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In this episode of The Reformed Standard, we explore the seemingly simple yet profoundly challenging question from the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “Are there more Gods than one?” Far from being merely an academic inquiry about monotheism, this question probes the human heart’s ultimate allegiances. Building on the previous episode’s exploration of God’s nature, we now confront the practical reality of idolatry—both ancient and modern. From Israel’s struggle against pagan deities to our contemporary worship of wealth, comfort, and self-fulfillment, the battle for exclusive devotion to the one true God remains unchanged. This episode challenges listeners to examine not just their intellectual belief in monotheism, but the practical manifestation of their worship in daily decisions, fears, and loves.
Key Takeaways
- The question “Are there more Gods than one?” is not merely theological but addresses the fundamental battle for our heart’s ultimate allegiance.
- Israel’s monotheism was radically counter-cultural, as expressed in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) and Joshua’s challenge to “choose this day whom you will serve.”
- Modern idolatry has simply changed forms—financial security, personal comfort, political power, and self-fulfillment have become functional gods demanding our worship.
- A “god” is defined practically as whatever your heart clings to for ultimate security, whatever you fear losing most, or whatever commands your highest love and loyalty.
- The First Commandment remains a present and constant battlefield, calling us beyond intellectual assent to undivided devotion to the one true God.
Key Concepts
The Battle for Allegiance
The catechism’s question about monotheism speaks directly to humanity’s perennial struggle with divided loyalties. From Abraham’s call out of polytheistic Ur to Israel’s continual temptation toward idol worship, God’s people have always faced the challenge of exclusive devotion. This was not merely a theological position but a radical counter-cultural stance in the ancient world. The Shema’s declaration that “the Lord is one” was Israel’s foundational commitment to singular worship in a pluralistic religious landscape. This battle continues today, though its frontlines have shifted. As Joshua once challenged Israel to choose between the Lord and other gods, we too must constantly examine where our ultimate allegiance lies.
Modern Idolatry’s Subtle Forms
While traditional polytheism remains prevalent in many parts of the world, Western idolatry has become more sophisticated and subtle. As John Calvin observed, the human heart is “a perpetual factory of idols,” constantly manufacturing new objects of worship. In our contemporary context, these idols rarely take physical form but manifest as values and pursuits that command our devotion. Financial security becomes a god when we trust in wealth rather than divine provision. Personal comfort becomes an idol when we avoid sacrifice at all costs. Political ideologies become deities when we place our hope for salvation in human systems rather than God’s kingdom. These modern gods make the same fundamental demand as ancient ones: our ultimate allegiance, our worship, and our heart’s devotion.
Memorable Quotes
“This isn’t a question about counting gods; it’s about confronting your own.”
“A ‘god’ is whatever your heart clings to for ultimate security. A ‘god’ is whatever you fear losing most. A ‘god’ is whatever commands your highest love and your deepest loyalty.”
“John Calvin was right when he said that ‘man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.'”
Full Transcript
In our last episode, we spent time contemplating the catechism’s magnificent answer to the question, “What is God?” We stood in awe before the portrait of a God who is a Spirit—infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in all of His perfections. To even begin to grasp these truths is to understand that God is utterly unique, a being of a completely different order than anything in creation.
Having established what God is, the catechism now moves to the next logical and necessary question. It is a question that, at first glance, seems to belong to a bygone era of paganism. But we must not move past it too quickly. The catechism places this question here not to test our ability to count, but to force us to confront the most fundamental battle of the human heart: the battle for ultimate allegiance.
[00:00:58] The Fundamental Question: Are There More Gods Than One?
The catechism asks:
Are there more Gods than one?
[00:01:02] Historical Context: The Battle for Allegiance
From the very beginning, this has been the central issue for God’s people. When God called Abraham out of Ur, he was calling him out of a world saturated with gods. When God rescued Israel from Egypt, He was not just defeating a pharaoh; He was demonstrating His absolute supremacy over the pantheon of Egyptian deities. The great declaration of Israel’s faith, the Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6:4, is the heartbeat of the Old Testament: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” This was not merely a philosophical statement; it was a radical, counter-cultural pledge of exclusive loyalty.
And this battle for allegiance was a constant one. Even generations later, on the very eve of entering the Promised Land, Joshua had to draw a line in the sand and force the people to choose if they would serve the one true God or the plurality of gods from their former contexts. “Choose this day whom you will serve,” he demanded, “…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” In a world of many gods, Israel was constantly being called back to be the people of the one God.
And that battle has not changed, though its form has shifted in different parts of the world.
[00:02:16] Modern Idolatry: Identifying Today’s Gods
For much of humanity, in the East and the Global South, overt polytheism, animism, and ancestor worship remain the daily reality. But even in the post-Christendom West, the world is just as polytheistic; the gods have simply changed their names. We may not bow down to statues of Baal or Asherah, because our own hearts are constantly at work. John Calvin was right when he said that “man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.”
Our hearts are always producing new objects of worship to which we are tempted to give our allegiance. Consider the gods of our own age: The god of financial security, who demands our constant worry and relentless work. The god of personal comfort, who commands us to avoid sacrifice at all costs. The god of political power, who promises salvation through the right candidate or party. The god of self-fulfillment, who tells us that our own happiness is the ultimate standard of truth.
Each of these modern gods makes the same demand as the ancient ones: your ultimate allegiance. Your worship. Your heart.
[00:03:23] Personal Reflection: The Heart’s True Allegiance
This is why this question in the catechism is so pastorally sharp. It forces us to define what a ‘god’ is, not in theory, but in practice. A ‘god’ is whatever your heart clings to for ultimate security. A ‘god’ is whatever you fear losing most. A ‘god’ is whatever commands your highest love and your deepest loyalty. The question “Are there more Gods than one?” is therefore not an abstract theological query. It is a direct, personal audit of your heart.
It bypasses our intellectual assent and asks: To what or to whom do you actually give your worship? When you are pressed, when you are afraid, when you are making a critical decision, which throne do you bow to?
The question forces us to see that the First Commandment—”You shall have no other gods before me”—is not a distant historical rule but a present and constant battlefield. It’s one thing to say, “I believe in one God.” It’s another thing entirely to live a life of undivided devotion to Him.
[00:04:24] Conclusion and Challenge
So for this week, let that question do its work. Don’t rush to the answer you know is correct. Instead, let the question search you. Ask yourself: What are the functional gods in my life? What are the rivals to the throne of my heart? The question is not, “Do you believe in one God?” The question is, “Does the one true God have any competition in your life?”
This isn’t a question about counting gods; it’s about confronting your own.