Grow In Grace The Ten Commandments
For Additional Study
The Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses. We find them recorded in two places: Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:1-21.
The Ten Commandments
The commands of God are like a CURB that keeps people within moral boundaries. We have learned that God wrote his law on people’s hearts and, although consciences are dulled by sin, this innate sense of right and wrong serves to prevent complete chaos in this world, limiting to some extent, the damage sin causes. When a person first views God’s specific commands, they serve as a MIRROR, showing them what they really look like in God’s eyes. A person sees that they have not perfectly obeyed those laws. This leads to guilt and fear before the holy, all-knowing, and all-powerful God. The message of the gospel is that Jesus paid for the guilt of our sin with his perfect life, his sacrifice on the cross, and his resurrection from death. The person who trusts this “good news” has forgiveness and eternal life. In thankfulness to God, they want to live for God. So God points them back to his moral law. With the eyes of faith, the Christian now sees these commands as positive things that they want to do for God! These commandments serve as a GUIDE for Christian living. It is important to recognize that following God’s law does not save a person. Only _________________________________ saves. Living by God’s commands is how we show that we have ________________________________________.
When asked about the greatest commandment of God, Jesus summarized the whole of the Commandments in this way: Matthew 22:37-40 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” The Ten Commandments can be divided into two parts, as Jesus’ answer suggests. The first part is made up of three commands. They have to do with our relationship with God. The second part is comprised of the last seven commands, which instruct us about our relationship with other people.
1 You shall have no other gods beside me. 2 You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. 3 Remember the Sabbath day by setting it apart as holy. 4 Honor your father and your mother. 5 You shall not commit murder. 6 You shall not commit adultery. 7 You shall not steal. 8 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 9 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. 10 You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.