
                An Excerpt From Martin Luther's LARGE CATECHISM
                      Translation by Rev. Robert E. Smith
                  From the German text in: TRIGLOT CONCORDIA.
            (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921). p. 580.


       The First Commandment

       You must not have other gods.

       That is, I must be your only God.

       Question: What does this saying mean?  How should we understand
       it? What does it mean to have a god? What is God?

       Answer: To have a god means this: You expect to receive all good
       things from it and turn to it in every time of trouble. Yes, to
       have a god means to trust and to believe in Him with your whole
       heart. I have often said that only the trust and faith of the
       heart can make God or an idol. If your faith and trust are true,
       you have the true God, too. On the other hand, where trust is
       false, is evil, there you will not have the true God either. Faith
       and God live together. I tell you, whatever you set your heart on
       and rely on is really your god.
       _________________________________________________________________

       This text was translated for Project Wittenberg by Rev. Robert E.
       Smith and is in the public domain.  You may freely distribute,
       copy or print this text.  Please direct any comments or
       suggestions to: 

                             Rev. Robert E. Smith
                                Walther Library
                        Concordia Theological Seminary
       
                        E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu
   
          Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft.  Wayne, IN 46825 USA
       Phone: (260) 481-2123                        Fax: (260) 481-2126
       ________________________________________________________________