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Galatians 3:24–25 "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."

Think

It’s pretty easy to clean what people can see. The front yard, the Instagram feed, the visible parts of your life—the image stuff. That’s where we tend to invest our time. We shine our shoes, but rarely check the soles.

A few years ago, a pastor told a story about teaching his young son how to shine shoes. The kid watched, mimicked, and went to work. But then the dad noticed something odd—the boy had flipped the shoes over and started polishing the bottoms. When asked why, the son said, “Because when I walk, people might see underneath too.”

That’s us, isn’t it? We focus on the surface, the places people might glance. But God cares about the soul—the part that carries all our fears, motives, addictions, and affections. And this is where the First Commandment goes deeper than we expect. It’s not just about bowing to statues or prioritizing our calendar. It’s about what’s ruling us underneath.

That’s why the Bible calls the law a tutor or a mirror—something that doesn’t save you, but shows you. The commandments don’t make you righteous. They reveal how much you need to be rescued.

You don’t look in a mirror to fix yourself—you look to see yourself. And what the mirror of God’s law reveals is sobering: there are things competing for the throne of your heart that you’ve grown used to. You’ve polished around them. You’ve accepted them. And sometimes, you’ve even justified them.

We usually think of idols as external—money, success, popularity. But some of the deepest idols are internal. Fear of failure. Craving control. Needing to be liked. The desire to be impressive. These things shape our decisions more than we admit. They’re invisible gods, hidden behind productivity or religious performance.

But God sees them. Not to shame us—but to free us.

When God gave the Ten Commandments, it wasn’t just about managing behavior. It was about transforming the heart. These weren’t ten rules to achieve salvation. They were ten mirrors to show us how far we’ve drifted—and how deeply we need a Savior.

And that’s exactly what Galatians is getting at. Paul writes, “The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ…” In the ancient world, a tutor wasn’t a classroom instructor. They were more like a guardian—someone who walked kids to school and protected them on the way. The tutor didn’t teach the subject—they brought you to the teacher.

That’s what the commandments do. They walk us to Jesus. They reveal what we can’t fix on our own. They expose the soul underneath the shine.

So what does that have to do with the First Commandment?

Everything.

Because when you look into the mirror of “You shall have no other gods before me,” it’s easy to say, “I’m good. I don’t worship statues.” But keep looking. What about the things you think about when no one’s around? What about the stuff that gets your strongest emotions? Your money? Your “yes”? Your fear? Your affection?

That’s the soul.

Sometimes we worship certainty. Sometimes we worship comfort. Sometimes we worship being seen as spiritual. These things don’t sit on shelves. They sit in hearts. But they still bend our knees. The law brings those things to the surface—not to condemn you, but to lead you to the only One who can cleanse you.

Think of your soul like a living room. You’ve got some things arranged just how you like. It looks nice. There’s good lighting. But then Jesus walks in, sits down, and casually asks, “Hey—what’s in the back closet?” And suddenly, you remember what you shoved in there. The resentment. The comparison. The secret addiction. The hidden pride.

The law opens that closet. It tells the truth. And it does it in love.

But here’s the good news: once the law has shown us the truth, Jesus doesn’t leave us in it. Galatians says, “But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” In other words, once we come to Christ, we don’t live under the pressure of performing anymore. We live under grace. The mirror still tells the truth, but it no longer defines your identity. Jesus does.

So the goal isn’t to perfectly obey the First Commandment. The goal is to let it lead you to the only One who did. Jesus worshiped the Father perfectly. He had no rivals. No secret gods. And through him, we’re not just forgiven—we’re invited to become like him.

And that means letting God polish not just the parts of you people see, but the parts no one sees. The soul. The motives. The thought life. The secret desires. That’s where real freedom begins—not with surface-level shine, but soul-level surrender.

Apply

Spend a few minutes in quiet today and ask this question: “What’s been ruling me that I’ve stopped noticing?” Maybe it’s fear. Maybe it’s comparison. Maybe it’s performance or approval. Invite God to hold up the mirror. Don’t run from what you see. Bring it to Jesus. He’s not shocked. He’s not walking away. The law may reveal the stain, but only grace washes it clean. Let today be less about trying harder—and more about being honest. God isn’t interested in a polished surface. He wants to make you whole from the inside out.

Pray

Father, thank you for loving me enough to tell me the truth. Thank you for your law that reveals, and your grace that heals. I confess that I’ve let some things rule my heart that don’t belong there. I’ve shined the surface while ignoring the soul. Teach me to walk in freedom. Keep my eyes on Jesus—the only One who’s worthy of my worship and able to change my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.